War Child, the charity which aims to protect children caught up in war, is releasing a new compilation album, HELP(2).
Spanning 23 tracks, it features new music by a wide cast of artists that includes Pulp, Depeche Mode, Beth Gibbons, Sampha, Cameron Winter, Bat For Lashes, Young Fathers, Big Thief and Black Country, New Road, among others.
HELP(2) is inspired by War Child’s original 1995 release of HELP, which raised £1.2 million. The new compilation was recorded largely during a week-long session at Abbey Road Studios last November and was overseen by producer James Ford.
Leading the release is a new song from Arctic Monkeys, which marks their first release of new material since 2022 album The Car. Their track is called ‘Opening Night’, and can be listened to below.
In a statement, Arctic Monkeys said: “When James Ford called and asked if we’d contribute to the HELP(2) album we set out to work on a song idea and assembled in Abbey Road to record it. We are proud to support the invaluable work War Child does, and hope the record will make a positive difference to the lives of children affected by war.”
Ford added: “I felt incredibly honored when War Child asked me to work on HELP(2). The original meant a lot to me and to have the opportunity, given the current news cycle, to help galvanise our music community into doing something as unarguably positive as helping children in war zones seemed like a no brainer. The experience of making the album itself has been very powerful, and dare I say life affirming for me personally, against the backdrop of a very difficult year. I’m extremely proud of the results and of the efforts made by all involved. I can’t wait for people to hear this very special record.”
Rich Clarke, head of music at War Child UK, said: “HELP(2) is more than an album, it’s a powerful example of what can happen when the music industry comes together around a shared purpose. It has united a diverse group of artists and creatives in support of War Child’s vital work with children affected by the devastating impacts of war.
“We are immensely grateful to all the artists and teams who have donated their voices, talent and time to support our mission to ensure that no child is caught up in conflict zones. We hope this record not only raises vital funds, but also awareness of the urgent need to turn compassion into action and do more to protect children living through war.”
The original HELP album was headed up by Brian Eno and featured contributions from Radiohead, Massive Attack, Portishead, Oasis, Blur, Sinéad O’Connor, Paul McCartney and more.
War Child will release HELP(2) on 6 March 2026.
