Track of the Day: Alannah Thornburgh, 'Chasing the Hare'

Alannah Thornburgh has released her single ‘Chasing the Hare’, taken from her newly announced debut album Shapeshifter arriving on February 12, 2025.

‘Chasing the Hare’ feels like an ode to everything Irish, with the use of the traditional harp and passages of storytelling, the single is deeply rooted in Alannah’s West of Ireland heritage, and she pays tribute to it beautifully.

The harpists music is deeply inspired by mythology and folklore from rural Ireland, "I was always fascinated by the fairy fort behind my Grandad’s house,” Alannah shares. “A conversation with him about the tale of ‘Mick na mBréag’ (Mick the Liar), who crossed the fairy folk, inspired the composition of a piece that ultimately became part of this album.”

This project began when Alannah was commissioned to compose a piece for Mayo’s Linenhall Arts Centre’s New Music in Mayo series, curated by traditional musician Emer Mayock.

'Chasing the Hare' features beautiful harp passages alongside snippets of conversation. Inspired by Celtic myths of shapeshifting hares - creatures said to transform into goddesses of fertility - the track was influenced by a conversation Alannah had with local storyteller Frank McCann, who shared tales of a hare often spotted near her family home. Including subtle jazz inflections with Alannah’s father lending his saxophone skills to the track, the single is a heartfelt tribute to the sounds that shaped her upbringing.

The single comes paired with a music video set in the woods, Alannah playing the harp sat on a tree stump, setting gorgeous imagery to such an airy faraway track.

Watch Alannah Thornburgh’s ‘Chasing the Hare’ music video by Brian O’Neill below.