HELP(2): Producer James Ford tells the stories behind every track

7 March 2026, 09:00 | Updated: 7 March 2026, 10:29

The legendary producer takes Radio X's John Kennedy through the incredible new charity compilation track by track, detailing how the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Damon Albarn, Wet Leg, Pulp and more became involved.

Listen to John Kennedy's X-Posure Album Playback on Global Player

Radio X's John Kennedy sat down with James Ford, the mastermind behind the new War Child album, HELP(2) to discuss the collaborations, covers and philosophy that led to the collection.

The renowned producer worked with a host of artists including Arctic Monkeys, Damon Albarn, Wet Leg and Fontaines D.C. on the charity record, which is the official follow-up to the original 1995 compilation Help!

The composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter - who's also known for being a member of Simian Mobile Disco and The Last Shadow Puppets - reflected on the timing of the record, which kept him distracted during treatment for leukemia and allowed him to feel connected, despite doing a lot of the sessions remotely with his "face on a laptop".

HELP(2) which also includes contributions from Pulp, English Teacher, Depeche Mode, Wolf Alice's Ellie Rowsell, Young Fathers, Anna Calvi, Foals, Arlo Parks, Ezra Collective, Graham Coxon and Olivia Rodrigo is out now.

Proceeds from sales and streams of the album will help ensure a safe future for every child affected by war.

Listen to John Kennedy's X-Posure Album Playback on Global Player

1. Arctic Monkeys - Opening Night

   James Ford: "Arctic Monkeys were one of the first artists I reached out to. Obviously I've got a kind of longer term relationship with those guys and they also have a working relationship with War Child, as well. They're not currently in a music-making or touring cycle, so it was quite a big ask to come up with a new song. But they were very keen. The story of this song is that they dug through the archives a little bit and part of this song, the main riff and the chorus was actually written around the time of AM, but it never got off the ground. Al [Turner] played it to me and I thought it was a great sort of sentiment and a feel for a track.

   "Al wanted to redo the verse, write new lyrics and we agreed that he probably needed a middle eight section as well! So he went away and conferred with the band about that and made a great sort of demo, where he put that little drum machine that starts the track in and played the riff on an acoustic guitar. It felt like a really nice opening, honestly.

   "The way the band kind of creep in and eventually it ends up being this sort of fully fleshed-out thing. It felt like a great standalone track for them that sort of touched some of their sort of older Arctic Monkeys and some of the newer writing almost encompassed in one in one track. Also I think the sentiment of it, Opening Night as it was, it definitely felt like a great opener for the record as well, instantly. So yeah, it's a key track to this record in many ways."

   

   Opening Night

2. Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten and Kae Tempest - Flags

   James Ford: "I approached Damon about doing something for this record as well. Obviously he was involved in the first record and I sort of asked him quite directly if he could write a song for it. You know, he's very gung ho in that respect. But one of his main stipulations is he wanted it to be this kind of collaborative affair that didn't necessarily centre him so much. So we put our thinking caps on and approached Grian and Kae and they were immediately very up for it.

   "Then we also thought it was a great opportunity considering we had Abbey Road Studio Two to get together a bit of an all star band. So there's members of Ezra Collective, Ade [Utley] from Portishead, Johnny Marr etc playing. There was the idea that we wanted children's voices to be heard throughout the record.

   "Jonathan Glazer who is making a short film and is documenting it all, he had a great idea of letting all the footage be filmed by children. We loved that idea and I think Damon was very keen to have a kids' choir as well. Then that got broadened out to whoever was in the building at the time. So, you know, Jarvis, etc are all singing on it as well. I's a great sort of chaotic collaborative moment that really sums up the spirit of the record really."

   

   Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten & Kae Tempest – Flags (Visualiser) – HELP(2)

3. Black Country, New Road - Strangers

   James Ford: "I made the last Black Country New Road record [2025's Forever Howlong]. They're brilliant people and musicians and we approached them quite early on. Originally they were going to do a cover version but I think they felt quite strongly about it and pulled out all the stops to write an original song. We didn't actually hear it until a few days before they recorded it. I love the song. I think they really pulled it out of the bag. I think across this record a lot of people have really kind of brought their A game which is really wonderful."

4. The Last Dinner Party - Let's Do It Again!

   James Ford: "This is a song that I've known for a while because I was lined up to make the second Last Dinner Party record but unfortunately I got ill and so couldn't do it. But during the demoing process of that I heard this song and was actually quite surprised they didn't put it on the record. So when they suggested we record it for this track I was excited to do that, because it kind of sums them up for me.

   "It's quite sort of, you know, camp - for want of a better word. There's a sort of Spiders from Marsy-sort of stomp to it, which I really enjoyed. It turned out great, I think.They're such great players and writers, it was pretty easy to record. Unfortunately, it was one of the ones where I was a disembodied head on a laptop rather than actually being in the room. But then I got the files and mixed it and it feels like a cool track."

