Pink Floyd are releasing their first new music since 1994, in aid of the people of Ukraine.
The band are putting out the single, “Hey Hey Rise Up”, on 8 April.
“Hey Hey Rise Up” features vocals from Ukrainian singer Andriy Khlyvnyuk (from the band Boombox) and will be the first original music recorded by Pink Floyd as a collective since The Division Bell in 1994.
Proceeds from the single will be donated to Ukrainian Humanitarian Relief.
David Gilmour and Nick Mason both feature on the track, as well as bassist Guy Pratt, and composer Nitin Sawhney on keys
The track was recorded last week. Khlyvnyuk’s vocals on the single are taken from a clip shared to Instagram last week, in which he was filmed singing in Kyiv’s Sofiyskaya Square.
Guitarist and vocalist Gilmour has a Ukrainian daughter-in-law and grandchildren.
Ahead of the single’s release, Gilmour spoke out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “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,” he 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,” he continued. “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.”
The track was given the blessing of Khlyvnyuk, who was recovering in hospital having been injured by mortar shrapnel.
Additional reporting by PA
