International charity War Child have today revealed a new star-studded music project, a follow-up to 1995’s ‘HELP’, unveiled alongside Arctic Monkeys’ first single in four years. The song ‘Opening Night’, will be in the company of tracks from a broad spectrum of British indie, pop and rock music.
War Child were founded in 1993 to support children dealing with the tragic effects of war, and in 1995 they gathered the day’s biggest musical acts to create the first ‘HELP’ album. The project was supported by British stars like Paul McCartney, Blur, Radiohead and Oasis, raising over £1.25 million for War Child’s relief efforts.
As well as further charity album releases, the music wing of War Child has raised awareness through concerts. Aimed at catching some of the spotlight on British music cast by the BRIT Awards, the shows generate attention for more serious matters and raise significant funds. It was through one of these shows that they first began a partnership with Arctic Monkeys. Their 2018 show at the Royal Albert Hall was a roaring success, and between takings on the night and sales of the recording’s release, it raised over £250,000 for War Child.
Arctic Monkeys, formed in Sheffield in 2002, have been one of the most important bands in the UK’s indie rock scene since the beginning of the millennium. However, following the release of 2022 album ‘The Car’, and a headlining slot at 2023’s Glastonbury festival, they have made no announcements nor released any music.
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Suspense has been building up for their return since the mysterious creation of the “War Child Records” social media account at the start of January. There were clear signs that both Arctic Monkeys, and their producer James Ford would be involved in the then-unconfirmed project. Earlier this week, the account declared that the first single from the project would indeed be by Arctic Monkeys, and it would premiere at 3PM today, Thursday the 22nd of January.
So now, the new single has debuted and it was well worth the wait. ‘Opening Night’ is a sombre, lonely desert-rock tune, reminiscent of bluesy hits by US band Eagles. The lyrics are very deep, with serious weight put towards the theme of the album and War Child project, and the haunting, fuzzy twangs of the guitars echo eerily throughout the piece.
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The full album ‘HELP(2)’ boasts a who’s-who of the UK music scene, with long-term legends like Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz, Blur bandmate Graham Coxon, Johnny Marr, Depeche Mode, and Pulp, alongside current stars such as Beabadoobee and Foals. The project also drew in international talent including Beck, Geese frontman Cameron Winter, and Olivia Rodrigo. James Ford, who also produces for several of the other acts involved, served as Executive Producer for the full album, which was recorded in conjunction with Abbey Road Studios.
‘HELP(2)’ releases in physical and digital formats on the 6th of March, with all proceeds going towards War Child’s continued efforts to protect children from the fallout of conflict. The full list of artists and tracks can be found on the album pre-order site here, and you can pre-save ‘HELP(2)’ on streaming platforms here.
