Fans of singer-songwriter-instrumentalist-producer Active Child, aka Patrick Grossi, have noticed that he has been a little less active lately. Such is natural as you get older, especially when you have had a very active career. In 2011, Active Child introduced fans to his eloquent and refined style with his debut album, You Are All I See, which gained critical acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork, SPIN, and Stereogum, to name a few. In 2015, he released his sophomore album, Mercy, which accumulated 50M streams within its first few years. After signing with Sony Music Masterworks in 2019, Active Child then released his first official album with the label, In Another Life, in 2020. The project, of course, received rave reviews from notable tastemakers like Billboard and The FADER, which only confirmed that Active Child was as significant and notable as ever. He has been on headline tours; performed at notable festivals; remixed tracks for Lana Del Rey, Marina and the Diamonds, and Angus & Julia Stone; and has collaborated with top producers like Jim-E Stack (Lorde) and pop icons like Khalid and Ellie Goulding.
It makes sense that Active Child had to step back a bit since the album was released, but he is ready to start a new chapter. After rediscovering his great-grandfather’s rare 1950s D’Angelico acoustic guitar, Active Child was inspired to write new songs with a timeless flair. This resulted in “Coming Up,” which is his latest single.
Co-produced by Alex Goose (Kali Uchis, Childish Gambino, Vince Staples), “Coming Up” touches on topics like family, purpose, and love. It is gentle, folksy, mellow, and reflective, making it an intimate yet inviting comeback. Against the warm guitar and string work, Active Child’s earnest vocals take on a classic quality, capturing the timeless style he so wished to invoke. You can watch it come together in the video below.
Telling us more about “Coming Up,” Active Child shares,
“‘Coming Up’ is about sorting out who I am—my identity as an adult, as a father, and a husband—and trying to reconcile that with what can sometimes feel like a self-absorbed journey as an artist. In many ways, it encapsulates where I am now in my life and sets the tone for what’s coming next for me musically: a search for balance between my creative path as an artist and my role as a parent and partner.”
You can listen to “Coming Up” here.
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