Credit: Angela Kohler
March 23, 2023 – London-based American singer-songwriter and actress Alison Sudol has followed up on the release of her autobiographical and intimate new album, Still Come The Night, with the moving visuals for her poignant single “Come On Baby.” The song and video powerfully capture the shared journey of grief Alison and her partner, Welsh actor and director Tom Cullen, experienced following the miscarriage of their first baby during lockdown. This new visual arrives ahead of tomorrow’s reading of the U.K.’s Miscarriage Leave Bill in the House of Commons, which if passed would ensure three days of paid bereavement leave for people who have experienced miscarriage.
Watch the Official Video for “Come On Baby” via YouTube
Listen to Still Come The Night
“In the days following my pregnancy loss, I was physically and emotionally crushed,” shares Alison. I was meant to be on tour when it happened, but due to the pandemic, the dates were canceled and I was lucky enough to have time to recover at home. Most women aren’t so fortunate, and have to go into work despite their tremendous emotional and physical grief. This bill would at least provide a small buffer in a difficult time, as well as an acknowledgment of the gravity of the loss. I deeply hope the UK government will recognize this need and act accordingly.”
Written and directed by Tom, the visuals are permeated by the disarming honesty and integrity both Alison and her partner share as artists. Transforming their own pain into beauty, Alison and Tom created a piece of art that transmutes their trauma into a healing experience.
“It was deeply meaningful when she asked me to write and direct the video for ‘Come On Baby’,” says Tom. “It’s a searing, raw and deeply moving song.”
“The song addresses the night the miscarriage happened as directly as I could,” explains Alison. “I needed to face it head on. It’s what the whole album is centered around.”
Created out of that shared grief, the video offered an opportunity for catharsis. “It was both a memorial for our lost baby and also offered the chance to create the most literal visual representation of the album together. We did this in the hope that in doing so we might reach others who have been through the same experience,” explains Tom.
Using Pina Bausch’s visceral dances as inspiration for the physicality of grief and miscarriage, Tom imagined two timelines; the first being the reality of their situation and the second, a metaphorical journey in which Alison attempts to escape it. She runs through the wilderness until she reaches the mountain peak where she can finally let her pain break loose. Simultaneously, in the real-life timeline, Alison dissociates. Her partner, unable to reach her, is kept at a distance; isolated, struggling with his own loss and unable to comfort her. Ultimately, he meets her at the top of the mountain, breaking through the barrier of aloneness. She can finally see him, see that he’s right there. This is their pain to share.
“Shooting the video was challenging for many reasons, but was also one of the most remarkable experiences of my life,” says Tom. “We shot in a short time in difficult conditions, with a skeleton crew of mostly people we hadn’t met before. But within hours, with the help of Ali’s extraordinary and brave performance, we became a family, all working towards the goal of telling this story with the honesty and love it deserved.”
“Making this video with Tom meant there was nowhere to hide. It was important to both of us that it would be faithful to what we experienced, for ourselves of course, but also for anyone that has ever gone through this or something similar,” says Alison. “As much as I wanted to fight feeling all the feelings it was pushing to the surface, I knew that anything Tom would make would be beautiful and moving. I had to relinquish control, and had to trust that he would catch me if I fell. Afterwards, although I was raw and exhausted, I felt a sense of space in my body where before there had been numbness. Dance is such a powerful tool; it’s ancient and innate. We need it, like we need to sing, to honour and allow our feelings to flow through us rather than keeping them in, where they eventually harden, calcify. Some part of me knows this, and yet I don’t think I would have done it without this video. It was a gift to have the reason and the space to dance this loss. It let my grief move.”
On Still Come The Night, Alison points to the vast weight of grief that people have carried these past two years: isolation, fear, sadness, illness, loss, and the ensuing rush to resume normal life, without the opportunity to process it all. This is a song and album for us all to listen to and connect with, one that’s open, giving and full of emotion.
Now based in London, Alison Sudol is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actress and video director. She released three critically acclaimed albums under the name A Fine Frenzy, during which she toured with Rufus Wainwright and opened for The Stooges at SXSW. Making her comeback to music as Alison Sudol in 2018, she released two EPs, Moon and its follow-up Moonlite, both co-produced with Yard Act and Gruff Rhys’ producer Ali Chant, and featuring Portishead’s Clive Deamer and Adrian Utley as well as John Parish. Her acting credits include the Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them franchise and the critically acclaimed TV series Transparent.
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