It is safe to say Niall Breslin has had a varied career, going from professional rugby player to singer-songwriter in an indie pop band (The Blizzards), TV talent coach, classical musician and mental health advocate. And he’s managed to bring the bulk of these talents (okay, perhaps not the rugby bit) together beautifully in Classical Wind Down, his daily show for Radio 3 Unwind.
“The idea came from the fact that people come home after a day at work and they’re putting on serial killer documentaries and then wondering why they can’t sleep,” says Breslin. “Our central nervous systems are exhausted trying to keep up with the world, so I wanted to create something that said ‘You don’t have to watch Jeffrey Dahmer killing people, you can step away from the chaos and just listen to this music’. My job is to create a mood.”
The 45-year-old, best known as Bressie to his followers, hails from County Meath in Ireland (for whom he played Gaelic football before representing Leinster in rugby). His heritage gave him the calming accent needed for a presenting gig that encourages people to nod off.
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“Luckily, I’ve always had a boring voice; I definitely don’t have to work at it. My accent is so flat, I always knew one day it would put people to sleep,” he smiles. “Nobody wants me giving an in-depth, psychological conversation. They just want to feel like they’re in the room with you. I’ve always believed in the power of audio. During Covid, it created a space to say to people ‘Listen, I’m falling apart a little bit here too’.”
