Joe Doonan traces the weight of goodbye on new EP 'before you leave'

There's an immediate sadness built into the title 'before you leave'. It suggests the moment just ahead of separation, when everything still technically exists but already feels as though it's slipping away.

Joe Doonan’s latest EP lives in that emotional space. But instead of treating the end of a relationship as one dramatic event, he focuses on the long process surrounding it: the uncertainty, the bargaining, the loneliness and the peculiar grief of losing someone who once formed part of everyday life.

Throughout this new collection, the Leeds singer-songwriter focuses on what remains after the relationship itself has ended; the habits, the memories and the unanswered questions that continue long after two people have gone in different directions.

His songwriting has always leaned towards emotionally direct storytelling, and this project seems particularly well suited to that strength. The EP is framed around love and loss, but also around the mental toll of trying to hold something together when it's already beginning to come apart.

But importantly, it doesn't stay trapped in its grief. Its journey eventually turns towards hope, recognising that the space left behind by one person can also become room for something new.

It's a subtle shift that gives the project a strong sense of movement without forcing an easy resolution. The healing arrives gradually, through the simple realisation that life continues beyond the goodbye.

With 'before you leave', Joe Doonan takes a familiar subject and gives it real emotional patience, turning separation into something reflective and ultimately hopeful.