# Love Is Dead (Chvrches album)

Professional ratings :
| Aggregate scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 6.6/10 |
| Metacritic | 73/100 |
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The A.V. Club | B |
| The Independent | |
| Mojo | |
| NME | |
| The Observer | |
| Pitchfork | 6.3/10 |
| Q | |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Uncut | 6/10 |
Love Is Dead is the third studio album by Scottish synth-pop band Chvrches. It was released on 25 May 2018 by Virgin EMI Records and Goodbye Records. The album was co-produced by Greg Kurstin, marking the first time the band have worked with outside producers. The band collaborated with David Stewart from Eurythmics and Matt Berninger from The National during production. The album was announced by Martin Doherty at the start of January 2018, with frontwoman Lauren Mayberry accidentally revealing the album's name in a since-deleted interview that same month.
After wiping their social media accounts, the band released the lead single, "Get Out", on 31 January. The track listing for the album was released two days before the next single, "My Enemy", which featured Berninger, was released on 28 February. The third single from the album, "Never Say Die", was released on 29 March. "Miracle" was released as the fourth single on 10 April.
Videos were released for "Get Out", "Miracle", "Out Of My Head" and "Graffiti".
The song "Forever" is featured prominently in the third season of the Netflix series Elite.

## Background

In September 2015, the band released their second studio album, Every Open Eye, two years after the release of their critically acclaimed debut album, The Bones of What You Believe. It received positive reviews and spawned the singles "Leave a Trace", "Clearest Blue", "Never Ending Circles" and "Empty Threat". Besides releasing the song "Warning Call", cowritten with Solar Fields, for the game Mirror's Edge Catalyst, and releasing a version of "Bury It" with Paramore's Hayley Williams, the band stayed relatively quiet for the rest of the year and the next.
On 1 January 2018, Martin Doherty announced that the band would release an album within the year. That same month, Lauren Mayberry "accidentally" confirmed this and revealed the album's title in an interview, which has been since deleted. On 26 February, the band revealed the tracklist to the album on Twitter.

## Recording and production

The band started working on Love Is Dead on 7 February 2017 in Los Angeles. In 24 February, David Stewart, formerly one-half of the musical duo Eurythmics, revealed that he was in the studio with the band. Greg Kurstin was revealed as a producer for the album on 12 December, with work nearing completion. According to an article from The Independent, the band opted for more universal topics instead of introspection during production, jotting down ideas in a notebook whenever an opportunity passed.

## Musical style

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the band described their work with Kurstin as "the most pop stuff we've done and also the most aggressive and vulnerable at the same time". On Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show, on the premiere of "Get Out", Mayberry said that:
   After Every Open Eye, we went back into a little writing studio—this time in New York—but we still wanted to take a little time to work out where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do. We decided this time we wanted to work with a producer. I think it was really good for us to be pushed to do things differently and take risks.
She also explained the album would take an "honest" approach.
   If it's going to be more pop it should be more aggressively pop—there's no doing things in half measures. It was nice to not be second guessing ourselves. It's still consistent with what we've done before but it feels like it'll be more of a live experience.

## Promotion

The album's lead single, "Get Out", premiered on BBC Radio 1 on 31 January 2018, where Annie Mac dubbed it the Hottest Record in the World; it was released the same day. The second single, "My Enemy", featuring vocals from Matt Berninger of The National, was named Zane Lowe's World Record when it premiered on Beats 1 in 28 February, after the tracklist and artwork reveal. "Never Say Die" was released on 29 March, the third single from the album. Premiered on BBC Radio 1, "Miracle" was released on 10 April as the fourth and final single. It is the album's only song recorded in the United Kingdom.
Prior to the release of "Get Out", and after wiping all of their social media accounts, the band released a short video with a weblink captioned "GET IN", which contained a link that would lead to a Facebook Messenger page made by the band. Furthermore, in the music video for the respective single, alongside Matt Berninger taping an advertisement, a poster advertised a phone number. When called, Mayberry reads part of the lyrics to "My Enemy".
Prior to the official release, the band celebrated the upcoming album with a release party by performing live at iHeartRadio Album Release Party in New York City on 22 May. During the show, they debuted some of the new music for the first time, including songs like "God's Plan", "Graffiti" and "Forever".

## Commercial performance

Love Is Dead debuted at number seven on the UK Albums Chart, selling 11,763 copies in its first week. The album debuted at number 11 on the US Billboard 200 as well as number 1 on the Top Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums chart with 28,000 album equivalent units.

## Track listing

All tracks are written by Iain Cook, Martin Doherty, Lauren Mayberry and Greg Kurstin, and produced by Kurstin; except where noted

## Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Love Is Dead.

### Chvrches

* Iain Cook
* Martin Doherty
* Lauren Mayberry

### Additional musicians

* Ian Chang – drums (10)

### Technical

* Greg Kurstin – record engineering (1–3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13)
* Julian Burg – record engineering (1–3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13)
* Alex Pasco – record engineering (1–3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13)
* David Simpson – record engineering (4, 10, 14)
* Sean O'Brien – record engineering (4)
* Dann Pursey – record engineering (7)
* Chris Laws – record engineering (7)
* Mark Bengston – record engineering (10)
* Chvrches – record engineering (11)
* Hideyuki Matsuhashi – record engineering (14)
* Spike Stent – mixing
* Michael Freeman – mixing assistance
* Chris Gehringer – mastering

### Artwork

* Warren Fu – creative direction
* Liz Hirsch – design, layout
* Lindsey Byrnes – sleeve photograph
* Danny Clinch – inside photograph

## Charts

| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 7 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 16 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 60 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 86 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) | 22 |
| Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) | 41 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 88 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 16 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA) | 15 |
| Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan) | 52 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) | 45 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 35 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) | 5 |
| South Korean International Albums (Gaon) | 3 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) | 81 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 27 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 7 |
| US Billboard 200 | 11 |
| US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) | 1 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) | 1 |

## Certifications

Certifications for Love Is Dead :
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Silver | 60,000$^‡$ |
| $^‡$ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |||

## Love Is Dead Tour

In support of their new album, Chvrches played live worldwide in the festival circuit and venues between 2018 and 2019. The tour officially started on 25 May 2018, with a free show at House Of Vans in London to celebrate the release of their album, but an early album release party held at iHeartRadio Theatre in New York and other two previous shows (19 May 2018 - The Josie Dye One Year Anniversary Show at Danforth Music Hall in Toronto and 21 May 2018 - Elsewhere, Brooklyn, NY) are generally considered as part of the tour based on their common setlist and stage design. On 10 December 2019, the band announced the official end of the tour with a message posted on their blog. The band performed in over 20 countries, attending more than 150 events. For the very first time since their formation, the band added a live drummer, Jonny Scott, to their touring lineup.

### Setlist

While the played setlist varied slightly with each show, the typical setlist contained:
* "Get Out"
* "Bury It"
* "Gun"
* "We Sink"
* "Graffiti"
* "Graves"
* "Miracle"
* "Under the Tide"
* "Science/Visions"
* "Forever"
* "Recover"
* "Leave a Trace"
* "Clearest Blue"
* "Never Say Die"
* "The Mother We Share"

### Stage Design and Crew

For the Love is Dead tour, the stage design was created by the lighting designer and programmer Louis Oliver, who has been working with the band since 2013. The idea behind the blueprints was to use a flexible design which could fit any type of show size. "The main request from the band was to have a more performance focused design, with looks that amplified their performance." while avoiding the use of any large video screens. The solution was to create 15 touring lighting pods containing 16 Elation Fuze Par Z120 which allowed them to adapt to each venue's limitations. The lighting setup also included 12 Robe BMFL Wash Beams, 13 GLP JDC1, 2 Base Hazer Pros and 2 grandMA2 Light consoles. The most visible elements of the floor package were three custom-built pieces comprising two crosses and a balancing symbol that mimic the artwork created by Warren Fu for the Love is Dead album cover.
The tour crew also included:
* Tour Manager: Cara McDaniel
* Production Manager: Patrick Scott
* Lighting Director: Greg Hill
* Lighting Crew Chief: Christopher Hassfurther
* Lighting Tech: Troy Grubb
* Sound Engineer: David Simpson
* Lighting Crew Chief: Amanda "Cupcake" Ritchie
* Lighting Tech: Josh Welch

### Shows

The performances with short setlists (five songs or fewer) are not included in the list below.

