This Friday, the 8th, Pink Floyd released their first new song since The Division Bell in 1994. The song is "Hey Hey Rise Up," and all proceeds will be donated to humanitarian organizations.
The new song features David Gilmour and Nick Mason alongside Guy Pratt , the group's longtime bassist, and Nitin Sawhney on keyboards. Additionally, Andriy Khlyvnyuk , from the Ukrainian band Boombox , lends his vocals to the track.
“Hey Hey Rise Up” was recorded last week in David Gilmour’s barn and uses Khlyvnyuk’s vocals from an Instagram post in which he is singing a Ukrainian protest song called “The Red Viburnum In The Meadow” in Sofiyskaya Square in Kyiv. The track’s name comes from the last line of the song.
Speaking about the banner, Gilmour, who has a Ukrainian daughter-in-law and grandchildren, said: “We, like many of us, have felt the anger and frustration that this vile act of an independent, peaceful and democratic country being invaded and its population killed by one of the world's greatest powers.”
“I recently read that Andriy left his American tour with Boombox, returned to Ukraine, and joined Territorial Defense. Then I saw this incredible video on Instagram where he stands in a square in Kyiv with this beautiful golden-domed church and sings in the silence of a city without traffic or background noise because of the war. It was a powerful moment that made me want to put it to music.”
Gilmour wrote the song and sent it to Andriy to listen to. He received the message from the musician while he was in a hospital bed in Kiev recovering from an injury caused by mortar shrapnel, a short-range weapon.
The musician also explained that he will donate the funds raised to humanitarian organizations and hopes that the song will be able to "express our support for Ukraine."
Listen to “Hey Hey Rise Up”: