Take that, “Heal the World.”
Flight of the Conchords have been off the radar for some time, after splitting after their second seasons and albums dropped in the U.S. and then quietly reuniting this year for tours in Australia and their native New Zealand. But now Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement have finally dropped some new music on an international scale, for a good cause. The formerly fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo from New Zealand wrote and released a track “Feel Inside (And Stuff Like That)” as a charity single for Cure Kids, as part of a comedy event.
In a video that clocks over eight minutes, the Conchords interview various children on what it is to be sick, and how to raise (or steal from robbers) money. They took excepts of those conversations and turned them into song, bringing in NZ friends like Dave Dobbyn, Brooke Fraser, Boh Runga and Sam Scott to sing some bars. The thing predictably but delightfully devolves into child-like vernacular and terrifying rhyming schemes, with an a capella break-down at the end, a rap verse and plenty of McKenzie and Clement emoting.
The song was performed live on TV in that country over the weekend, helping to garner $1.3 million to benefit medical research for illnesses that harm children in New Zealand. The “Feel Inside” single can also be bought, with proceeds going to Cure Kids.
Bret McKenzie was busy last year working on and promoting his score for “The Muppets.” Flight of the Conchords have also said their own movie is in the works.