INTERVIEW: CHILDCARE — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

CHILDCARE

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THANKS to Ed from CHILDCARE…

for telling me about the band’s latest cut, Man Down (King Kong Shake), and how it came together. I ask how the band got together and what is coming up; he highlights an album that means a lot to him and reveals whether there are gigs coming up for CHILDCARE.

Ed lets me into the band’s world and what makes them tick; whether he gets any chance to unwind away from music and what advice he would give to artists coming through – he recommends some rising musicians whilst the band each pick a song to end the interview with.

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How are you? How has your week been?

Hello Music Musings and Such. I'm very well thanks. We've just come off a twelve-date tour so it's nice to be back home after a very fun few weeks, but there's loads to be getting on with; my to do-list is on thirteen items.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

So. We are CHILDCARE and writing to you today is Ed Cares (vocals, gesturing). Also in the band are Emma Topolski on bass, Rich Le Gate on guitar and Glyn Daniels on drums.

Man Down (King Kong Shake) is your new single. Can you reveal how it came together and what its story is?

The song's a lightish-hearted take on the whole male mental-health thing. I think I wrote most of it last Christmas at my parents' house on the piano, then it's taken quite a while and lots of work to get it to where it is now. The drum machine was a bit of an accident - we weren't going to have any drums and the producer just put them on to keep us on time when we were recording. The message is be vulnerable, be weak: it's ok to moisturise your knuckles if they get dry.

It is from your upcoming album. Is it possible to reveal any themes or song titles we might expect?

The album will be a mix of songs we've put out and some new ones. It's gonna be a Softcore-Psych sort of vibe; Pop tunes but with some unusual arrangements, interludes and spoken word bits.

How did CHILDCARE find one another? Was it an instant bond?

Well. Emma I met at a party. Glyn I met on a mini golf course and Rich I knew a bit from music. So, we weren't mates before the band started but we've become very close. We have a WhatsApp group and everyone will be getting a message on Christmas day.

You have been lauded by the likes of Annie Mac. What is it like getting support from someone like her?!

Yeah; it's cool to get played on the radio and we've respected Annie for a long time. She's always played good tunes.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

Our debut album should be all wrapped up and I want to be able to bench-press one-hundred-and-sixty.

In that same vein; do you have plans for 2019 in terms of what you want to accomplish?

Get the album out, tour the album; do loads of festivals and get started on album number-two. Bench-press one-hundred-and-sixty-five.

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Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

Well. We had a really fun gig at Omeara last week, which was our biggest headline show to date. That was v. cool. That, or listening to A Change Is Going to Come by Baby Huey & the Babysitters on mushrooms in July 2017.

Which one album means the most to each of you would you say (and why)?

I can't get hold of the guys right now cos I'm up early-ish, so I'm just going to pick mine - most albums by Radiohead are basically my favourites. They make me feel sick. I know Rich would pick a Pixies or Elliott Smith album.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

I guess, after my last answer, let's say Radiohead - with Pixies as main support and us on first. We'd like a bath of Aperol Spritz on our rider.