EPK: “Universal Child” by The Marsh Family
‘Universal Child’:
LISTEN/BUY HERE: https://orcd.co/universalchild
‘Universal Child’ is the second studio-recorded track of 2024 by The Marsh Family, the unique musical group (and real life family) of six from Kent, who have been delighting a global fanbase with their home-produced music and videos since 2020. It is their Christmas cover of the original track released by Annie Lennox in 2010, by kind permission of Annie Lennox and Universal Music Publishing Group.
At a time of hardship in the UK and around the world, ‘Universal Child’ is raising funds and awareness for the vital work of the international charity Save the Children, via a JustGiving Page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/marshfamily. The initial target was set at £1,500 but thanks to INCREDIBLE support, the amount raised has already smashed this and on 10th December was above £15,000.
The song is a heartfelt plea not to be numbed but to see and feel the impact of the tears and pain inflicted on innocent children in 2024, and turn it to action, support and love. It features all of the vocalists in turn, ending with the voice of Tess – the youngest (aged 12) – echoing the wish that those kids could live normal lives and ‘be like everyone’. A rich mix of instruments (all played by the family) bring the track to life – including piano, 12-string guitar, cello, violin, clarinet, cornet, and a swell of bells and percussion as the piece crescendos.
The Marsh Family have already featured in 2024 on ITV Meridian, in the Evening Standard, the Spectator, and in a UKTV show, Parental Guidance, with Katherine Ryan. They accrued millions of views in the autumn for their caustic parody songs about the US presidential election. They will be giving live Christmas performances of the song in December, including in Canterbury, Margate, and Tonbridge. Coverage confirmed to date on SMR Radio, Amazing Radio, BBC Radio Kent.
ALFIE: “We have always loved the Annie Lennox original and thought it was the perfect song for our return to the studio at half-term, in time for Christmas. We brought a load of instruments and argued a bit about who and what went where (especially the bells), but we’re really excited about sharing the end result.”
‘Universal Child’ follows in the footsteps of earlier successful Christmas charity campaigns by The Marsh Family, including for the International Red Cross, Save the Children, and Prostate Cancer UK.
| PREVIEWS & COMMENTS | SOURCE & LINK |
|---|---|
| “We’re so grateful to the Marsh Family for their unwavering support. Save the Children’s work is only possible thanks to our supporters in the UK and their amazing commitment to make the world a better place for children. Together with the Marsh Family’s support we’re determined to help every child become who they want to be.” | Camille Hepworth, Community Fundraising Manager, Save the Children |
| “A song that feels like a warm hug – gentle, heartfelt and full of care” | Allen Peterson Reviews |
| “A soul stirring song of high importance” | Less than 1000 Followers |
| “It’s not just a song, it’s a call to action, wrapped in a melodic embrace that sticks with you” | Beach House |
| “Loved the atmospheric piano, the meaningful lyrics, as well as the vocal harmonies…a lot of potential and charm.” | De Music |
| “The two sweet voices complement each other with great emotion … a moving musical experience.” | Peaceful Notes |
| “We adore the engaging performances and dynamic instrumentation… Universal Child is a single that needs to be heard” | FV Music Blog |
| “Caught our attention with its originality … a sense of creative freedom and freshness.” | Voxwave Magazine |
| “Well produced and mixed, and love how all of your vocals sound together!” | Quiet Indie Folk |
| “The family’s collective vocals are the perfect match for such a vibrant offering” | Mesmerized |
| “It is a song that needs to be felt and heard … it hits my soft spot” | Dreamy Paradise |
| “With heavenly harmonies and pick’n’mix musical instruments, The Marsh Family’s “Universal Child” is a song for every troubled child of this generation” | Testing Melodies |
| “Another beautiful, meaningful song. Your way of writing poetry and humanity is precious and thrilling.” | Museanima |
#MARSHFAMILYSONGS
#UNIVERSALCHILD
Photo Gallery (email for high res)
Social Reach
The Marsh Family have over 195,000 subscribers to their YouTube channel, which has garnered 32 million views since it began in April 2020. They have 182k followers on Facebook, 78k on Twitter and 50k more on Instagram & TikTok.
