Active Child

Patrick James Grossi (born May 28, 1983), better known by his stage name Active Child, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His debut album, You Are All I See, was released in 2011 and produced by Ariel Rechtshaid, and garnered substantial reviews from media outlets like Pitchfork Media[1] and Drowned in Sound.[2] In 2011, Active Child opened for British musician James Blake and for the French synthpop band M83.[3] In 2012, his song, "Hanging On," was covered by English pop artist Ellie Goulding and later included on her second album, Halcyon.[4]

Active Child
Background information
Birth namePatrick James Grossi
Born (1983-05-28) May 28, 1983
Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, producer
InstrumentsVocals, harp, synthesizer, piano, guitar
Years active2010 (2010)–present
LabelsVagrant, Spunk, Plancha
Associated actsM83, James Blake, Mikky Ekko, Ellie Goulding, Chad Valley, How To Dress Well
Websiteactivechildmusic.com

Early life

Grossi was born May 28, 1983 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the son of Bob Grossi, a sales executive for Priority Records and Donna Grossi, an abstract and figurative painter. His father's music had been a childhood influence through the rhythms of '80s alternative dance bands like New Order and at the age of 9 he started singing with the Philadelphia Boys Choir.[5] Grossi at a very young age, began touring with the Philly Boys Choir in Europe, South Africa and Australia, performing at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House and singing with a choir in South Africa. As a teenager, he listened to a lot of early ’90s gangster rap and focused on sports and education. During his college days in Colorado, the local arts landscape influenced him to pick up guitar and harp and rediscover his musical talent. He combined elements learned as a child and during his time with Philly Boys Choir, with his falsetto, live harp, and evocative lyrics and debuted in 2010 as Active Child.

Career

2010: Career beginnings

Grossi's first release was Sun Rooms, a cassette put out on January 14, 2010 by Mirror Universe Tapes.[6] That same year, came a 7" vinyl single, She Was A Vision, which was released in February 2010 via Transparent. The record includes the single She Was A Vision and b-side Voice of an Old Friend.[7] His first official EP, Curtis Lane EP was released in June 2010, The Guardian remarked how the sombre young man creates glacial and gloomy music, and how the songs have a sort of spiritual quality.[8] Pitchfork wrote, Grossi seems to have pushed the cosmic, stately side of these tracks to the forefront.[9]

2011–present

Grossi released his debut LP, You Are All I See in August 2011, featuring tracks such as Hanging On and Johnny Belinda. Drowned in Sound remarked, "You Are All I See is all about the shimmer, Grossi's touch is so deft, and the sound so seemingly in tune with the natural world, he somehow is able to play with light."[10] By 2013, he released albums and EPs for labels including Vagrant, Spunk, Plancha and others. Several of his tracks have appeared on compilations and in multiple films including Divergent and The Host.[11][12]

In August 2011, Active Child appeared on NPR Music Mondays and in 2012, he appeared on a mixtape, I Like Boys Who Cry with Charli XCX. Later in the year, he appeared in a compilation, The Singles with Lana Del Rey, PRAY with Gilbere Forte and Classixx debut album Hanging Gardens. His second single album, Mercy was released in June 2015 by Vagrant and produced by Van Rivers.[13][14] Spin magazine described the album as "heartbreaking and luxurious " with Pitchfork remarking that his vocals on the record are "astonishing, like a rising updraft".[15][16] His track "Painted Staircase" was featured in the official trailer of the Apple TV+ series, Defending Jacob (2020).

Tours

Around 2010, Grossi embarked on his first support tour with White Rabbits playing shows throughout the UK and Europe.[17] In 2011 Grossi announced he would be undertaking another American tour in November with M83.[18] He announced tour dates to support U.K. electronic musician James Blake; in May 2011, the tour included a stop at Chicago's Lincoln Hall and New York's Bowery Ballroom.[19][20] The Los Angeles Times described his live performance as "one of the most original and ambitious sounds in Los Angeles".[21] In February 2012, he announced a headline spring tour where after jaunting across the UK and Europe in February and March, Grossi landed stateside for a series of shows running from April 27 in Pomona, CA to May 22 in Salt Lake City, UT. Grossi was supported for the U.S. leg by alt-singer Balam Acab.[22][23] In May 2015, he again toured United States, at Lighting in a Bottle Festival opening at Bradley, CA, the tour was completed in nearly two months at The Cathedral Sanctuary at Immanuel Presbyterian in Los Angeles, CA.[24][25]

Major festivals

Since 2010, Grossi has been touring consistently in the States as well as overseas, including performances at the Latitude Festival in 2010, Fun Fun Fun Fest in 2011 and Montreux Jazz Festival in 2012. Some of his major live performances at the festivals are

Discography

Studio albums

You Are All I See (2011, Vagrant Records)[28]

No.TitleLength
1."You Are All I See"4:05
2."Hanging On"5:26
3."Playing House" (feat. How to Dress Well)3:23
4."See Thru Eyes"4:19
5."High Priestess"3:24
6."Ivy"3:06
7."Way Too Fast"5:16
8."Ancient Eye"3:38
9."Shield & Sword"3:39
10."Johnny Belinda"5:03
Total length:41:19
Bonus Tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Call Me Tonight" (bonus track)3:18
12."Hanging On" (White Sea remix, bonus track)4:01
13."Diamond Heart" (B-side, bonus track)5:40
14."Body Heat (So Far Away)" (bonus track)3:57
15."Playing House" (Chad Valley remix, bonus track)4:01
16."Hanging On" (live at WFUV, bonus track)5:10

