Wet Leg and Weezer among musicians starring in new CBeebies animation Yukee

Wet Leg, Tom Odell and Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo are among the raft of music stars who appear in a new CBeebies animation called Yukee.

Airing on CBeebies weekdays from Monday 5th February, Yukee is set in Northern Ireland and it’s described by the BBC as a ‘music-first preschool series created by musicians for the musicians of the future.’

A synopsis for the show reads: ‘The show is a series about the sheer joy of making a noise with friends and reminds us that ‘music is for everyone’, as well as having themes of community, friendship, and cooperation at its heart. Yukee offers young audiences a gentle, child-centred introduction to music education and exposes them to simple, yet fundamental musical concepts that will form a strong foundation for lifelong learning and enjoyment of music - beat, rhythm, pitch, tempo, timbre, form, dynamics, expression and style.

‘Yukee herself is of Northern Ireland and Chinese heritage - and in every episode takes her own beloved red ukulele into a magical garden filled with instrument playing animal friends. Music adventures are never far away, and song ideas can come from anywhere in the garden - be it the rhythmic pitter patter of raindrops, or a gang of passing ants stomping their tiny feet to a steady beat.’

Musicians who appear in Yukee include Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo as a musician pigeon called Feathers (with a guitar called Wheezy), Architects’ Sam Carter as Hoops Van Badger the king of rock, and Jurassic 5’s Chali 2na as a rapping fox called Bushy T.

Wet Leg play a travelling troupe of snails called The Slime Sisters, Ezra Collective are cast as travelling jazz musicians Ezy and Ray, Maisie Peters is a mouse, and Lauren Laverne plays a roving reporter called Roxie Rabbit.

Elsewhere, American soul legend PP Arnold is the first mouse of soul Cleo Nibbles, Dame Evelyn Glennie plays a percussive woodpecker called TipTop, and Tom Odell plays Paulie, a piano playing peacock.

Wet Leg enthuse: “Our unexpected magical musical adventure has turned us into two touring snails, as the Slime Sisters in CBeebies’ new animation Yukee! We hope we can spark a little love of music making amongst CBeebies fans.

Sam Carter says: “Doing this was so much fun and something that I was so thrilled to be asked to do. Fun and easy musical learning like this is so important. If it wasn’t for the musical teachers in my school I wouldn’t have ended up with the career I’ve been fortunate enough to have.”

Kate Morton, Senior Head of Commissioning for BBC Children’s 0-6, adds: “Fusing entertainment and education for preschool children across the UK is a key part of our strategy – and there is no better way to do this than through having fun with music! Yukee’s world isn’t just about music, it’s also about friendships and connecting with the natural world around her giving a strong foundation for lifelong learning and enjoyment. We’re thrilled to have such amazing musical talent on board and to be collaborating with a brilliant production team in Northern Ireland on this project.”

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