War Child Records’ Secret 7″ project is returning for the first time since 2020, and some big names are contributing their music to the cause. Paul McCartney, Hozier, Aurora, and Celeste are just a few of the artists lending a selection of songs to the project, which consists of seven total songs combined with sleeve designs submitted by artists all over the world and chosen by the charity.
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The songs and chosen sleeve art will be combined on 7″ vinyl pressings which will be on display through March 2024 at London’s NOW Gallery. The vinyl will then go up for auction benefitting War Child, though buyers will not be aware of the content of the record they’ve purchased until after they’ve purchased it. Hence the name of the project, Secret 7″. Submissions are now open for artists, and the full selection of musicians and songs are as follows:
Artists contributing to Secret 7″:
- Paul McCartney — “Pipes of Peace”
- Aurora — “A Different Kind of Human”
- Celeste — “Stop This Flame”
- Siouxsie & The Banshees — “Lullaby”
- The Chemical Brothers feat. Beck — “Skipping Like a Stone”
- Hozier — “Swan Upon Leda”
- The Specials — “We Sell Hope”
There will be 700 singles available for purchase during the auction, which adds up to 100 copies of each song. Secret 7″ was initially created in 2012 by Kevin King and Jordan Stokes, and from then until 2020 the project has raised £500,000 to benefit children in war-torn areas. The project took a hiatus from 2021-2022, but now it’s back to raise more funds for charitable causes.
“War Child operates in some of the most challenging, hard-to-reach places to help children and families who are most severely affected by war. Sadly, demand for our work is growing,” said Rich Clarke, head of War Child Records. “We are grateful to all the musicians, artists and partners who are involved in Secret 7″. Together, we will be able to protect and educate many more children, supporting their healing and learning for a safer, brighter future.”
War Child Records is an independent record company working to change the lives of children living in war-ravaged countries. The inception of the album HELP in 1995 brought together Oasis, Massive Attack, Portishead, Blur, Radiohead, and the Smokin Mojo Filters (AKA Paul Weller, Paul McCartney, and Noel Gallagher). In 2020, War Child released a reissue of HELP to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the record, and bring further attention to the charity’s cause.
Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images
