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Chvrches have recorded new versions of The Postal Service’s ‘Such Great Heights’ and Robert Palmer’s ‘Addicted To Love’ for the soundtrack to Tell Me Lies.
Lauren Mayberry and her bandmates created the two tracks for the third season of the popular series, which the creators have confirmed will also be its final chapter.
On their take of ‘Addicted To Love’, the group reshape Robert Palmer’s 1985 hit into something more restrained. The driving synth energy of the original is replaced with a softer piano led arrangement, while Mayberry delivers the vocals in a more wistful and subdued tone.
With ‘Such Great Heights’, Chvrches remain closer to The Postal Service’s original blueprint. The song gradually builds from a pulsing rhythm before Mayberry’s voice rises into the soaring, cathartic chorus.
“It was such a treat to get to make music for the season premiere and the season finale of this show,” Mayberry said. “Bookending the insanity and the heartbreak of the season three arc was an honour and ‘Such Great Heights’ is basically a perfect song, so we were excited and terrified to cover it in equal measure.
“The Postal Service is such a special band and their music means a lot to us,” she added.
Speaking to Billboard, Mayberry also explained what draws her to ‘Such Great Heights’ and the songwriting of The Postal Service.
“I always liked the balance of joy and melancholy in the Postal Service’s music,” she said. “I did email Ben Gibbard about it to make sure they wouldn’t find it weird and so that he didn’t think we were being creepy. He was characteristically lovely about it, of course.”
Discussing her decision to be involved in the final season of Tell Me Lies, she continued: “I think having a genuine love for the show put me in a good position to know what I would want the pay off of that final scene to feel like, from a fan’s perspective.”
She also noted that the college timeline in the series, set across 2008 and 2009, struck a personal chord as she was studying at university during that period and felt conversations about “toxic” relationships were not as visible then as they are now.
This is not the first time Chvrches have spoken about their admiration for The Postal Service and Ben Gibbard, who also fronts Death Cab For Cutie.
In 2016, Chvrches toured alongside Death Cab For Cutie, with Chvrches promoting ‘Every Open Eye’ and Death Cab supporting ‘Kintsugi’.
During a stop in South Carolina on that tour, Mayberry joined Gibbard on stage to perform ‘Brothers on a Hotel Bed’ from the ‘Plans’ album.
The new covers arrive as Chvrches have reunited and are currently completing work on their next album. The Scottish synth pop trio have not put out a full length release since 2021’s ‘Screen Violence’, though they continued touring until 2023 and supported Coldplay at Milan’s Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
In recent years, the members have focused on individual projects. Mayberry released her debut solo album ‘Vicious Creatures’ in 2024 and collaborated with artists including IDLES’ Joe Talbot and The National’s Aaron Dessner. She most recently featured on Lucia & The Best Boys’ single ‘Lonely Girl’.
Iain Cook worked with Scott Paterson on a string of releases under the name Protection in 2022 and 2023, while Martin Doherty introduced a new venture called The Leaving late last year alongside longtime drummer Jonny Scott.
Last summer, Chvrches told fans they had begun writing a new record, and earlier this month Doherty and Scott spoke to NME about what listeners can expect.
“It’s going to surprise people, and I hope it’s going to delight them and rip some faces off,” Doherty said, explaining that the album is around 90 per cent finished. “It’s quite hard, but not to the point where you won’t recognise the band. It’s still the same people and DNA.”
As for Tell Me Lies, the newest season has drawn strong viewing figures, with five million people worldwide tuning in for the opening episode, marking a 150 per cent jump compared to the first season premiere.
The concluding episode, titled Are You Happy Now, That I’m on My Knees?, can be streamed on Disney+ in the UK, while the first two seasons are available on BBC iPlayer.