## Tour dates

List of concerts showing date, city, country and venue. :
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| North America ||||
| 19 May 2018 | Toronto | Canada | The Josie Dye One Year Anniversary Show |
| 21 May 2018 | New York City | United States | Elsewhere |
| 22 May 2018 | New York City | United States | iHeartRadio Theater |
| Europe ||||
| 25 May 2018 | London | United Kingdom | House of Vans |
| 26 May 2018 | Swansea | United Kingdom | BBC Music's Biggest Weekend |
| 29 May 2018 | Kingston upon Thames | United Kingdom | The Hippodrome |
| 31 May 2018 | Barcelona | Spain | Primavera Sound |
| North America ||||
| 3 June 2018 | New York City | United States | Governors Ball Music Festival |
| 8 June 2018 | Hilvarenbeek | Netherlands | Best Kept Secret |
| 10 June 2018 | Manchester | United Kingdom | Parklife |
| North America ||||
| 16 June 2018 | Toronto | Canada | North by Northeast |
| 17 June 2018 | Camden | United States | Radio 104.5's 11th Birthday Show |
| Europe ||||
| 22 June 2018 | Scheeßel | Germany | Hurricane Festival |
| 23 June 2018 | Neuhausen ob Eck | Germany | Southside Festival |
| 29 June 2018 | Panenský Týnec | Czech Republic | Aerodrome Festival |
| 30 June 2018 | Saint-Cergue | Switzerland | Open Air St. Gallen |
| 4 July 2018 | Gdynia | Poland | Open'er Festival |
| 6 July 2018 | Werchter | Belgium | Rock Werchter |
| 8 July 2018 | Glasgow | United Kingdom | TRNSMT |
| 11 July 2018 | Linz | Austria | Ahoi The Full Hit of Summer |
| 13 July 2018 | Algés | Portugal | NOS Alive |
| 15 July 2018 | London | United Kingdom | Citadel Festival at Gunnersbury Park |
| Oceania ||||
| 21 July 2018 | Apollo Bay | Australia | Splendour in the Grass |
| 22 July 2018 | Sydney | Australia | Hordern Pavilion |
| 23 July 2018 | Melbourne | Australia | Margaret Court Arena |
| Asia ||||
| 27 July 2018 | Seoul | South Korea | Sound City Seoul at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium |
| 29 July 2018 | Yuzawa | Japan | Fuji Rock Festival |
| North America ||||
| 1 August 2018 | Chicago | United States | Metro Chicago |
| 2 August 2018 | Chicago | United States | Lollapalooza |
| 3 August 2018 | St. Charles | United States | Hinterland Music Festival |
| 4 August 2018 | Omaha | United States | The Waiting Room Lounge |
| 6 August 2018 | Denver | United States | Ogden Theatre |
| 7 August 2018 | Denver | United States | Ogden Theatre |
| 9 August 2018 | Ogden | United States | Ogden Twilight at Ogden Amphitheatre |
| 11 August 2018 | San Francisco | United States | Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival |
| 12 August 2018 | Long Beach | United States | ALT 98.7 Summer Camp |
| 14 August 2018 | Los Angeles | United States | Jimmy Kimmel Live Concert Series |
| Europe ||||
| 31 August 2018 | Stradbally | Ireland | Electric Picnic |
| North America ||||
| 20 September 2018 | San Diego | United States | Cal Coast Open Air Amphitheater |
| 21 September 2018 | Las Vegas | United States | Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival |
| 22 September 2018 | Sacramento | United States | City of Trees Music Festival |
| 23 September 2018 | Los Angeles | United States | Greek Theatre |
| 26 September 2018 | Portland | United States | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall |
| 27 September 2018 | Vancouver | Canada | Commodore Ballroom |
| 28 September 2018 | Vancouver | Canada | Commodore Ballroom |
| 29 September 2018 | Seattle | United States | Paramount Theatre |
| 2 October 2018 | Saint Paul | United States | Palace Theatre |
