Damhnait Doyle Returns With New Album Bird in Flames
The Newfoundland Singer-Songwriter Returns to the Solo Spotlight After Seven Years
Canadian singer-songwriter Damhnait Doyle is preparing to release Bird in Flames, adding a new chapter to a career that has stretched across more than three decades.
The Newfoundland and Labrador-born performer will release the album on September 25, 2026. It follows a pair of new singles that have already signalled Doyle’s return to recording, including “Darlin’” and “Bad Bad Women.”
For longtime listeners, Bird in Flames is particularly notable. It follows Doyle’s 2019 solo album Liquor Store Flowers and brings her back to the full-length format after several years focused on other musical and broadcasting projects.
New Songs Introduce Bird in Flames
Doyle began revealing her latest musical chapter earlier in 2026.
“Darlin’” arrived in May, followed by “Bad Bad Women” in July. The latter was released as a two-song single, offering another glimpse at the music leading towards Bird in Flames.
The new material places Doyle’s voice and songwriting back at centre stage.
It also reconnects listeners with an artist whose catalogue has moved comfortably between folk, pop, country and roots music without being confined to one style.
A Return to the Solo Album Format
Bird in Flames follows Liquor Store Flowers, released in 2019.
That album marked an important return of its own. Before Liquor Store Flowers, Doyle had not released a solo studio album since Lights Down Low more than a decade earlier.
However, gaps between solo records have never meant an absence from Canadian music.
Doyle has continually worked as a performer, songwriter and collaborator. She was a member of Shaye alongside Kim Stockwood and Tara MacLean, and later became part of The Heartbroken.
Across those projects and her solo career, she has released nine full-length recordings.
From Newfoundland and Labrador to the National Stage
Doyle was born and raised in Newfoundland and Labrador, and her East Coast roots have remained an important part of her musical story.
Her career began gaining national attention during the 1990s. Her debut album, Shadows Wake Me, arrived in 1996, followed by Hyperdramatic in 2000 and Davnet in 2003.
Over the years, Doyle has toured extensively across Canada and shared stages with artists including Willie Nelson and Steve Earle.
Her voice has also appeared on recordings by other Canadian musicians, including Bruce Cockburn and Kevin Parent.
Those experiences have given Doyle a career that extends well beyond her own album catalogue.
Music, Songwriting and Canadian Radio
Doyle has also become a familiar voice to Canadian music listeners in another way.
After guest hosting CBC’s Weekend Mornings in 2020, she joined CBC Music as a full-time radio host in 2021. She now hosts CBC Music’s Mornings.
Her involvement in Canadian songwriting extends behind the scenes as well. Doyle has served on the boards of SOCAN and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, adding advocacy for songwriters to her work as a recording artist.
That broader involvement makes her return with new original music especially welcome.
A New Chapter With Bird in Flames
Details surrounding the complete track list and musical direction of Bird in Flames remain limited ahead of its release.
However, “Darlin’” and “Bad Bad Women” provide the first pieces of what promises to be another distinctive chapter in Doyle’s catalogue.
More importantly, the new album places a veteran Canadian songwriter back in the spotlight at a time when her career encompasses far more than recording alone.
After decades spent performing, collaborating, broadcasting and supporting Canadian songwriters, Damhnait Doyle is returning to her own music with Bird in Flames.
The album arrives September 25, 2026.