Damon Albarn is standing in the doorway of Abbey Road's canteen, deep in conversation with The Libertines' Carl Barat. Nearby, Pulp are queueing for a fresh batch of lasagne. Around them, half a dozen children are running around, filming everything on handheld cameras. All of them are excitedly awaiting the arrival of Olivia Rodrigo. These were the scenes in London last November, as some of the world's biggest stars convened to record a new charity album in aid of War Child.

The tracklist, revealed yesterday, is like a who's who of indie rock. Wet Leg, The Last Dinner Party, Wolf Alice, Fontaines DC, Nilüfer Yanya, Cameron Winter, Ezra Collective, Foals, and Young Fathers all contribute. Over the course of one week, 23 tracks were recorded. At times, five of Abbey Road's famed studios were in use, with collaborations springing up on the spur of the moment.

Blur's Graham Coxon plays guitar with Rodrigo on a cover of The Magnetic Fields' The Book Of Love. Damon Albarn's session saw him joined by Johnny Marr on guitar, with additional vocals by Kae Tempest and Grian Chatten. Later in the day, Jarvis Cocker got back from a bathroom break to find them all in his studio - so he got them to sing the intro to a new Pulp song, Begging For Change. They just turned up, so I thought, 'Why not?' he laughs. I'm not used to that kind of thing, but it was really good.

The album is the spiritual successor to 1995's Help! - recorded at the height of Britpop, and featuring contributions from Paul Weller, Radiohead, Suede, Paul McCartney, The KLF, Portishead, and The Manic Street Preachers. It was also, famously, the only time Oasis and Blur appeared on the same record, just months after their legendary (and acrimonious) chart battle.

In 2025, the fund-raising is even more urgent. According to War Child, 520 million children worldwide - almost one in five - are affected by war, with simultaneous crises in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza. The figure is higher than any time since the Second World War, at the same time as governments across the world are cutting international aid. At the moment, there really does seem to be a lot of bad things happening, and a lot of people feel powerless, says Cocker. They’re looking at the news and they don’t know what to do. So I would hope this album is something the people can enjoy, and also know that they’re trying to make a positive change.

The first single, released on Thursday, is a new track by Arctic Monkeys called Opening Night. A sparse, sinister ballad, it finds Alex Turner singing about political sloganeering and supercomputer crusades before a beautifully harmonised chorus that offers a message of hope in dark times. The track was completed just in time for the album, showcasing the artists' commitment to supporting this important cause.

Thanks to record labels and pressing plants donating their services free of charge, Help 2 will be cheaper than standard albums, with a double vinyl costing around £26, and War Child receiving all the profits. As Rich Clarke, the charity’s head of music says, This project really lit a fire under the creative community, lots of people wanted to get involved. With a beautiful final track reinforcing themes of love and hope, Help 2 stands to be both a powerful artistic statement and a source of assistance to children in desperate circumstances around the world.

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