The single “Universal Child” (4m27s) was written and recorded at Water Rat Studios in Woking in October 2024, mixed by Skyline Studios, mastered by Pete Maher Mastering, and distributed by Nova Music Distribution UK.
“I wish to God that kids like you could be like everyone.”
CLICK HERE FOR LYRICS TO ‘UNIVERSAL CHILD’
Official Music Video (release with single on 6 December)
We’re hugely grateful to Laura and the wonderful team at Macknade for allowing us to use their barn (which we first discovered during an open mic night) to film the video for ‘Universal Child’
Recent Testimonials
New York Times
Jimmy Kimmel
OK! Magazine
The Independent
Ben Shephard (GMB)
Subba-Cultcha Reviews
Sharon Barbour (BBC TV Health Correspondent)
CNN
Total Entertainment
Awards & Plaudits
- SMR RADIO “Band of the Year” and No.2 in Top 40 Songs of 2023
- FATEA SHOWCASE ARTISTS, 2023
- SHORTLISTED FOR A BRAND FILM AWARD EMEA, 2022 (Mack the Knife)
- 4* REVIEW IN “SINGING AND SWINGING” 2021 (Syd Briscoe)
- LETTERS FROM LOCKDOWN 2021 (Natasha Kaplinsky)
- UNIVERSITY OF KENT: “For Services Rendered to the Nation” Award 2021
- TRY ANGLE AWARD 2021: Recognising the Efforts & Achievements of Young People, Kent & Medway
- COVID KINDNESS UK 2020 (Anna James)
- MALHAAR INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL AWARD 2020
Selected Media Appearances / Performances
| TV Show / Programme (links on request) |
|---|
| Jimmy Kimmel Live (One Day More) |
| This Morning (One Day More) |
| BBC Comic Relief Live Show (Totally Fixed Where We Are) |
| BBC Breakfast (multiple) |
| BBC Morning Live (Bring Us A Candle) |
| ITV Meridian (See Your Face Again, They Should Be Cleared Though) |
| UKTV Parental Guidance (with Katherine Ryan) |
| GMB (Mack the Knife – Prostate Cancer Facts of Life) |
| The Project (New Zealand) |
| ABC US, ABC Australia, CBS, CNN, Democracy Now, GMB, Sky News, WGN Chicago, ITV News, InfoWars (!), KMTV, France Channel 5, KGNS Texas, BBC Southeast, Israeli PBC, BBC Newsround, |
| Radio Show / Programme (links on request where archived) |
|---|
| BBC Radio 2 (incl. Zoe Ball, Rev. Kate Botley/Jason Mohammad, Michael Ball) |
| BBC Radio 4 (Saturday Morning Live) |
| BBC Radio 5 Live (Breakfast) |
| Virgin Breakfast (Chris Evans) |
| BBC Radio Kent (Dom King) |
| Heart Breakfast, BBC Radio Cambridge, Derby, Devon, Lancashire, Manchester, Merseyside, Scotland, Sussex, Wiltshire, ABC Nightlife, France Info, Antigua Radio, NPR, Nicole Sandler Show, SMR, AFX |
| Magazine / Newspaper / Online Features | Link (where available) |
|---|---|
| New York Times | Isabella Kwai |
| OK! Magazine | Lara Kilner |
| The Independent | Jenny Eclair |
| The Sun | Sophie Jane Evans & Sarah White |
| Evening Standard | Amy Murphy, Ross Lydall |
| Yahoo! Life | Jill Foster |
| The Daily Telegraph | Helen Chandler-Wilde |
| NPR | Laurel Wamsley |
| EditorJI, Die Spiegel, New Zealand Herald, The Breeze, RND Deutschland, ATV Today, The Northern Echo, Daily Advent, | Many millions of views also on media platforms (such as 6.5m views alone here at The Guardian). |
Contact Details
CONTACT US: email@marshfamilysongs.com