We Speak Music
Serious Child teases new album with joyful new single ‘First Tattoo’
Serious Child, aka Alan Young, is pleased to announce the release of his fourth album ‘What Lies Beneath’ for 7th 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, from a woman quietly riding the bus all day to keep warm, to the prickle of fear exploring an ancient burial chamber and to the joy of a midlife tattoo on the album’s first single ‘First Tattoo’.
In finest pop tradition, ‘First Tattoo’ is literally a three-chord song, centred around a nursery rhyme riff, but played on a kalimba (thumb piano), with loads of lovely texture and interplay from Annie Perry on bass clarinet and David Grubb on violin. “I wanted to write something simple and joyful, without a care in the world”, explains Young. “On vocals, it was a family affair, with daughter Rosa providing backing a-has in addition to My Girl The River, and partner Kate donating her laugh at the whole silliness of it all. And yes, I am getting a tattoo”, he further adds.
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. ‘First Tattoo’ signals a new era for Serious Child and serves as a delicious taster of the highly anticipated album to come. The accompanying video for the single sees Young in Brighton, pondering whether he may or may not be too old or too uncool to get his first tattoo. Young sees and chats to many awesomely inked people on his way to a tattoo parlour where the employees help him finish the song in a glorious finale.
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
19 February – Bristol – Hen & Chicken
22 February – Penzance – Acorn Theatre
13 March – Winchester – The Arc
15 March – Stroud – Prince Albert
Swiss artist Fanny Alexandra returns with “Black Pearl Summer”, a new single that finds her exploring a more open side of her alternative sound. Released via Now Listen, the track combines coastal imagery with a story about growing through grief, pressure and the experiences that can shape a person over time.
Alexandra notes that the song is relatively summery by her own standards. She has said that her music is usually darker and that she has never been particularly drawn to the typical idea of summer, preferring cold air, jackets and rugged coastlines. That gives the release a clear sense of personality from the outset.
The song centres on Alexandra’s reflections on being 19 and spending years focused on survival rather than fully living. Those experiences are presented through the image of a black pearl, which becomes a way of considering how something worthwhile can emerge from a challenging period.
What makes the track particularly effective is the balance between its subject matter and its musical approach. The production gives the song room to breathe, while Alexandra keeps the focus firmly on the story she is telling. It means the track can be enjoyed as a seasonal release while still offering more to discover in the lyrics.
There is also a clear sense of change in the way Alexandra approaches her younger self. The song is not about returning to that period or trying to erase it. Instead, it considers what can be learned from experiences that once felt overwhelming.
“Black Pearl Summer” therefore offers newcomers a useful introduction to Alexandra’s work. It shows an artist comfortable writing about serious subjects, while also demonstrating a lighter musical side that may not be as familiar to listeners who know her darker material.
It is an interesting glimpse of what Alexandra can do when she lets a little more light into the picture.
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