Today on our blog, Irish vocalist and songwriter Laoise Leahy has entered with a grounding and transcendent glow. A lifelong performer and respected music lecturer, Leahy has now stepped forward with her debut EP “Breathe In & Let Go,” a four-track collection of songs that pulse with humanity, intimacy, and quiet joy. Blending alternative jazz, lush electronica, and soulful folk influences, she offers a body of work that thrives in the “in-between” spaces—where reflection and release coexist, and where music becomes a vessel for vulnerability and freedom.
Released on August 15, the EP is designed as a journey, moving from meditative calm to cathartic liberation, and each song unfolds with seamless grace. It’s an experience meant not just to be heard, but to be felt—through breath, rhythm, and the spaces between. Now, let’s discuss it further, track by track.
“Breathe In” sets the tone with a tender meditation on stillness, surrender, and renewal. Opening with lines like “Take me to the sea where I can find a sense of some tranquillity”, Leahy invites us to a place of calm reflection, where water and breath become metaphors for healing. Her vocals are rich and velvety, carrying an emotional depth that lingers with every phrase, especially as she repeats the mantra-like refrain: “How do I make sense of today. I can breathe it in and breathe it all away.” The production mirrors this serenity—gentle guitar lines, flowing piano, and atmospheric textures ebb and flow like a tide, while the rhythm section grounds it with the steady pulse of a heartbeat. It’s a song that doesn’t just speak about stillness; it embodies it.
From this meditative entry point, the energy shifts with “Let Go (La Da Da),” a cathartic anthem of release. With raw honesty, Leahy opens: “Packing up my life, the weight is racking up, feel like I’ve had enough, it’s all just stuff just stuff just stuff.” Her delivery carries the tension of modern pressures before soaring into the liberating refrain: “I just wanna let go, get in my flow, sing la da da da da dah.” The performance is as much emotional as it is technical—her voice balancing vulnerability in confessional verses with the unshackled joy of the chorus. The instrumentation matches this push and pull: pulsing rhythms, textured guitar layers, and subtle electronic flourishes create a soundscape that feels polished yet organic. It’s both a personal confession and a universal call to surrender to freedom.
The dreamlike “Starlight” pulls us into an ethereal space where time and presence blur. With poetic questioning—“Are we here for the moment, is heaven just a place in time?”—Leahy invites us to find transcendence in simply being. Her vocals shine with clarity and warmth, glowing with an almost celestial softness as she croons, “Oh, I’ll be living, if you’re looking for me I’ll be swimming in the starlight.” The arrangement drapes her voice in mellow synths, guitar textures, and steady rhythms that create a sense of expansiveness, almost like floating beneath a vast night sky. It’s grounding and transcendent all at once, offering a luminous pause for reflection.
Closing the EP is “A Timeless Place,” a track that feels intimate and cinematic. Leahy paints clear imagery with lines like “the summer skies I saw reflected in the shadows of your eyes” and “beauty’s only an illusion, here your truth is an intrusion.” Her delivery is luminous and controlled, every phrase resonating with soulful warmth. The production is elegant and intentional: delicate piano, subtle strings, and atmospheric layers provide a lush backdrop without ever overshadowing her voice. It’s a haunting meditation on longing and illusion, leaving listeners with both a sense of closure and an openness to wonder.
Throughout “Breathe In & Let Go,” the musicianship is as refined as the songwriting. With Johnny Taylor on piano, Rhodes, and synths; Barry Donohue on double bass; Dominic Mullan on drums and percussion; Christian Best adding further percussive textures; Max Zaska on electric guitar; and Tom Walsh on trumpet—the instrumentation breathes with intention and balance. Each layer feels carefully placed, designed to support rather than crowd Leahy’s emotive voice.
What makes this Laoise Leahy’s debut stand out is not only her voice depth but her ability to hold vulnerability and joy in the same hand. “Breathe In & Let Go” is more than a debut EP; it’s a meditation on being human in an often chaotic world. It’s a reminder that within the noise, there is stillness; within the heaviness, there is release. With this stunning introduction, Laoise Leahy offers us a soundtrack for reflection, surrender, and living fully in the moment. This EP is timeless and marks the arrival of a voice and vision we’ll be eager to follow.
Listen to the “Breathe In & Let Go” EP on Spotify
Follow Laoise Leahy here for more information
