Following Grandbrothers, the next best act I've seen here at SXSW 2024 goes to OSKA — Austrian-based singer and crowd silencer (details to follow.)
The band on our watch list for the night was Automatic, so our crew met at Empire Garage at 10 PM for the show. The rest of the team was situated towards the front, but I am a) short and b) I wanted to dance, so I maneuvered myself toward the back. (JUSTICE FOR SHORT PEOPLE!) From there, I could only make out their funky basslines that were perfect for me to wiggle to while a bearded old man in a maroon leather jacket journaled beside me. It turns out that I wasn't missing much — after listening to just three tracks the gang at the front decided to move along swiftly.
Tilly, a member of our team and talented artist / curator, recently approved an artist on SubmitHub and suggested we go and see her. Jason, founder of Indie Shuffle and SubmitHub, typed 'OSKA' and looked her up. With a 53% approval rate (higher than the 29% average), we decided that her performance was probably worth the walk.
We sat at OSKA's feet as she played alongside her childhood best friend. Her stage presence drew in my colleagues, as she extended appreciation to the audience before her, overtly expressing disdain for those chatting at the bar. At first, she quietly conveyed how much she would love to perform in a hushed room but by the end of her set, she requested it. This moved Dylan, fellow Indie Shuffle blogger, to actively weave around and silence the talkers...including the barmen.
The duo's dynamic is what truly captured my attention though. Off to the side, you find the male half of the band — guitar in hand and harmonica fastened around his neck. He stares at her with so much tenderness and love, as though he is devoted to catching her. While she sings love songs with heavier lyrics, he smiles out at the crowd — and in some small way, they've formed a lovely balance of light and dark.
SIMILAR SONGS