Mercy (2015, Vagrant Records)[29]

No.TitleLength
1."1999"4:05
2."These Arms"3:51
3."Never Far Away"3:18
4."Darling"4:22
5."Mercy"3:51
6."Midnight Swim"2:11
7."Stranger"3:16
8."Temptation"3:34
9."Lazarus"3:31
10."Too Late"3:31
Total length:35:30

In Another Life (2020, Sony Music)[30]

No.TitleLength
1."In Another Life"3:49
2."All Eyes on You"4:07
3."Set Me Free"4:26
4."Color Me"3:54
5."Gaze Will Cast a Shadow"3:31
6."Spirit Buoy"3:29
7."Weightless"3:11
8."Brighter Day"6:16
9."Painted Staircase"4:14
10."Cruel World"5:15
Total length:42:00

EPs
  • "Curtis Lane" (Merok Records, 2010)[31]
No.TitleLength
1."I'm in Your Church at Night"4:35
2."She Was a Vision"5:07
3."When Your Love Is Safe"4:27
4."Take Shelter"5:33
5."Weight of the World"4:49
6."Wilderness"4:46
Total length:29:17
  • "Sun Rooms" (2010)[32]
No.TitleLength
1."She Was a Vision" 
2."Take Shelter" 
3."Wilderness" 
4."When Your Love is Safe" 
5."Voice of an Old Friend" 
6."See Thru Eyes" 
No.TitleLength
1."She Cut Me"2:12
2."Subtle" (feat. Mikky Ekko)4:00
3."Feeling Is Gone"3:26
4."Silhouette" (feat. Ellie Goulding)4:08
5."Calling in the Name of Love"4:16
6."Evening Ceremony"4:07
Total length:22:09

Remix

Compilations

References
  1. Howe, Brian (August 26, 2011). "Active Child: You Are All I See | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  2. Calvert, John (October 27, 2011). "Active Child – You Are All I See / Releases". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  3. McNeil, Kerry (October 4, 2011). "Active Child tours with M83; Plays CMJ first". CMJ. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  4. Bain, Becky (July 10, 2012). "Ellie Goulding covers Active Child's "Hanging On": Listen". Idolator. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  5. "Active Child". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  6. "Active Child – Sun Rooms". discogs. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  7. "Active Child – She Was A Vision". discogs. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  8. "Active Child (No 697)". The Guardian. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  9. "Active Child Curtis Lane EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  10. John Calvert (October 27, 2011). "You Are All I See". Drownedinsound.com.
  11. Edwin Ortiz (February 22, 2014). ""Divergent" Soundtrack to Feature New Music from Kendrick Lamar, Chance The Rapper & A$AP Rocky". Complex.com.
  12. Michelle Geslani (March 27, 2013). "Listen to Active Child's sweeping new song, "Evening Ceremony"". Consequenceofsound.net.
  13. Jeff Pearson (March 12, 2015). "Active Child Announces New Album Mercy, Shares New Song". Pastemagazine.com. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  14. Cy Musiker (July 2, 2015). "With his New Album, Electronic Musician Active Child Begs for "Mercy"". 2.kqed.org. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  15. Harley Brown (June 1, 2015). "Stream Active Child's Heartbreaking, Luxurious New Album, 'Mercy'". Spin.com.
  16. B. David Zarley (June 6, 2015). "Active Child Mercy". Pitchfork.
  17. "White Rabbits: Tour Dates with Here We Go Magic, Active Child". Prettymuchamazing.com. April 16, 2010. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  18. "Photos: M83 / Active Child". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  19. Chee Kam (May 4, 2011). "ACTIVE CHILD Announce Tour Dates Supporting JAMES BLAKE; Debut Album Due in August on Vagrant Records". Puregrainaudio.com. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  20. Matthew Holmes (December 8, 2011). "Active Child, How To Dress Well find their voices". Japan Times. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  21. "Live review: Active Child at the Echo". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. August 9, 2011. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  22. Bryant Kitching (February 3, 2012). "Active Child announces 2012 spring tour". Consequenceofsound.net. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  23. Hilary Saunders (February 3, 2012). "Active Child Announces North American Tour Dates". Pastemagazine.com. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  24. "Active Child with:Low Roar, Live Nation". Bandsintown.com.
  25. "Stream Active Child's Heartbreaking, Luxurious New Album, 'Mercy'". Spin.com. June 1, 2015.
  26. "Active Child". Montreuxjazz.com. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  27. "Active Child – Melbourne Recital Centre". Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  28. "Get millions of songs. All ad-free". Music.apple.com.
  29. "Get millions of songs. All ad-free". Music.apple.com.
  30. "Active Child - In Another Life (iTunes)".
  31. "Active Child – Curtis Lane (iTunes)". Itunes.apple.com. May 24, 2010. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
  32. "Sun Rooms by Active Child". Rateyourmusic.com.
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