Osca: Artist You Should Know

About a month ago, I heard this song “Blood” by London-based band OSCA that I instantly dug.

It’s one of the first songs the band worked on and has lyrical elements about vulnerability in relationships and in life. Musically, rather than a giant crescendo, it fades off.

Lead singer, Jack Kenworthy says, “like in jazz, the song is more like a feeling and it changes the mood to keep you interested.”

I could not agree more and realize that not everything needs an answer.

I asked Jack about the name of the band and he tells me OSCA is short for Oscar Peterson, who was a musical inspiration introduced by his father.

Jack and bass player Don are childhood friends from Leicester who used to play schoolyard shows for their classmates, including a cover of Radiohead’s “High and Dry”. As time went on, Shawn and Alex joined to create their band.

He names Tom Waits, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell as other inspirations, explaining that “these are writers whose stories we can all relate personally.”

“Blood” will be part of their forthcoming EP, due in October.

I look forward to following such a bright young band with many stories to tell in the future.

— Jason Kramer