LIKE so many parents, singer-songwriter Richard Walters and his wife Annie, from Alton, have struggled to keep their four-year-old daughter Addy occupied and content during the lockdown.

One thing that seemed to help pass the time was music; writing and singing short songs together, even recording a few ideas from time to time.

“We’d chat about how she was feeling and then try to turn it into a song,” said Richard.

“One morning she started singing about her friends at nursery and came up with this idea of writing a song to send to them all, just to say hello.”

Richard then had the idea of adding all their voices to the recording and sent out a Facebook request to parents. Before long, his inbox was filled with voice notes, a virtual choir of Addy’s friends all shouting ‘Hello!’ to each other – and The Stay at Home Band was born.

The track was a hit with Addy’s friends and their parents, and it was Richard’s wife Annie who suggested releasing the song to raise money for UK charity Home-Start.

Feeling the original recording was lacking something, Richard reached out to his friend and collaborator Edd Holloway – the producer of Lewis Capaldi’s debut album, the biggest-selling album of 2019 in the UK – who was quick to take on the project.

“As soon as Richard played me the song and told me about writing it with his daughter, I knew I had to get involved,” said Edd.

“He did an incredible job of getting together loads of clips of children singing the chorus and it made the production work really enjoyable.

“As a charity, Home-Start are doing amazing work to help families during this difficult time. Hopefully we can raise some money for them and at the same time raise a few smiles.”

It’s a sentiment shared by Richard: “As a parent, it’s easy to see how this strange situation we find ourselves in could very quickly become overwhelming.

“The work Home-Start does is absolutely vital, more so now than ever, and it’s a privilege to be able to support them with this single release.

“If it has been tough for us, as adults, to comprehend and cope with, it’s been even harder for children.”

Home-Start UK deputy CEO Vivien Waterfield said: “So many families are going through a hard time at the moment and I know children are really missing their friends and playmates.

“It’s wonderful to hear Addy and her friends shout out their ‘hellos’ in the song and give everyone something to smile about for a change.

“The fact they are also raising money for Home-Start’s emergency appeal is brilliant. It is giving really vital support to those families who are finding things really tough right now.”

All proceeds from this song will support Home-Start’s emergency Covid-19 appeal providing essential help to families. It has raised more than £2,300 online at http://tiny.cc/eunaoz

The Stay at Home Band’s debut music video can be watched online at https://youtu.be/tWppDjlzH_I