Samantha Morton and Richard Russell team up for single ‘Cry Without End’ with Alabaster DePlume

Sam Morton, a new collaborative project between actor Samantha Morton and XL Recordings boss Richard Russell, have released the single ‘Cry Without End’.

The song is the first track by the duo that has been made available on streaming services, following on from their vinyl-only 2023 singles ‘Hunger Hill Road / Ghosts Are Dancing’ and ‘Supplication / Headbouncing’. The track also features contributions from the Manchester composer and poet Alabaster DePlume.

Morton’s fragile vocals are presented a cappella at first, before a gentle, ghostly arrangement and ethereal backing vocals seep into the track. Listen to it below.

The song comes alongside a video, starring and directed by Morton herself, and featuring intimate close-ups of her face and eyes. “If tears could express our frustration, we’d cry without end,” she sings in the song’s key refrain.

Morton is a two-time Oscar-nominated actor (for Sweet and Lowdown and In America), and is also known for her appearances in Minority Report, Control, Synecdoche, New York and The Whale.

She first came into contact with Russell, who as well as running XL Recordings has produced music for the likes of Gil Scott-Heron, Bobby Womack and Peter Gabriel, after her appearance of BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs.

As one of her music choices, she selected ‘I Remember’ by Molly Drake, the mother of cult musician Nick Drake, causing Russell to reach out to her, and they immediately began working together on new music.

Alongside the new single, Sam Morton have also announced their debut live show, which will take place at London’s Below Stone Nest on March 25. Tickets will be available from Friday (February 16), with all information available here. They will also be performing at this year’s End of the Road Festival.

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