There’s something quietly powerful about listening to a song that doesn’t just entertain but helps tell the story of something real, something wild, something bigger than us. That’s exactly what sound artist, composer, and all-round nature-nerd Alice Boyd has done with her new single, Return of the White-Tailed Eagle, released today.

The track was created in collaboration with the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the successful reintroduction of the UK’s largest bird of prey. Once extinct in the UK due to persecution and habitat loss, the white-tailed eagle is now thriving again in parts of Scotland thanks to decades of dedicated conservation work. It’s a huge win for British wildlife and a story that resonated deeply with Alice.

Best known for her atmospheric music and field recordings, Alice has long explored the changing soundscapes of the natural world. “After documenting the diminished dawn choruses and the heightened noise pollution, it felt uplifting to hear about positive change,” she says. “How this bird of prey had returned to the UK — it gave me hope.”

In the process of creating the track, Alice travelled to Pulborough Brooks, an RSPB reserve in West Sussex, in hopes of recording the bird’s call to include in the song. Although the eagle stayed silent that day, the session wasn’t wasted. The track features the rich ambient sounds of woodland life including rustling trees, distant birdsong, and that hushed stillness you only get when you’re out in nature, waiting for something magical to happen.

“We spent six hours just sat there, watching the nest from a distance,” Alice explains. “It was quite meditative. Although it would’ve been amazing to capture the bird’s voice, the rarity actually made them feel more mythical, more special.”

Return of the White-Tailed Eagle also acts as a sonic preview to Return, a short film created by the RSPB and set to release on August 29. The film blends present-day footage of the birds with archive material and features contributions from RSPB voices like Dave Sexton and Nadeem Perera of Flock Together, alongside Alice herself.

This isn’t the first time Alice has blended art and activism. She has taken part in the Sounds Right ‘Feat. NATURE’ campaign (alongside artists like Hozier, Aurora, and Brian Eno), served as artist-in-residence at the Eden Project, and created everything from plant-powered compositions using biosonification to music inspired by walking in the footsteps of Nan Shepherd through the Cairngorms.

Her collaborators are as eclectic as her influences, from Adam Buxton to Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor, and her work has been featured on BBC 6 Music, Radio 3, and across the arts and science worlds.

Mark Fountain from the RSPB put it best: “By working with a brilliant musician like Alice and asking her to create an original song for the film, we gained a whole new perspective on nature and on the vital role that art must play in conservation.”

Whether you're into nature, music, or both, Return of the White-Tailed Eagle is worth a listen. It’s not just a track. It’s part of a bigger story.

We spent six hours just sat there, watching the nest from a distance

Author: Adam Bailey

Adam is a regular contributor for established press release distribution website Release-News.com. He writes on a wide range of topics including music.