Callum Padgham Reveals Intimate Life Story In 'When I Was a Little Boy' Single
Melbourne-based artist Callum Padgham has dropped an absolute tear-jerker of a second single; the raw & relatable indie-folk song 'When I Was a Little Boy'. Callum describes the track as "a story that traces all of my behaviour in life back to that of a self-conscious little boy, thereby forgiving myself for the shame I've accumulated along the way."
It's immediately apparent that this track is the sonic and thematic opposite of Callum's debut single 'Everything is a Blessing' (an uplifting pop anthem released in Nov '25 and receiving 500K TikTok views + 47 Radio Spins), but Callum reflects that he "couldn't write a song so optimistic without first understanding pain - and I'm grateful for all of life's experiences in shaping my perspective."
Callum vividly remembers when the song first came to him, during a 10-day silent meditation retreat called a Vipassana - which literally translates to 'seeing things as they really are':
"By the 5th day of uncomfortable silence I saw my whole life flash before my eyes - suddenly understanding, with compassion, why I'd previously acted in certain ways that I wasn't proud of. It was a true breakthrough moment for me and a feeling of profound relief: 'Oh! I'm just a wounded little boy, that's all!' - Cue waterworks…We weren't allowed to talk, read or write so I wrote "When I Was a Little Boy" in my head to capture the experience and literally stay sane." CALLUM PADGHAM
Alongside the audio track, Callum Padgham presents the second element of this deeply-personal release; the mesmerising official music video for 'When I Was a Little Boy' - a tightly-choreographed slide-show adorned with poignant, real-life projections of Callum growing up.
For Callum, who wrote and produced the video, it was crucial that the viewer felt like they were being invited into his home to see this intimate side of him - and hopefully see themselves in it too. Hence, the concept of the slide-show was born:
"I'll never forget flipping through every single one of Mum's old photo albums and digitising each relevant photograph to create the montage of me growing older. What started as a purely technical endeavour quickly morphed into the most accidentally nostalgic night of my life… who knew revisiting core memories from your family trip to Queensland in 1997 would awaken such raw emotion?!" CALLUM PADGHAM
From DJing at Burning Man in the USA and Balance Festival in Croatia, to supporting Aussie icons Sneaky Sound System, Flight Facilities, Eskimo Joe, and hosting some of the world's top DJs on his ground-breaking talk show Coburg Up Late, Callum Padgham (AKA DJ Be Kind to Other People) first stepped out from the DJ booth at the end of last year with his radiant debut single 'Everything is a Blessing', to joyous acclaim:
"A phenomenal launch for the artist, blending perfectly executed pop hooks with genuine, deep-seated creative vision" BROKEN 8 MUSIC
"An irresistibly upbeat debut from a true creative spirit" THE AU REVIEW
Now, defying all expectations, Callum's highly-anticipated follow-up release 'When I Was a Little Boy' is a touching & vulnerable self-portrait of the artist's life-long journey from shame to self-love - capturing a universal truth and transmuting pain into positivity.
"Highlighting an incredible songwriting talent… When I Was a Little Boy is a beautiful ballad that enriches the human spirit and will most likely leave your eyes a little moist" SCENESTR
"Sonically gentle yet emotionally heavy, '...Little Boy' is a testament to Padgham's artistic evolution" AAA BACKSTAGE
"It's the most personal artwork I've ever created - and for that reason, it's also the most important. My hope is that others can see echoes of their own story in mine, reminding them that they too are just innocent children in grown-up bodies and worthy of true forgiveness!" CALLUM PADGHAM
Photo credit: Sabine Fritsch
It's immediately apparent that this track is the sonic and thematic opposite of Callum's debut single 'Everything is a Blessing' (an uplifting pop anthem released in Nov '25 and receiving 500K TikTok views + 47 Radio Spins), but Callum reflects that he "couldn't write a song so optimistic without first understanding pain - and I'm grateful for all of life's experiences in shaping my perspective."
Callum vividly remembers when the song first came to him, during a 10-day silent meditation retreat called a Vipassana - which literally translates to 'seeing things as they really are':
"By the 5th day of uncomfortable silence I saw my whole life flash before my eyes - suddenly understanding, with compassion, why I'd previously acted in certain ways that I wasn't proud of. It was a true breakthrough moment for me and a feeling of profound relief: 'Oh! I'm just a wounded little boy, that's all!' - Cue waterworks…We weren't allowed to talk, read or write so I wrote "When I Was a Little Boy" in my head to capture the experience and literally stay sane." CALLUM PADGHAM
Alongside the audio track, Callum Padgham presents the second element of this deeply-personal release; the mesmerising official music video for 'When I Was a Little Boy' - a tightly-choreographed slide-show adorned with poignant, real-life projections of Callum growing up.
For Callum, who wrote and produced the video, it was crucial that the viewer felt like they were being invited into his home to see this intimate side of him - and hopefully see themselves in it too. Hence, the concept of the slide-show was born:
"I'll never forget flipping through every single one of Mum's old photo albums and digitising each relevant photograph to create the montage of me growing older. What started as a purely technical endeavour quickly morphed into the most accidentally nostalgic night of my life… who knew revisiting core memories from your family trip to Queensland in 1997 would awaken such raw emotion?!" CALLUM PADGHAM
From DJing at Burning Man in the USA and Balance Festival in Croatia, to supporting Aussie icons Sneaky Sound System, Flight Facilities, Eskimo Joe, and hosting some of the world's top DJs on his ground-breaking talk show Coburg Up Late, Callum Padgham (AKA DJ Be Kind to Other People) first stepped out from the DJ booth at the end of last year with his radiant debut single 'Everything is a Blessing', to joyous acclaim:
"A phenomenal launch for the artist, blending perfectly executed pop hooks with genuine, deep-seated creative vision" BROKEN 8 MUSIC
"An irresistibly upbeat debut from a true creative spirit" THE AU REVIEW
Now, defying all expectations, Callum's highly-anticipated follow-up release 'When I Was a Little Boy' is a touching & vulnerable self-portrait of the artist's life-long journey from shame to self-love - capturing a universal truth and transmuting pain into positivity.
"Highlighting an incredible songwriting talent… When I Was a Little Boy is a beautiful ballad that enriches the human spirit and will most likely leave your eyes a little moist" SCENESTR
"Sonically gentle yet emotionally heavy, '...Little Boy' is a testament to Padgham's artistic evolution" AAA BACKSTAGE
"It's the most personal artwork I've ever created - and for that reason, it's also the most important. My hope is that others can see echoes of their own story in mine, reminding them that they too are just innocent children in grown-up bodies and worthy of true forgiveness!" CALLUM PADGHAM
Photo credit: Sabine Fritsch
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