Universal High

London-based indie rock quartet Childhood was created by guitarist and vocalist Ben Romans-Hopcraft and second guitarist Leo Dobsen in 2010 while attending university in Nottingham. They soon added fellow students Daniel Salamons on bass and Chris O'Driscoll on drums to complete their original lineup. Their early sound drew comparisons to the likes of Stone Roses and Primal Scream as well as many shoegaze bands, fitting alongside rising acts such as Savages and tourmates Palma Violets. Positive attention from the British press was initially based on three studio tracks, including their first single, "Blue Velvet," its B-side "Bond Girls," and a digital stream of "Haltija." Drummer Jonny Williams replaced O'Driscoll following the release of their second single, "Solemn Skies," and Childhood went on to make it into the "bands to watch in 2014" features by both the BBC and the Guardian newspaper. Another single, "Falls Away," arrived before the mid-2014 release of the band's first full-length, Lacuna, which was produced by Dan Carey. After touring in support of the album, the band headed to Atlanta to record with Ben H. Allen III (Cee Lo Green, Animal Collective). In the meantime, their lineup modified to include Romans-Hopcraft, Dobsen, Williams, bassist Thomas Tomaski, and keyboardist Max Fantin, and Romans-Hopcraft became involved with Insecure Men, a project led by Fat White Family vocalist Saul Adamczewski that also included Sean Lennon, among others. When Childhood's second album, Universal High, eventually arrived in 2017 via Marathon Records, it toned down the shoegaze for early influences like classic psychedelic pop and, most strikingly, '70s soul. ~ James Pearce & Marcy Donelson