Irish singer songwriter Oisín Leech has announced that his much anticipated debut album Cold Sea is billed for release on March 8. This announcement also comes with a string of Irish spring 2024 tour dates to boot.

Recorded in Malin, Donegal, in an old sea-battered schoolhouse that Leech and producer Steve Gunn transformed into a working studio, the album features a string of contributions from American and Irish folk musicians including M. Ward, Dónal Lunny, Róisín McGrory and Tony Garnier, a long-time member of Bob Dylan's touring band.

Leech's debut single 'October Sun' was released in October of last year and received widespread radio airplay from the likes of Cerys Matthews, Guy Garvey, and Craig Charles at BBC 6 Music, BBC Scotland, John Kelly's Mystery Train on Lyric FM and was also awarded 'Tune Of The Week' at RTE Radio 1.

Leech has shared the second single from the record, a track called 'Colour of the Rain'. A meditative and comforting track, leaving listeners with a warm pensive feel from the rich timbre of his masterfully plucked guitar.

Featuring synths from Gunn and bass from Garnier, 'Colour of the Rain' makes use of a combination of closely mic'ed acoustic instruments and electronic textures. According to Leech and Gunn, this is in part a result of their interest in making an album that expressed the environment in which it was created.

Speaking on his upcoming debut, Leech said: "My aim with this album was to write a collection of songs that told a complete story, and to record them near the ocean, using the sea as a kind of mirror for the songs”.

Cold Sea, 2024

Cold Sea marks Leech's embarkment on his solo career, although he will be known to some music fans as one half of the Irish musical duo The Lost Brothers.

Speaking on his latest single specifically the musician says that with 'Colour of the Rain', "I spent weeks writing, maybe longer, with each verse addressing a stage in my life. It touches on forgiveness. Looking at the past and moving on".

In support of his debut Leech has announced the Maiden Voyage Concert series, during which he will play a run of dates in Ireland and overseas. Full details of those performances and further solo shows can be found here.

Kicking off the series of shows is a special St Patrick's Day in store performance at Rough Trade Westoff, Portabello Road in London at 3.30pm.

Leech's Irish dates will include Kilkenny. Waterford, Donegal, Dublin, Cork and Galway.

Tracklist for Cold Sea: 
1. October Sun
2. Colour of The Rain
3. One Hill Further
4. Maritime Radio
5. Empire
6. Malin Gales
7. Cold Sea
8. Trawbreaga Bay
9. Daylight

Oisín Leech Irish Tour Dates 2024

April 4 - Dublin, IE - Sugar Club*
April 5 - Galway, IE - An Taibhdhearc Theatre*
April 6 - Letterkenny, IE - Regional Cultural Centre*
April 12- Kilkenny, IE - Cleere's
April 13 - Waterford, IE - Phil Grimes
April 14 - Cork, IE - Coughlans
April 18 - Limerick, IE - Dolans
April 19 - Ballydehob, IE - Levis'
April 26 - Manorhamilton, IE - The Glens