Prior to the creation of his sophomore album, Airwaves, Andrew Leahey underwent a risky brain operation that could have cost him his life. The LP is a response to his situation as much as it is a vow to live in the moment and an ode to his favorite rock anthems of the 1980s that he listened to while growing up. Leahey and his band, the Homestead, command Airwaves with an atmospheric heartland style reminiscent of the likes of Tom Petty or Bruce Springsteen. Effortlessly capturing an undeniable blue-collar sound, Leahey’s contemporary disposition brings something new to his take on roots rock.
Leahey is also debuting a studio cut of a cover song on his 1 March release. Renovating the ethereal English rock of Echo & the Bunnymen’s hit single, “Lips Like Sugar”, into something more akin to he and the Homestead’s definitive Airwaves style, the cover is billed as an American reworking of the classic song.