By Justin RouillonWednesday 8 Jul 202096five BreakfastMusicReading Time: 3 minutes
Listen: Ken & Nicky chat with Lachy from The Wiggles.
The first thing my kids knew about the coronavirus pandemic was me trying to explain why The Wiggles concert had been cancelled.
They had an inkling something was up; dwindling class sizes at school and day care just prior to the Easter holidays, as well as empty train station car parks were some of the things they were asking about. But when the Fun and Games Tour was postponed we tried to have a conversation about what was going on in the world.
But how do you explain to a five and a three year old a situation that many grown ups have a hard time getting their heads around?
The Wiggles have helped address the situation in a way that pre-schoolers can understand on their new album ‘Choo Choo Trains, Propeller Planes & Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car’.
The song ‘Social Distancing’ shines a positive light on the world we find ourselves in, whilst ‘Handwashing Song’ encourages kids to have fun with hand hygiene.
Lachie the Purple Wiggle told 96five’s Ken & Nicky that the group felt the need to respond to what was happening globally.
“Because we can write songs and film them so quickly the Social Distancing song has gone all around the world. It was such a confusing thing for children to get a grasp of. We had so many parents write to us and say that their kids didn’t understand why they couldn’t have their party, and why their friends can’t come over. Hopefully if they see us having fun washing our hands then they can do the same too!”
The Wiggles – Lachy, Emma, Simon and Anthony. Image: Supplied.
The hygiene theme continues on ‘Handwashing Song’, which as Lachy points out was a happy accident that had been in the pipeline for some time.
“That was a collaboration with UNICEF and it was just perfect timing. It was a bit of a fluke, but washing your hands is always so important.”
Clearly this season has been devastating for many involved in the entertainment industry and the arts. With global touring out for at least the next 12 months, Lachy said that it was an opportunity for the group to focus on production of new content.
“This has shown the emphasis that The Wiggles put on touring. We can’t wait to get back in front of children all over the world, but for now there’ll be a lot more production, and finding creative ways that people can watch us.”
The whole Wiggles gang is set for the release of their new album about planes, trains and big red cars! Image: Supplied.
With the new album out, Lachy is excited for fans to get a hold of the record, with ‘the longest title you could ever want for an album!’
“It’s all about movement and there’s some great tracks on this album. Some of the songs we’ve been working on for years, and some are brand new that we’ve written for the record.”
‘Choo Choo Trains, Propeller Planes & Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car’ is out now on ABC Kids and can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music.