Legendary musicians Pink Floyd release their first track since 1994 to support the people of Ukraine
Legendary musicians Pink Floyd have reformed after 28 years to support the people of Ukraine.
Their first new music since 1994 is a track called Hey Hey Rise Up which also features vocals from Ukrainian singer Andriy Khlyvnyuk, from rock and pop band Boombox.
Proceeds from the song, being released on Friday, will go to Ukrainian Humanitarian Relief.
Pink Floyd are best known for their iconic 1973 Album The Dark Side of the Moon and 1979 single Another Brick in the Wall.
The band has its roots in Cambridge, as Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, and David Gilmour were all friends at Cambridge High School.
The new track features David Gilmour and Nick Mason, as well as long-time collaborator and bass player Guy Pratt, with musician Nitin Sawhney on keyboards.
Recorded last week, the song features vocals from Khlyvnyuk taken from a clip he posted on Instagram which features him singing in Kyiv's Sofiyskaya Square.
He is heard singing a patriotic Ukrainian protest song, The Red Viburnum In The Meadow, and the title of the Pink Floyd track is taken from the last line of the song.
Guitarist and vocalist Gilmour, 76, who has a Ukrainian daughter-in-law and grandchildren, said: "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 spoke to Khlyvnyuk, who he said was recovering in hospital from a mortar shrapnel injury, while he was writing the song.
He said: "I played him a little bit of the song down the phone line and he gave me his blessing. We both hope to do something together in person in the future."
The cover artwork for the single features a painting of a sunflower, the national flower of Ukraine, by Cuban artist Yosan Leon.
The flower is said to be a reference to the woman who confronted Russian soldiers telling them to take seeds from her and to carry them in their pockets so when they died, sunflowers would grow.