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HELP(2) – A New Collaborative Album Supporting War Child

January 22, 2026

HELP(2), a brand-new collaborative album inspired by the landmark 1995 release HELP, will be released on Friday 6th March via Record Store Day's official charity partner, War Child Records. The album is available to buy at independent record shops across the UK, giving fans the chance to support their local stores while contributing to War Child’s vital work delivering immediate aid, education, specialist mental health support, and protection to children affected by conflict.

Like the original, HELP(2) responds to the urgency of today’s humanitarian crises. Recorded predominantly across a single extraordinary week at Abbey Road Studios in November 2025, the project was brought to life under the guidance of acclaimed producer James Ford.

HELP(2) features a stellar lineup of contributors, including Anna Calvi, Arctic Monkeys, Arlo Parks, Arooj Aftab, Bat For Lashes, Beabadoobee, Beck, Beth Gibbons, Big Thief, Black Country, New Road, Cameron Winter, Damon Albarn, Depeche Mode, Dove Ellis, Ellie Rowsell, English Teacher, Ezra Collective, Foals, Fontaines D.C., Graham Coxon, Greentea Peng, Grian Chatten, Kae Tempest, King Krule, Nilüfer Yanya, Olivia Rodrigo, Pulp, Sampha, The Last Dinner Party, Wet Leg, and Young Fathers.

The collaborative recording process mirrors the spirit of the original album, with impromptu moments and one-take sessions throughout. Damon Albarn recorded Flags alongside Johnny Marr and Kae Tempest and Grian Chatten, while Olivia Rodrigo worked with Graham Coxon on The Book of Love.

Renowned filmmaker Jonathan Glazer acted as Creative Director, working with Academy Films and his team to allow children to film inside the studios, as well as gathering footage from Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen, and Sudan. This approach connects the album to the children the music aims to support, reflecting the project’s guiding concept: “By Children, For Children.”

The original HELP album, led by Brian Eno, was recorded in a single day in 1995 and raised over £1.2 million, providing essential support to children affected by the Bosnian conflict. Today, nearly one in five children globally – over 520 million – are affected by conflict, making War Child’s work more urgent than ever.


Pick up HELP(2) at your local indie record shop — support your store and contribute to this vital cause.

Tracklist – HELP(2):

  1. Arctic Monkeys - Opening Night
  2. Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten & Kae Tempest - Flags
  3. Black Country, New Road - Strangers
  4. The Last Dinner Party - Let’s Do It Again!
  5. Beth Gibbons - Sunday Morning
  6. Arooj Aftab & Beck - Lilac Wine
  7. King Krule - The 343 Loop
  8. Depeche Mode - Universal Soldier
  9. Ezra Collective & Greentea Peng - Helicopters
  10. Arlo Parks - Nothing I Could Hide
  11. English Teacher & Graham Coxon - Parasite
  12. Beabadoobee - Say Yes
  13. Big Thief - Relive, Redie
  14. Fontaines D.C. - Black Boys on Mopeds
  15. Cameron Winter - Warning
  16. Young Fathers - Don’t Fight the Young
  17. Pulp - Begging for Change
  18. Sampha - Naboo
  19. Wet Leg - Obvious
  20. Foals - When the War is Finally Done
  21. Bat For Lashes - Carried My Girl
  22. Anna Calvi, Ellie Rowsell, Nilüfer Yanya & Dove Ellis - Sunday Light
  23. Olivia Rodrigo - The Book of Love

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