It’s been a decade since CHVRCHES first released The Bones of What You Believe. Now, the band is honoring their celebrated debut album with a 10th anniversary reissue, which features four previously-unheard songs and five live recordings from 2013.
“It feels quite strange that Bones is almost a decade old,” vocalist Lauren Mayberry said in a statement. “In some ways, it’s like it just happened, but also like that era was a lifetime ago. We are very grateful to all the fans who gave that album a special place in their heart, and still show us so much kindness today.”
One of the newly-unearthed songs is “Manhattan,” which was written right as that era from a “lifetime ago” was first beginning. As the band’s Iain Cook explained, it was the fourth song CHVRCHES ever worked on. “It was the first time we messed around with sampling and chopping up our vocals, which would go on to become one of the hallmarks of the band’s sound,” he said in a statement, before explaining the song’s Oppenheimer-esque theme. “Lyrically, we were playing around with pretty abstract apocalyptic imagery — in this case, the Manhattan Project. This was right around the time we asked Lauren to come into the studio to try out some additional vocals.”
For her part, Mayberry recalled the feeling that “Manhattan” inspired when her future-bandmates first showed it to her. “It immediately felt like an exciting thing to be involved in,” she said in a statement. “It really showcased a lot of the traits that would eventually become synonymous with CHVRCHES and what our first album would end up sounding like. It’s fun to listen to it now, knowing everything that came along after it.”
The Bones of What You Believe (10th Anniversary Edition) is also available in 1xLP clear vinyl, 2xLP black vinyl with die cut sleeve, 2xCD, and digital formats. Pre-orders are ongoing. Stream it below.
In 2021, CHRVCHES was named Consequence‘s Band of the Year. Earlier this year, the band shared a new single titled “Over,” while Mayberry began releasing solo music.
The Bones Of What You Believe (10th Anniversary Edition) Artwork:
The Bones Of What You Believe (10th Anniversary Edition) Tracklist:
01. The Mother We Share
02. We Sink
03. Gun
04. Tether
05. Lies
06. Under the Tide
07. Recover
08. Night Sky
09. Science/Visions
10. Lungs
11. By the Throat
12. You Caught the Light
13. Manhattan
14. White Summer
15. Talking in My Sleep
16. City on Fire
17. We Sink (Live)
18. Now Is Not the Time (Live)
19. Lies (Live)
20. Strong Hand (Live)
21. By the Throat (Live)
