‘Man Down’ is the first single to be released from CHILDCARE’S upcoming debut album, due February 2019. A seductive, slow-paced yet jocular take on the constraints of the male stereotype, ‘Man Down’ sees unadorned vocals sit atop of the band’s first use of a metronomic drum machine, grounding the song’s message in a reliable, fatherly embrace.

Singer Ed Cares explains; “At the risk of being accused of jumping on the mental health bandwagon, this song is a rallying cry to my fellow man; be vulnerable, be open, be sensitive and don’t be afraid to moisturise your knuckles if they get dry.”

CHILDCARE were formed in 2016 by Ed Cares, formerly one of west London’s most in-demand male nannies. Overheard humming a song he had written years before, Ed was persuaded by Katie, then aged six, to form a band, and so enlisted local musicians Emma Topolski (bass), Rich Le Gate (guitar) and Glyn Daniels (drums) to complete the group. Two years on, the band has been successfully performing under the only logical moniker in the circumstances: CHILDCARE. Katie, his wise and sharp-eared former charge enthusiastically reviewed ‘Man Down’ as follows: “This song is amazing, and Ed is the best musician in the world and I miss him very much.”

Enthused with the energy of punk, the infectiousness of The Police and a by-numbers approach to songcraft akin to ?Happiness In Magazines -era Graham Coxon,CHILDCARE are a band on the up, making skewed, idiosyncratic, art-punk pop that is gaining them eager fans across the continent. Having played with the likes of ?Bastille? on their recent arena tour and releasing ?two critically acclaimed EPs with extensive BBC Radio 1 support and wide-spread blog coverage from the likes of Indie Shuffle and The Line of Best Fit, CHILDCARE will be babysitting their way onto a stereo near you in the future.

5th October – Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh

6th October – Hug and Pint, Glasgow

8th October – The Moon, Cardiff

9th October – Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

10th October – Jimmy’s, ?Manchester

11th October – Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds

13th October – Twisterella, Middlesbrough

15th October – Red Room, Nottingham

16th October – Omeara, London

18th October – The Louisana, Bristol

19th October – The Talking Heads, Southampton

20th October – Sticky Mikes Frog Bar, ?Brighton