Serious Child, aka Alan Young, is set to release of his fourth album ‘What Lies Beneath’ for 7^th November 2025.

Hailing from an old wood in West Sussex, Young draws from a wide range of influences to explore the world around us with a poet’s ear for emotion and a comedian’s eye for everyday detail.

For the new record, Young has drawn from a wide range of sources of inspiration- from Tony Harrison’s sonnet “Book Ends”, to Rob McFarlane’s brilliant book “Underland” and Georgian traditional lullaby “Iavnana”. The album sees him joined by classical composer and violinist, David Grubb, bass clarinettist, Anna Perry, vocalist and touring partner My Girl The River, and long-time collaborator and producer Chris Pepper.

‘What Lies Beneath’ is a collection of musical stories about what’s underneath the surface of our everyday lives. Following the album’s first single ‘First Tattoo’, which saw Young contemplating whether or not he is too old or too uncool to get his first tattoo, the next single to be lifted from the album is ‘Dusk on the 33’, which tells the story of an old woman riding the bus all day to keep warm, and no-one noticing her. Inspired by a Georgian lullaby, ‘Iavnana (Violet Nana)’, ‘Dusk on the 33’ has a slightly otherworldly off-kilter piano-led psychedelic lilt to it, with the poignancy of the old woman’s story nestled within.

The accompanying video for the track was created via an intergenerational dance project between Three Score Dance Company and MA students from the University of Chichester and perhaps shows that beneath everything there’s an underlying connection between us all in our daily lives. Contemporary dance routines from both and younger dancers meet when Young drives them all on their daily bus commutes as the track’s orchestral pop melancholy grows more and more hypnotic.

Young’s previous albums have consistently attracted four and five star reviews, and his last full album, 2021’s ‘Talk About The Weather’ (with Andy Ruddy) was shortlisted for Fatea Album of the Year. His most recent project was a charity EP for Save Ukraine, with whom his brother Dave worked as an emergency relief driver. His most ambitious and varied offering to date, the new record, ‘What Lies Beneath’ is the bold sound of an indie-pop artist exploring and confidently fulfilling their potential.

Catch Serious Child playing around the UK on a double headline tour with My Girl The River as follows:

16 October – Windsor – Other Space

17 October – Cambridge – Portland Arms

6 November – Luton – The Bear Club

13 November – Surbiton – The Lamb

15 November – Alton – Beech Village Hall

16 November – London – Water Rats

20 November – Lewes – Con Club

19 February – Bristol – Hen & Chicken

22 February – Penzance – Acorn Theatre

13 March – Winchester – The Arc

15 March – Stroud – Prince Albert