The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for On Swift Horses, composed by Mark Orton, is now available on all digital platforms, coinciding with the film’s theatrical release. The score masterfully blends lush orchestration with a rebellious undercurrent of 1950s surf guitar, reminiscent of Link Wray, to create a uniquely romantic yet dangerous soundscape that mirrors the film’s exploration of desire and post-war constraints. The album also features two all-new recordings by artist Loren Kramar, including the original composition “Song For Henry” written by Loren Kramar and Sean O’Brien for the film.

The album is now available on all major streaming platforms via Madison Gate Records.

Orton reflects on the score, “The score for On Swift Horses is built around the characters of Julius and Muriel, who, despite being separated by 800 miles, share an undeniable connection. This bond is woven into the music itself, with their individual themes intertwining over time, creating a sense of intimacy and distance simultaneously. The score has two distinct sides: one organic and introspective, using piano, strings, vibraphone, and solo cello to evoke the characters’ emotional journeys, and the other more rhythmic and edgy, driven by a trio of guitar, bass, and drums, which underscores the tension of the gambling scenes.” 

Kramar remarks, “Queer people have always connected to one another through code. I wanted to write that private language into ’Song For Henry’ by replacing the word ‘lover’ with ‘friend’. It’s at once warm and distant – acknowledging the closet, but not being a prisoner of it. The journey of the song, like the trajectories of the film’s characters, is one of striving for truth and love shared.”

Daniel Minahan and Robin Urdang serve as soundtrack executive producers, with music supervision provided by Robin Urdang and music editing by Shari Johanson.

ABOUT ON SWIFT HORSES

Muriel and her husband Lee are beginning a bright new life in California when he returns from the Korean War. But their newfound stability is upended by the arrival of Lee’s charismatic brother, Julius, a wayward gambler with a secret past. A dangerous love triangle quickly forms. When Julius takes off in search of the young card cheat he’s fallen for, Muriel’s longing for something more propels her into a secret life of her own, gambling on racehorses and exploring a love she never dreamed possible.

Directed By: Daniel Minahan / Written By: Bryce Kass / Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter, Diego Calva, Sasha Calle

ABOUT MARK ORTON

Mark Orton, founding member of the genre-bending acoustic chamber ensemble Tin Hat, has written original scores and contributed music to numerous dramatic and documentary films including Nebraska, My Old Lady, Sweet Land, Everything Is Illuminated, Buck, From the Ashes, The Good Girl, The Box Trolls, People-Places-Things, 12 Mighty Orphans, Fernando Meirelles’ 360, Ken Burns’ The Roosevelts series, and Pixar’s Loop. Recent projects include the films Leave No Trace and Somewhere in Queens, two series from Netflix – Obama’s Working: What We Do All Day, and Muscles & Mayhem, along with Alexander Payne’s feature The Holdovers. Additionally, Orton is preparing for the release of On Swift Horses, his next highly anticipated project.

An alumnus of the Peabody Conservatory and the Hartt School of Music, and the recipient of a Sundance Institute Composer Fellowship, he was nominated Best New Composer by the International Film Music Critics. He is a multi-instrumentalist and collector of antique and unusual musical instruments, which he often employs in his scores.

Mark is a frequent contributor to both radio and podcast programming including This American Life, All Things Considered, the Headlong series, and the award-winning podcast Wind of Change. As an arranger, Mark has worked with artists including Tom Waits, Willie Nelson, Mike Patton, and Madeline Peyroux. In addition, he continues to compose music for modern dance, radio drama, the circus and the concert hall.

He lives in The Great Pacific Northwest with his wife and son.

ABOUT LOREN KRAMAR: 

Loren Kramar is a Los Angeles born-and-based singer, songwriter and composer whose “voice can stop you in your tracks” (New York Times). In 2024, he released his debut full length album Glovemaker (Secretly Canadian). The sweeping, vulnerable and urgent record about the skins we craft to be seen by the world, offered a reminder that we are all in some form of drag. It earned critical praise from The New York Times, BBC Radio 6, NYLON, Stereogum and more. Earlier this year, Loren released Living Legend, an EP comprised solely of transcendent, haunting Lana Del Rey covers, on which Vogue praised his “rich, roiling” vocals. To celebrate, he released an exclusive merch collaboration with Eckhaus Latta and will tour alongside Father John Misty this summer.

TRACKLIST

1. Mr. Blue – Loren Kramar (2:31)
2. Muriel Meets Julius (1:21)
3. First Time at the Track (2:14)
4. Julius Meets Henry (2:17)
5. Suite: The Morning After / Muriel Says Yes! / The Ranch (4:03)
6. Cheaters (1:49)
7. Things Are Looking Prosperous (1:11)
8. Muriel Finds the Chester (2:16)
9. Back to the Track & Muriel Wins (2:16)
10. Julius Calls Muriel (2:26)
11. Nearly a Kiss (0:26)
12. Winning Streak (1:41)
13. Henry Wants to Cheat Casino (1:26)
14. Henry Is Gone (3:27)
15. Dream of a Kiss (1:27)
16. Muriel Leaves & Julius Goes to Tijuana (3:00)
17. Muriel’s Future (1:00)
18. The Board (1:27)
19. Song for Henry – Loren Kramar (4:15)