Arctic Monkeys have shared behind-the-scenes footage of the recording of their new track ‘Opening Night’ in Abbey Road Studios.
The Sheffield band released the song earlier today (January 22), the first taste of the new indie all-star charity album ‘Help(2)’, made in conjunction with War Child, and also featuring Damon Albarn, Pulp, Johnny Marr, Fontaines D.C., Olivia Rodrigo and Depeche Mode, among many others.
It is the first new music from the band since 2022’s ‘The Car’, and now they have given fans a glimpse of how the track came together at London’s iconic Abbey Road Studios last November.
The footage has all been filmed by children, in keeping with the art direction of the whole project, which is being overseen by the Oscar-winning director Jonathan Glazer (Under The Skin, The Zone Of Interest).
War Child works to protect, educate and support the mental health of children around the world affected by war, and in a press release, Glazer and producer Mica Levi outlined that their concept for all of the filming connected to the album was for it to ’by children, for children’.
They explained that they were “handing the cameras over to children in order to see the world through their eyes and serve as a constant reminder of the reason for the endeavor to the audience and all involved.”
Check out the track and its behind-the-scenes footage above.
‘Help(2)’ will be released on Friday March 6 via War Child Records and is available for pre-order here. Check out the full tracklist here.
NME has given ‘Opening Night’ a four-star review, noting that the song’s release has been “enveloped in hearsay – that it’s their final release, that it’s an outtake from ‘AM’ sessions”.
“Should the former end up being true, its title feels loaded with more than a little irony – the illusion of something beginning when it’s really reached its end. As for the latter, in a press statement shared today, the group said: “When James Ford called and asked if we’d contribute to the ‘Help(2)’ album, we set to work on a song idea and assembled in Abbey Road to record it.” That doesn’t sound like they just had a rummage down the back of the sofa for something they’d missed.”
The review concluded: “If you’re looking for answers as to what the future holds, you’re not going to get them here. But if this is the last piece of music we’re going to get from Arctic Monkeys, it’s a solid way to bow out – interesting, enjoyable and for a mighty good cause. More tunes aside, it’s all we could ask for.”
This isn’t the first time that Arctic Monkeys have supported War Child. Back in 2018 they held an unforgettable charity show at Royal Albert Hall, and two years later, released it as a live record, with all proceeds going to War Child.
‘Help(2)’ is the follow-up to the original 1995 album ‘Help’, produced by Brian Eno. It featured music from Oasis, Blur, Radiohead, Orbital, Portishead, Massive Attack, Suede and others and raised over £1.25million.
