It's been nearly 30 years since Pink Floyd released a music video, but now musicial art has been made once more with the release of a brand new song.
'Hey Hey Rise Up' was created in support of Ukraine, with the band taking the title from a WW1 Ukrainian protest song lyric that translates to "Hey hey, rise up and rejoice".
The song does not mark the return of founding member Roger Waters to the group, however, with David Gilmour and Nickmason being joined by bassist Guy Pratt and Keyboardist Nitin Sawheny. "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," Gilmour said in a statement.
Local Ukrainian singer Andriy Khlyvnyuk from the band 'Boombox' also appears on the track, having caught the attention of Gilmour with his performance of the Ukrainian protest song on Instagram. "Recently I read that Andriy had left his American tour with Boombox, had gone back to Ukraine, and joined up with the Territorial Defense," Gilmour said.
"It was a powerful moment that made me want to put it to music."
'Hey Hey Rise Up' is the first original song Pink Floyd has written since their 1994 album The Division Bell. They did release an album in 2014 called 'The Endless River', but it was mostly instrumental and ambient music.
Proceeds from the new song will go toward the Ukraine Humanitarian Relief Fund.