| 3 October 2018 | Saint Paul | United States | Palace Theatre |
| 4 October 2018 | Milwaukee | United States | Riverside Theater |
| 6 October 2018 | Austin | United States | Austin City Limits Music Festival |
| 8 October 2018 | Birmingham | United States | Iron City Bham |
| 9 October 2018 | Asheville | United States | Thomas Wolfe Auditorium |
| 10 October 2018 | Atlanta | United States | Tabernacle |
| 11 October 2018 | New Orleans | United States | Joy Theater |
| 13 October 2018 | Austin | United States | Austin City Limits Music Festival |
| 15 October 2018 | Nashville | United States | Ryman Auditorium |
| 16 October 2018 | Charlotte | United States | The Fillmore Charlotte |
| 18 October 2018 | Washington, D.C. | United States | The Anthem |
| 19 October 2018 | Philadelphia | United States | Franklin Music Hall |
| 20 October 2018 | Boston | United States | Orpheum Theatre |
| 21 October 2018 | Boston | United States | Orpheum Theatre |
| Europe ||||
| 2 November 2018 | Paris | France | Pitchfork Music Festival |
| 3 November 2018 | Utrecht | Netherlands | TivoliVredenburg |
| 5 November 2018 | Brussels | Belgium | Ancienne Belgique |
| 6 November 2018 | Cologne | Germany | Live Music Hall |
| 7 November 2018 | Berlin | Germany | Tempodrom |
| 9 November 2018 | Hamburg | Germany | Docks |
| 10 November 2018 | Vienna | Austria | Gasometer B |
| 11 November 2018 | Stuttgart | Germany | LKA Longhorn |
| 12 November 2018 | Munich | Germany | Muffathalle |
| 14 November 2018 | Milan | Italy | Fabrique |
| 15 November 2018 | Lausanne | Switzerland | Les Docks |
| 16 November 2018 | Luxembourg City | Luxembourg | Den Atelier |
| North America ||||
| 18 November 2018 | Mexico City | Mexico | Corona Capital |
| 28 November 2018 | Tulsa | United States | Cain's Ballroom |
| 1 December 2018 | Chicago | United States | The Nights We Stole Christmas at Aragon Ballroom |
| 2 December 2018 | Tampa | United States | 97X Next Big Thing Music Festival |
| 4 December 2018 | Kansas City | United States | Midland Theatre |
| 6 December 2018 | New York City | United States | Barclays Center |
| 8 December 2018 | San Jose | United States | ALT 105.3 Not So Silent Night at SAP Center |
| 9 December 2018 | Inglewood | United States | The Forum |
| Oceania ||||
| 30 December 2018 | Bream Creek | Australia | Falls Festival |
| 31 December 2018 | Lorne | Australia | Falls Festival |
| 1 January 2019 | Sydney | Australia | Field Day |
| 2 January 2019 | Byron Bay | Australia | Falls Festival |
| 5 January 2019 | Fremantle | Australia | Falls Festival |
| 7 January 2019 | Sydney | Australia | Sydney Opera House |
| Europe ||||
| 7 February 2019 | London | United Kingdom | Alexandra Palace |
| 8 February 2019 | Birmingham | United Kingdom | O2 Academy Birmingham |
| 9 February 2019 | Birmingham | United Kingdom | O2 Academy Birmingham |
| 11 February 2019 | Nottingham | United Kingdom | Rock City |
| 12 February 2019 | Bournemouth | United Kingdom | O2 Academy Bournemouth |
| 14 February 2019 | Manchester | United Kingdom | Victoria Warehouse |
| 15 February 2019 | Manchester | United Kingdom | Victoria Warehouse |
| 16 February 2019 | Glasgow | United Kingdom | SSE Hydro |
| 18 February 2019 | Newcastle upon Tyne | United Kingdom | O2 Academy Newcastle |
| 19 February 2019 | Belfast | United Kingdom | Ulster Hall |
| 21 February 2019 | Dublin | Ireland | Olympia Theatre |
| 22 February 2019 | Dublin | Ireland | Olympia Theatre |
| Asia ||||
| 26 February 2019 | Osaka | Japan | Zepp Bay |
| 28 February 2019 | Tokyo | Japan | Toyosu Pit |
| 1 March 2019 | Tokyo | Japan | Toyosu Pit |
| North America ||||
| 30 March 2019 | Tehuixtla | Mexico | Festival Vaivén (Jardines de México) |
| 14 April 2019 | Indio | United States | Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival |
| 16 April 2019 | Las Vegas | United States | Brooklyn Bowl |
| 18 April 2019 | Pioneertown | United States | Pappy & Harriet's |
| 19 April 2019 | Berkeley | United States | The Greek Theatre |
| 21 April 2019 | Indio | United States | Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival |
| 22 April 2019 | Phoenix | United States | The Van Buren |
| 23 April 2019 | Tucson | United States | Rialto Theatre |
| 26 April 2019 | Houston | United States | White Oak Music Hall |
| 27 April 2019 | Fort Worth | United States | Fortress Festival |
| 28 April 2019 | Austin | United States | Austin City Limits Music Festival |
| 29 April 2019 | Austin | United States | Austin City Limits Music Festival |
| 1 MAY 2019 | St. Louis | United States | The Pageant |
| 2 May 2019 | Chicago | United States | Aragon Ballroom |
| 3 May 2019 | Memphis | United States | Beale Street Music Festival |
| 24 May 2019 | Boston | United States | Boston Calling Music Festival |
| Europe ||||
| 14 June 2019 | Madrid | Spain | Paraiso Festival |
| North America ||||
| 29 June 2019 | Denver | United States | Westword Music Showcase |
| 1 July 2019 | Kansas City | United States | Uptown Theater |
| 2 July 2019 | Milwaukee | United States | Summerfest |
| 4 July 2019 | Ottawa | Canada | Ottawa Bluesfest |
| 5 July 2019 | Quebec City | Canada | Festival d'été de Québec |
| 6 July 2019 | Montreal | Canada | Montreal International Jazz Festival |
| 7 July 2019 | Toronto | Canada | Noir inside Rebel |
| 9 July 2019 | New Haven | United States | College Street Music Hall |
| 11 July 2019 | New York City | United States | Radio City Music Hall |
| 12 July 2019 | New York City | United States | Pioneer Works |
| 13 July 2019 | Minneapolis | United States | Basilica Block Party |
| 14 July 2019 | Louisville | United States | Forecastle Festival |
| Europe ||||
| 18 July 2019 | Bonțida | Romania | Electric Castle |
| 21 July 2019 | Beccles | United Kingdom | Latitude Festival |
| 1 August 2019 | Inverness | United Kingdom | Tartan Heart Festival |
| 4 August 2019 | Dublin | Ireland | Beatyard |
| 8 August 2019 | Budapest | Hungary | Sziget Festival |
| 9 August 2019 | Piešťany | Slovakia | GrapeFestival |
| 11 August 2019 | Edinburgh | United Kingdom | Summer Sessions @ Princes Street Gardens |
| Asia ||||
| 15 August 2019 | Incheon | South Korea | Your Summer Music Festival @ Paradise City Culture Park |
| 17 August 2019 | Osaka | Japan | Summer Sonic Festival |
| 18 August 2019 | Chiba | Japan | Summer Sonic Festival |
| Europe ||||
| 23 August 2019 | Wetherby | United Kingdom | Reading and Leeds Festivals |
| 25 August 2019 | Reading | United Kingdom | Reading and Leeds Festivals |
| North America ||||
| 7 September 2019 | Raleigh | United States | Hopscotch Music Festival |
| 21 September 2019 | Glen Ellen | United States | Sonoma Harvest Music Festival |
| 12 October 2019 | Washington, D.C. | United States | All Things Go - Union Market |
| 2 November 2019 | San Diego | United States | Dia De Los Deftones |
| Oceania ||||
| 23 November 2019 | Canberra | Australia | Spilt Milk |
| 30 November 2019 | Ballarat | Australia | Spilt Milk |
| North America ||||
| 6 December 2019 | Las Vegas | United States | Intersect Music Festival @ Las Vegas Festival Grounds |
| 8 December 2019 | Los Angeles | United States | Wiltern Theatre |