Belle and Sebastian support Ukraine with fundraising single "If They're Shooting at You"

After announcing their first studio album in seven years with the lead single "Unnecessary Drama" earlier this month, Belle and Sebastian have unveiled a second cut from the record titled "If They're Shooting at You".

The new single is accompanied by a video that is a collage featuring images from photographers covering the conflict in Ukraine, and all proceeds from the song will be donated to the Red Cross. Donations made on Bandcamp until 18 March will be matched by the UK government as part of the joint appeal with the Disasters Emergency Committee. There's also an option to donate directly with the song on streaming platforms.

Stuart Murdoch said, "When the situation in Ukraine first started to happen it became clear that the lives of the people there, and probably ‘ours’ too, were never going to be the same. The band had just started rolling out tracks for our new album, and it all felt a bit silly to be honest. We had one track called "If They’re Shooting At You", it’s a song about being lost, broken and under threat of violence. The key line is ‘if they’re shooting at you kid you must be doing something right.'"

Murdoch continued, "We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and hope that their pain and suffering can be brought to a halt as soon as possible."

"We got in touch with various photographers and creatives in Ukraine and they generously said that we could put their pictures to music," he added. "In creating this we aspire to show a hopeful, defiant side, as well as bringing an awareness to the plight of the people there. We think any way in which we can get behind Ukraine - politically, culturally, practically, spiritually - it must all add up in the end. Together we have to do what it takes to help Ukraine beat this tyranny."

Belle and Sebastian's forthcoming album A Bit Of Previous is their first studio album in seven years after 2015's Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance. The album was recorded in Glasgow after their LA plans were scrapped due to the pandemic.