Pink Floyd Release First New Song In 28 Years Hey Hey Rise Up For Ukraine
Friday, 08 April 2022
Written by Jon Stickler
Pink Floyd have released a new song in support of the people of Ukraine.
Hey Hey Rise Up marks the legendary band's first original music recorded together as a collective in 28 years, following up their 1994 LP, 'The Division Bell'.
Unfurling over airy production, angry, emotion-fuelled vocals, and a trademark guitar solo, it finds David Gilmour and Nick Mason (the core remaining group members since Roger Waters' departure in 1985) joined by longtime Pink Floyd bassist Guy Pratt and Nitin Sawhney on keyboards. Lead vocals come from singer Andriy Khlyvnuk, from Ukrainian rock and pop band Boombox.
The track was recorded earlier this spring, with all proceeds going to Ukraine Humanitarian Relief. Head below to view the accompanying video, shot by director Mat Whitecross, along with the single's artwork by Cuban artist Yosan Leon. Gilmour, who has a Ukrainian daughter-in-law and grandchildren, commented:
"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".
Discussing how he came to know Khlyvnuk, he added: "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 Defense. 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."
He said of the song: "I hope it will receive wide support and publicity. 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."
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
