Originally out of Elizabeth, New Jersey, but relocated to Los Angeles, California, Active Child is an American singer/songwriter and producer that has captured imaginations and brought such an eclectic mix to his indie/singer-songwriter vibe to his music. At a young age, Active Child has performed with the Philadelphia Boys Choir and also performed at Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House. He also is classically trained on the guitar and harp.
In 2010, Active Child released a cassette entitled “Sun Rooms”, and immediately drew the attention to media outlets such as Pitchfork. In 2011, is when Active Child started to receive some significant notoriety. He released his critically acclaimed album entitled “You Are All I See” and it featured the singles “Hanging On” and “Johnny Belinda”. “Hanging On” really showcases a mix of new wave, new age, and world music with the singer/songwriter vibe. It showcases his multiple octave range and just how to incorporate a blending of such different styles of music to create his own sound. Active Child’s tracks would appear on films such as “Divergent” and “The Host”, and Active Child would sign with Vagrant Records, which was also home to Thrice for “The Alchemy Index” album. “Hanging On” currently boasts of over one million hits on YouTube. Check it out below!
Artists left and right began calling for Active Child’s services. Active Child would appear on mixtapes and compilation albums for artists such as Lana Del Ray, Charli XCX, Gilbere Forte, and Classixx. Active Child would also tour the U.K. with White Rabbits and tour the United States with M83, and would open shows for electronic musician James Blake. After appearing at several well-known festivals, Active Child would release his follow-up record entitled “Mercy” in 2015. “Mercy” was still well-received, however, Active Child is known for his movie placements and his collaborations. “Stranger” was released as a music video in 2015, and it would boast almost 20,000 hits on YouTube. Check it out below!
On May 26th, 2017, Active Child released a new single entitled “Cruel World”. It is definitely a darker song, and has a haunting rhythm to it, with a bit more new age thrown into the mix. Check it out below!
Madness To Creation’s take:
I definitely appreciate Active Child’s take on his music. I view Active Child as a prodigy when it comes to his music due to him being able to effortlessly blend multiple styles of music and him having an angelic, yet somewhat of a haunting voice in his music. Active Child showcases the ability to experiment with different styles and arrangements in his music, and he is an effective songwriter. I think his career has taken him to where he concentrates more on producing and songwriting, and less about making his own music. Some of his music would go over the heads of those that listen to mainstream pop or indie pop music, however, his vibe is an eclectic vibe. Madness To Creation gives Active Child a solid 8 out of 10 stars.
Fans can find Active Child at the following locations:
