How did a Brit from North London find himself planted under the shadow of Bunker HIll in Boston? Ollie fell in love with America from the moment he landed four years ago-and it’s little wonder since his first stop was magical Cumberland Island, Georgia-land of the wild horses. From there he hopscotched across the country hitting all the highlights -places he had only read about or seen in movies. From day one he felt like he had come home. It was during this road trip, driving from coast to coast, that he wrote his first U.S. single “America” -written truly from the heart. This love affair was not to end. Upon returning to England it didn’t take long for Ollie Childs to pack up his guitar and return to find a way “to make it his home.”

Ollie first picked-up a guitar at age 19 on his lunch break while working as a motorcycle mechanic. A coworker had brought the instrument to the shop and let him have a go. Quickly, Ollie was hooked, and has been writing and composing music ever since.

Ollie’s rich, natural tone has a strength and innate sincerity that easily conveys his stories of love, heartache and escape. The music is pure pop with a soft, gentle touch. Think if the Zombies were fronted by David Gray, or if Crosby, Stills, Nash had added a British fourth member instead of a Canadian.

Childs finds most of his inspiration from great singer/songwriters like Cat Stevens, Neil Finn and Michael Stipe. His music echoes of the same integrity, vulnerability, poeticism and tell-it-like-it-is sensibility as these artists, but the singularity of his voice, his personal style and his disarming sense of humor, create a sound that’s all his own.

“What I love about music,” Ollie says, “is it’s ability to expose the beauty and lightness of human emotion from underneath even the darkest of experiences.”

Born and raised outside of London, the 35 year-old singer-songwriter now spends his time between New York, Martha’s Vineyard, and his new home in Charlestown, Massachusetts. He recently completed a U.K. and European tour with Ben Taylor. His grandfather, Frank Doel, was a central character in the 1983 film, Charring Cross Road, starring Sir Anthony Hopkins.

"It was hard to believe the witty and talented musician who played at the Yard last Tuesday night to promote the release of his first CD heard his own music on the radio for the first time that very morning... Mr. Childs sound is hard to label. There are elements of alternative rock, folk, pop, blues and even a bit of country with a British twist. When asked how he defined it, Mr. Childs laughed and said, Perhaps there should be an all-of-the-above genre. The artist may present his new album modestly, but based on the reactions Tuesday night his work is worthy of much greater praise. Each track he played highlighted his eclectic abilities. Nine out of ten tracks are originals. The tenth is a cover of a song by UK artist Paloma Faith -- --Vineyard Gazette August 9, 2011