Some songs do not try to tidy up a breakup. They sit in the messy middle of it. Joe Doonan’s “on the run,” from his EP before you leave, lives in that space. Released on 4 September, the record is built around what happens when two people stop working and one of them has to keep walking.
Doonan is clear about the idea. The EP is not only “something not working out.” It follows the process after that: the loss, the stages of grief, the quiet shock that someone who filled your days can vanish into another life you may never see. He has always struggled with that sudden absence, whether the relationship lasted months or years. “on the run” sits inside that journey of love, struggle, and the mental weight of wanting things to be okay while you learn how to stand in a room that suddenly feels empty.
The genres tell you how he frames it. Folk Pop keeps the storytelling close to the bone. Power Pop gives the chorus lift so the sadness does not collapse in on itself. Indie Pop keeps the whole thing human rather than theatrical. If you only know the style, that mix is the point: acoustic honesty with enough hook to make the ache shareable.
Joe Doonan is an established singer-songwriter who writes real-life stories of hope, loss, and love. Some of his strongest recent work came from sessions with multi-platinum and Emmy-winning writers, including Paddy Byrne (Tom Grennan, Paloma Faith) and Rob Wells (Adam Lambert, Ariana Grande). Recognition has followed. He landed a slot at Liverpool’s official Eurovision festival, Eurofest, headlined the prestigious Bedford in London, played sell-out headline shows, completed a first Australian tour, and followed that with a first UK tour in 2025. Singles and this EP have been rolling out through the year.
Press already clocked the title track’s tone. CLOUT called before you leave heartfelt, instantly moving, packed with emotion and authenticity, and a narrative a lot of listeners will recognise. Mystic Sons heard a smooth, woozy, acoustic-led swoon. The Strive put it simply: it hits where love hurts most. “on the run” extends that same honesty into the chapter after the goodbye, when you are still moving and not sure toward what.
That last part matters. Doonan says the EP exits on hope. The empty space is also an opening: something new, the chance to love more deeply than before. In a streaming era full of neat heartbreak anthems, folk-pop that admits the lonely, scary stretch and still leaves the door ajar feels current without chasing a trend.
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What do you think of Joe Doonan’s take on the aftermath of a relationship? Does “on the run” land for you? Drop it in the comments.
