The Maccabees’ Orlando Weeks has opened up to NME about the band’s participation in War Child’s Secret 7” record auction, his recent solo endeavors, and the excitement surrounding the band’s upcoming summer tour dates. The initiative, which sees artists donate a single track to be pressed 100 times on limited-edition vinyl, continues to be a cause close to the musician’s heart.

For this year’s project, The Maccabees have contributed their 2009 fan-favorite ‘No Kind Words’. Weeks, who is also a noted artist and illustrator, explained that the song’s lyrical themes of fractured relationships resonated with the visual art he has been creating recently. “I’m still very enamoured with these figures that I’ve been making,” Weeks shared. “Even if they’re on their own, there is a sense of a relationship or a backstory. It felt like a natural fit for the project.”

Beyond the vinyl release, Weeks is working on a special print to further support War Child. He noted the challenge of balancing artistic expression with the goal of raising funds for a vital cause. “It’s this thing of there being a motivation and reason and a wider cause – how do I make something that I want people to buy because that means the charity gets more money?”

Reflecting on the Secret 7” initiative, Weeks praised its focus on the “one-offness” of the musical experience. “This is an opportunity to make something else that is one-off in the experience of buying and listening to music,” he said. “As someone who really loves making stuff, that’s the great pleasure of doing the work that I do.”

The conversation also touched upon the band’s return to the stage. Following their successful reunion shows last summer, Weeks expressed his genuine joy at performing with his bandmates again. “I loved it, it’s my favourite memories of playing with Maccs,” he reflected. “It’s a shock at how natural it all feels, having had time away from it.”

When asked about the possibility of new music from The Maccabees, Weeks admitted that while they are not far along in the process, the upcoming tour serves as a catalyst. “If you’re in a band, you need to see where you’re at as musicians and the way to do that is by making new stuff,” he said. “The fact that we’re doing these shows is a good opportunity to put a fire under us.”

In addition to his band commitments, Weeks is preparing for a special performance at London’s Southbank Centre as part of the Harry Styles-curated Meltdown Festival. He is also deep into the development of a new graphic novel accompanied by a minimalist soundtrack, set in the Soho of the late 1950s and early 1960s.