Award-winning family musician and songwriter Greg Lato adds yet another feather to his cap with the August 26 release of his second children’s album, Adults These Days. An extra treat, available separately, is Greg’s recently released children’s picture book, Everybody Needs Someone, based on a song from the album.

Greg’s 2020 debut children’s album, Create My Own World, with special guest, two-time Grammy winner Bill Harley, reached #15 on the iTunes children’s albums chart and won both a Parents’ Choice Award and a Creative Child Award.

When Greg Lato’s 8-year-old daughter, Siena, observed a very “dad” thing Greg did last year, she rolled her eyes and declared, “adults these days!” Thus was born the idea for a completely “inside-out” kids’ album, Adults These Days, in which Greg would create a compelling, time-traveling panorama of childhood connecting with adulthood.

The soundtrack of these reflections is an eclectic mix of retro spectacle with a modern twist, influenced by ‘70s and ‘80s pop artists like Fountains of Wayne, Andrew Gold, Todd Rundgren, and The Cars, with a soupçon of more current bands like Imagine Dragons and Walk the Moon thrown in for good measure. Adults These Days is an album of friendship, togetherness, family, and belonging that is filled with music as relatable to kids as it is nostalgic for parents.

“The songs for Adults These Days felt so natural and comfortable to write and record that every day I knew I was evolving into a full-fledged children’s music artist, prepared to take my place within the community,” says Greg Lato. “Within Adults These Days also comes the debut of my first long form, spoken word storytelling track, where I met the challenge of voicing several different characters!”

Album highlights include a vignette of happy times as a kid, “Relive This Song Again,” with an underlying message that each day in one’s childhood will become a scene in the memory of the adult-to-be. In the slightly bluesy declarations that begin “New Lunchbox,” Greg boldly sets the scene for his narration of a fabulous social success, courtesy of a new lunchbox!

Not to be missed is “What Kind of Animal Would You Be?” This ‘70s-styled jazz-rock number features spoken rhythmic observations about animal behavior. The song really opens up in the middle with some spectacular vocal jazz scatting by the fabulous Becky Bass, turning it into an unforgettably exuberant experience.

“Everybody Needs Someone” is a plaintive ode to belonging and a happy celebration of friendship as a beautiful thing. Inspired by this concept, Greg Lato based his second children’s picture book on this song. The Everybody Needs Someone book, with illustrations by Sarah-Leigh Wills, highlights the importance of having someone with whom to celebrate the good times, turn to for comfort in more challenging times, and trust when learning life skills and lessons.

ABOUT GREG LATO: 

Born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, Greg Lato was surrounded by an encouraging Italian family that included his father, jazz sax player Vinny Lato, who owned an extensive vinyl collection that served as Greg’s introduction to the world of music. At the age of eight, he started playing guitar and two years later began writing his own songs. Greg proceeded to develop instrumental chops on drums, bass guitar, and piano and took advantage of every performing opportunity that came his way.

Identifying as a songwriter, Greg went on to compose for film, TV, and other artists, most recently co-writing with The Voice runner-up Billy Gilman. Greg received two awards from the Billboard World Song Contest, had one of his music videos air on the FUSE channel, wrote a song for a film that went to #1 on the iTunes movie charts and spent 8 months in the Top 10, has written for network TV shows, has had his songs played in McDonalds, Subway, several department stores and Planet Fitness franchises, and co-wrote the Young Survivors theme song for the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Foundation.

Previous Greg Lato albums include Create My Own World (2020), Cassetting Son (2018), Lato & The Nevers: Fire Between Us (2016), Do The Best With What I Got (2010), and Monday Morning Breakdown (2009).

Everybody Needs Someone is Greg Lato’s second children’s book. In 2017 he wrote and released Try, an inspirational sing-along book about not being afraid to take chances.

Adults These Days will be available on all digital distribution platforms and at Greg Lato’s shows.

Everybody Needs Someone is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble (online), and select local bookstores in Rhode Island and California.

 

Album Details: Adults These Days

Release date:  August 26, 2022

For all ages and especially for ages 0 – 10

Label:  Greg Lato Music

SRP: $8.99 download or CD

Run time: 30 minutes

 

Book Details: Everybody Needs Someone

Release date: June 24, 2022

Author: Greg Lato

Illustrator: Sarah-Leigh Wills

For ages 2 – 10

SRP: $9.99

Paperbound, 34 pages

ISBN: 979-8-218-01545-9

Publisher: Greg Lato Music