Florence Pugh features on new single 'Lockdown'.

Florence Pugh has contributed both spoken word and vocals for a new song, marking the first time her vocals have ever featured on an officially released song, having joined L Y R - Simon Armitage, Richard Walters and Patrick J Pearson - for a remote recording of Armitage’s newest poem, 'Lockdown'.

Proceeds from the release will go to Refuge - a UK-based charity providing specialist support for women and children experiencing domestic abuse.

Armitage says about the single: "We’ve worked flat out from three points of the compass - the song has been accomplished via the wonders of technology, the internet being no respecter of quarantine rules. The musical tones of the track echo the atmosphere of the lyrics, claustrophobia rising to a hopeful euphoria, the magical landscape at the end of the poem transformed into a vibrant and pulsing soundscape. We also knew that we wanted a female voice in the mix and were thrilled when Florence Pugh agreed to contribute. Florence brings intelligence and intensity to everything she performs in - we can’t thank her enough."

The choice of national domestic abuse charity Refuge as beneficiary for this charity track was prompted by news of a sharp increase in demand for Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline since the UK entered lockdown on 26th March, and by the themes explored in ‘Lockdown’.

Armitage explains, “One subtext of the poem is the difficulty of communication during stressful situations; we have been especially conscious of the rise in domestic abuse cases and violence against women and children during the coronavirus restrictions, and all proceeds from the track will go to the charity Refuge, who we are proud to be working with.”

Sandra Horley, CBE, chief executive of Refuge says: "Refuge is enormously thankful to Simon, Florence, Pete, Richard and Patrick for supporting our life-saving work through this exciting project. Almost one in three women will experience domestic abuse at some point in their lifetime; it is the biggest social issue facing women and girls in this country. Public support for services like ours is more important now than ever. It is critical that Refuge’s Helpline and our refuges continue to provide urgent support and safety for women and children trapped with their abusers during lockdown. Women’s lives depend on it."

Watch a video for the song below...