Musician and composer Alice Boyd has released her new single, “Return of the White-Tailed Eagle.”
Created in collaboration with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the track commemorates the 50th anniversary of the successful reintroduction of white-tailed eagles to the UK, a species that had previously been hunted to extinction.
According to Boyd, “The story of the white-tailed eagle really resonated with me. Over the past couple of years, my work has focused on how the soundscapes of our natural environments are changing… it felt uplifting to hear about positive change and how [these] birds of prey had returned to the UK.”
In an attempt to capture the calls of the white-tailed eagles for the song, Alice Boyd visited the RSPB reserve site Pulborough Brooks, where she spent six hours recording ambient woodland sounds. These recordings were woven throughout the track, grounding her ballad to the birds in a natural context.
No stranger to advocating for the natural world, Boyd previously participated in the Sounds Right project featuring NATURE initiative alongside London Grammar, Brian Eno, Hozier, and MØ. She also served as Artist in Residence at the Eden Project, using biosonification to transform electric currents from plants into sound.
On “Return of the White-Tailed Eagle,” Alice Boyd utilizes her field recordings as the track opens with gentle acoustic guitar, accompanied by the soft chirping of birds around her.
Her husky, deep vocals sing, “They lift and gift delight / and hold me bathing in / fading light / and I return.” Boyd’s love and admiration for the white-tailed eagle shine through, woven with surprising harmonies.
“Return of the White-Tailed Eagle” was also released alongside a short film about the birds’ reintroduction, titled Return.