   

   The Last Dinner Party – Let’s Do It Again! (Visualiser) – HELP(2)

5. Beth Gibbons - Sunday Morning

   James Ford: "I love this song, actually, the Beth Gibbons cover. I made Beth Gibbons' solo record and it was probably done not long after that was completed. It was actually done in this room here in my house, in my attic studio, just me and her, really. It's sort of been burning a hole on my hard drive for a while. We just did it in a day on a whim. We were talking about the song and she wanted to have a go at singing it.

   "So I put down some quite rudimentary, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest style backing instruments. I just love the way she sings it. I think Beth has got an incredible way of getting emotion into her delivery. I was in a fairly fragile state while mixing this one and I kept having to stop it and walk away. I found it pretty kind of emotional. But it's close to my heart, this one, definitely."

6. Arooj Aftab and Beck - Lilac Wine

   James Ford: "We approached Arooj because we were very keen to have some Middle Eastern voices on the record. I'm a huge fan of Arooj... and Beck, to be fair. We were quite surprised by the collaboration. It came together quite last minute. They recorded it in Beck's studio in LA, so I didn't have a lot of hand in the actual recording. Obviously, I love the song as well. I'm a huge Nina Simone fan and her version of this is one of my favourite songs. I was very excited to we were excited to get this in the post.

   "We were going to do a different thing with Arooj and she changed tack at the last minute and she's obviously got an ongoing working relationship with Beck and they proposed doing this song and like I said, we were very keen for that, to have them involved. It was one of those kind of spinning plates that didn't come together till the last minute. Right before the deadline, we got the song and we're really pleased to have it on there."

7. King Krule - The 343 Loop

   James Ford: "I'm a big fan of King Krule, so we approached him and thought he'd be a great sort of British voice on this record. However, he turned in a bunch of instrumentals and I suppose that's just where he was in his process. But it's a great track as well. It's place on the record is that it's kind of a bit of a gear change, almost interlude-y into a different sort of feel out of the more ballady stuff. We thought it served a really great role on the record in that case."

8. Depeche Mode - Universal Soldier

   James Ford: "Again, I've got a history with Depeche Mode and made a few of their records. They're brilliant guys and have their finger on the pulse, very much so. I approached them quite early on and their process isn't the quickest, if I'm honest, but I think they were inspired by the idea of choosing a cover version and a protest song.

   "Martin [Gore] came across this song and, funnily enough, talking of the speed of their process, this was the first thing that was finished. This was done before the Abbey Road thing, really. They turned it around really quickly, sent it to me and I did some sort of additional production. It was one of the first ones we had in the bag.

   "I love how a band like Depeche can make [what's] essentially a folk song very much them. It's very their sound and almost sounds like one of their own songs. It's a great choice of a cover."

9. Ezra Collective and Greentea Peng - Helicopters

   James Ford: "We approached Ezra for the Damon collaboration initially, but then asked them if they wanted to do a track in their own right. They came up with this and approached Greentea Peng I love it. Again, the lyrics fit really well thematically with the feel of the record. The sort of dubby feel of the track is a great - a point of difference to some of the other tracks on there. It adds a bit of light in a different way to the record. We're really pleased with the result."

10. Arlo Parks - Nothing I Could Hide

    James Ford: "There's another guy called Toby [???] who A&R'd this along along with me - shout out to Toby - and he works closely with Arlo and had the skinny that she was making a new record and might have some material around. So quite honestly he approached her for this and yeah, it turned out she did have some material that she wanted to donate, as it were! It's a great song that fits really well."

11. English Teacher and Graham Coxon - Parasite

    James Ford: "We were talking to English Teacher about doing a song and they originally were going to do a cover, but we sort of twisted their arm into doing one of their own songs. Obviously, they're sort of broadly working towards new material as well, so they're in that mode. I think as well with the spirit of collaboration across the record, we thought it'd be nice to get some different people together and I know that they're huge fans of Graham.

    "Graham is such a brilliant guitar player and musician. He's amazing at adding and fitting into to any situation, really. We just sort of put them in a room together and this is what came out. You can really hear Graham on there making some of hi scrunky noise, which is what he does best!"

    

    English Teacher & Graham Coxon - HELP(2) Recording Session

12. Beabadoobee - Say Yes

    James Ford: "Similarly, with Beebadoobee, she had a different idea for a song and we ended up sort of pushing her to pick something that fitted a little better! She ended up picking a song that I think was very close to her heart and mine too. We were both very big fans of Elliott Smith. She does a really quite sweet version - it's such a beautiful song and a different sentiment maybe than some of the others. It's a nice little lift in the middle of the record."

13. Big Thief - Relive, Redie

    James Ford: "We were definitely quite keen to broaden out the reach of the record beyond just British musicians. So we asked quite a few different American bands and Big Thief are one of my favourites currently operating. They were very up for it, they recorded remotely with their normal people and, and gave us the track. I loved it instantly as soon as I heard it, I think it's a great, great addition."

