Pink Floyd are releasing their first new single in more than 25 years in support of the people of Ukraine.
The artwork for Hey Hey Rise Up
The iconic rock group recorded 'Hey Hey Rise Up' on March 30 following the Russian invasion, and singer David Gilmour, 76, is determined to lend his support to the humanitarian effort.
Gilmour - who has a Ukrainian daughter-in-law and grandchildren - said: "We, like so many, have been feeling the fury and the frustration of this vile act of an independent, peaceful democratic country being invaded and having its people murdered by one of the world's major powers."
David, Nick Mason, Guy Pratt and Nitin Sawhney have teamed up with Andriy Khlyvnyuk, of the Ukrainian band Boombox, to record the track. This is the first new original music that they have recorded together as a band since 1994’s 'The Division Bell'.
The track features Andriy's vocals from his performance of a protest song in Kyiv's Sofiyskaya Square.
Explaining how the collaboration was organised, Gilmour said: "In 2015, I played a show at Koko in London in support of the Belarus Free Theatre, whose members have been imprisoned. Pussy Riot and the Ukrainian band, Boombox, were also on the bill. They were supposed to do their own set, but their singer Andriy had visa problems, so the rest of the band backed me for my set - we played 'Wish You Were Here' for Andriy that night.
"Recently I read that Andriy had left his American tour with Boombox, had gone back to Ukraine, and joined up with the Territorial Defence. Then I saw this incredible video on Instagram, where he stands in a square in Kyiv with this beautiful gold-domed church and sings in the silence of a city with no traffic or background noise because of the war.
"It was a powerful moment that made me want to put it to music."
Andriy was recently hospitalised after being struck by shrapnel, but Gilmour hopes they do something together in person in the future.
He added: "We want to raise funds for humanitarian charities, and raise morale. We want express our support for Ukraine and in that way, show that most of the world thinks that it is totally wrong for a superpower to invade the independent democratic country that Ukraine has become."
The video for ‘Hey Hey Rise Up’ was filmed by acclaimed director Mat Whitecross and shot on the same day as the track was recorded.
The artwork for the song features a painting of the national flower of Ukraine, the sunflower, by the Cuban artist, Yosan Leon. The cover of the single is a direct reference to the woman who was seen around the world giving sunflower seeds to Russian soldiers and telling them to carry them in their pockets so that when they die, sunflowers will grow.
All proceeds from 'Hey Hey Rise Up' - which is available from Friday (08.04.22) - will go towards the relief effort.
Tagged in David Gilmour Pink Floyd Nick Mason