Leech work on BBC Radio 6 Music Albums of the Year list

Oisin Leech's debut solo 'Cold Sea' has been chosen as one of BBC Radio 6 Music's Albums of the Year 2024. The station’s Albums of the Year are announced each November, with six music presenters each selecting their favourite album that has been released over the last 12 months.

Cam Pia, 6 Music’s Music Editor says: “This wide-ranging list shows the breadth of our presenters’ tastes across the network and Albums of the Year is our moment to celebrate those records and give these picks even more prominence. We’ll be adding tracks from their favourite albums of 2024 to our weekly playlist until the end of the year and we’ll also hear from presenters about why they’ve chosen those albums in a series of New Album Fix specials.”

New Album Fix (which drops on BBC Sounds every Friday morning), presented by Matt Everitt, explores each of the albums. The shows will feature voicenotes from presenters, revealing why these albums are the best of the year for them. Cerys Matthews selected the Navan singer's album for episode four, available on BBC Sounds since Monday 16th December.

Leech, one half of the Lost Brothers, recently sold out Solstice in Navan for his annual show, and has been touring Britain and Europe with Cold Sea, which started out as an album written for a folk club in Navan, released via Outside Music and Tremone Records.

Produced by acclaimed songwriter and musician Steve Gunn, the record features contributions from a number of celebrated artists such as Tony Garnier (Bob Dylan), Dónal Lunny, Roisin McGrory, Alan Comerford, and M Ward.

“A few years back I started a music night in Navan called Joey Procida’s Folk Club” explained Oisin. “I usually begin the night with a song or two myself before welcoming on the first act. I started to write songs with the folk club in mind but then the writing took on a life of its own. After a year of songwriting I discovered I had soon created a new world of song- a collection that told a story.”

“These songs didn’t feel like Lost Brothers songs. So I decided I would record my solo debut album.”

Throughout his career, Leech has become known for his focused artistry and distinctive vocals, both of which shine through in his dexterous solo material. Time spent in Donegal, a place of great significance to the Meath-based artist, provided inspiration for Cold Sea. Collaboration has always been integral to Leech’s creative practice. On Cold Sea, he joined forces with Brooklyn-based musician Steve Gunn. The pair initially met whilst Leech was recording in New York; they stayed in touch and when Leech had garnered a considerable amount of material, he invited Gunn to make a record in Donegal.

On a summer’s morning in July, Leech and Gunn convened in an old sea-facing schoolhouse in Donegal which they transformed into a studio over a period of days, and got to work on Cold Sea’s nine cathartic compositions. The essence of Donegal’s expansive landscapes, both sublime and stark, is captured in the record’s instrumentation. Melding a palette of synth textures and warm guitar tones, Cold Sea creates an inviting and enveloping atmosphere. The recordings on Cold Sea showcase Leech’s willingness to stretch his artistic voice in new ways.

The album had already been featured on the Uncut Magazine album of the year list. Meanwhile, back on home soil, Leech will be presenting a special festive edition of his ‘Caravan Radio’ on RTE Radio 1 at 6pm on Christmas Day.