14. Fontaines D.C. - Black Boys On Mopeds

    James Ford: "The choice to do the Sinead song was very much the band's obviously. Like you say, they're kind of continuing in her footsteps in many ways. And the lyrics of the song are unfortunately still very relevant today, as they were when she wrote them. She was obviously a big part of the first record, so it made a lot of sense for them to do this version. I think they bring a great sort gravitas to it in the way they've done it.

    "It's like a really heavy sort of emotional point on the record, which, again, is another gear shift, maybe into a different section that gets a little darker and heavier. They were part of the Abbey Road experience, but unfortunately, Carlos [O'Connell] was in the middle of having a child, so he doesn't actually feature. But the rest of the band did it all in Abbey Road."

15. Cameron Winter - Warning

    James Ford: "I made the previous Geese record [3D Country] and couldn't do this one [Getting Killed] for obvious reasons. But I'm still very much in touch with the band and Cameron and think all the hype that is coming their way is very much deserved. They're such a brilliant creative force, honestly. I approached Cameron about doing something for the record, quite early doors, actually, before their most recent record came out. The reception and their sort of ascendance... they've been doing a lot and I was quite worried that he wouldn't be able to fit it in, quite honestly, in the time scale that we had.

    "So I was very pleased when he turned this track around and actually, it's one of my favourite tracks on the record. It's quite unlike the sort of stuff that people may expect from him. In my head, it's this almost kind of Laurie Anderson, super dark, artsy New York track. It's very intense and kind of brutal lyrically, with the string section sort of building the tension throughout. It's a real heavyweight moment on the record, I think. I'm very, very grateful to Cameron to have been able to turn that around in the midst of everything else that's going on for them."

16. Young Fathers - Don’t Fight The Young

    James Ford: "I'm a big fan of Young Fathers. I've known them for a while - they actually featured on an old Simian Mobile disco track a long, long time ago. I think they're brilliant writers and performers and I just love the chaos and the energy that they bring to the table and. And that's very much what they've done here. The track is pretty bonkers! In this section of the record it really adds to this kind of heavier, darker atmosphere that we were happy to create. It's a great track."

17. Pulp - Begging For Change

    James Ford: "Begging For Change was actually something that we started and was going to go on the last Pulp record, More. Jarvis sort of had a title but never really could get a handle on the lyrics and couldn't turn it around in time. So it ended up getting left off that record. When I approached him, he suggested this track and obviously the title fits pretty squarely with the mood of the record. Jarvis went away and finished the lyrics.

    "We were in Abbey Road and they utilised the kids' choir and also the choir of various people knocking around the studio. I think they're all sort of chanting the letters, but then there's just moments of pure chaos where everybody's just screaming and, and shouting. Just getting that energy in there is a really great thing. It's a great sort of upbeat, energetic, kind of the noisier, punkier side of Pulp, I suppose."

    

    Pulp – Begging for Change (Visualiser) – HELP(2)

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, Dove Ellis, Ellie Rowsell and Nilüfer Yanya - Sunday Light

23. Olivia Rodrigo - The Book of Love

    James Ford: "I was talking to Olivia about being involved. She was pretty busy as she's kind of an international pop star! We decided on doing a cover version and threw a few different ideas around. She actually came up with this idea of doing the Magnetic Fields song, which is a song I love and has been a favourite of mine for a while. I was very happy for her to pick this. It seemed like a great positive message of hope at the end of the record, and of love. I think, within the context of everything is still an important message to hold on to.

    "I sort of convinced her to sing it in what we were calling a 'Sinatra' style. She was live in Abbey Road in the room with a string quartet, Graham Coxon playing guitar and Ed Harcourt playing piano. They created this really beautiful little moment. It's quite simple and heartfelt and she sings it beautifully. It's a really nice closer to the record, definitely."

About War Child

War Child UK is driven by a single goal - ensuring a safe future for every child affected by war.

Using 30 years of experience and proven methodologies, War Child aims to reach children as quickly as possible when conflict breaks out and stays long after the cameras have gone to support them through their recovery.

War Child works with local communities and governments to help protect and educate children, and support them to heal and learn, for a safer, brighter future. Because one child caught up in conflict is one child too many.

War Child understands children’s needs, respects and stands up for their rights, and puts them at the centre of everything it does. War Child boldly campaigns on the root causes of conflict and helps to amplify children’s voices, so that it can advocate for change on the issues that matter to them.

Together with its partners, War Child delivers vital work in 14 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Every day, its local teams are in communities and refugee camps creating safe spaces for children to play, learn, and access psychological support. War Child also specialises in responding rapidly to emergency crisis situations as they happen, offering immediate and critical aid impartially to keep children safe and help them through their trauma.War Child UK is a member of the War Child Alliance, a global foundation made up of five fundraising offices and 14 programme offices.

Find out more about War Child here