Drawing inspiration from the ocean and the cold sea

After spending 15 years as one half of folk duo the Lost Brothers, Oisin Leech moved into solo terrain last year with a highly regarded debut album, Cold Sea. Recorded in a schoolhouse facing the water near Malin Head in Donegal, Cold Sea is a gentle, ponderous record and a masterclass in spacing.

Leech’s co-conspirator on the record is American producer and guitarist Steve Gunn, who is credited on each of its nine tracks. Further collaborations include Donal Lunny, M Ward, Róisín McGrory and Bob Dylan’s long-time bass player Tony Garnier.

On Sunday July 27, Oisin Leech plays the Róisín Dubh as part of the Galway International Arts Festival.

The Navan native is told his surname originally comes from Kinvara, and as a regular visitor to Galway he is looking forward to a rare solo gig in the city. Leech’s mother’s side come from Donegal, and that part of the country was the perfect breeding ground for Cold Sea.

“I’ve always found being near the ocean very inspiring,” he says.

“Even beyond music, just as a place to be. Any time I’m up there, I’ve got the guitar with me and sometimes, if I’m lucky, songs come along. There’s something in the energy up around Malin Head and a place called Culdaff. It’s just a stunning part of the world.

“I guess there’s something that water and the ocean does to the creativity, that nobody quite understands. It can definitely trigger something.”

The ocean quietly worked its way into the album’s subject matter, flowing gently alongside Leech’s introspective vignettes.

Donegal’s landscape, which he refers to as a magical place, was equally inspiring and may, in its own bareness, have influenced the decision to afford the guitar and vocals so much room to breathe.

“There was no great plan to write a record about the ocean,” Leech says.

“It was only when I took a few steps back that I found that was what I had done. One night, we were recording, and the shipping forecast came on around midnight. We set up the microphones and recorded the shipping forecast and played along to the radio. That became a track on the album called Maritime Radio.

Pictured: Oisin Leech...Arts Festival gig at the Róisín Dubh.