Crowded House is re-releasing the single Help is Coming to raise money for Save the Children in response to the refugee crisis, with a video featuring an introduction by actor Benedict Cumberbatch.
"There is such a huge scale and urgency to the current refugee crises that barely a day goes by without some crushing image or news account to confront us," said Crowded House singer Neil Finn.
"We can't be silent anymore. These are good people that just want to find somewhere safe to create a better life for their families."
In his introduction, Cumberbatch quotes the poet Warsan Shire; "no one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark ... You have to understand, no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land."
Cumberbatch implores viewers to donate and promises refugees that help is on its way.
The song then begins to play, interspersed with footage of war and interviews with Syrian refugees.
Of the song, Finn said he was "continually amazed and grateful for the mysterious pathways that songs can travel."
"First recorded in 1995, quietly released in 1999, Help Is Coming has had a long journey to find a good home.
"It's an honour to be a part of a growing chorus of voices to create action and make it real...help is coming."
Donations to the Syrian refugee crisis can be made at savethechildren.co.nz
The song can be bought at helpiscoming.org
- nzherald.co.nz