Latin American style meet western indie rock in Argentinian newcomers Oh So Quiet

24 March 2015, 09:00 | Written by Paul Bridgewater

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(Oh So Quiet)

"Motorycle Journey is about having a cultural identity crisis," says Oh So Quiet's Lucas Zavala. "The song was written before we started the band....it was a song I'd show friends to convince them to start a band with me."

Zavala's one man project took shape on UK soil but initially found him too shy to sing his own songs and his sister Malena was drafted into the fold to help: "I realised pretty quickly that I didn't like my voice on some of the songs I thought could become good. Malena offered to sing them and in that moment we both learned that having two distinct singers would give us much more creative flexibility."

Zavela's sister decribes. him as "nocturnal" 4 days of the week. "I think our general vibe is quite laid back and somewhat reclusive," Malena tells us. "Mostly songwriting and recording at night or in the early mornings."

"Malena and I were born in Argentina and the majority of our family still live there," Zavala explains, "[but] we moved as kids so it feels like we're English foreigners when we visit home but Argentinian [when] living here in England."

The lead track from their debut EP, "Motorcyle Journey" taps into the melancholy wanderlust of Simon & Garfunkel and some gushing syncophated indie rhythms. The result blends the familiar with something more abstract - a yearning timelessness and latin zest.

"That uncertain feeling of not belonging is a common symptom amongst many bicultural people," Zavala says. "To embody that message we wanted this song to blend a latin american style with western indie rock."

Oh So Quiet headline Communion’s April club night at Notting Hill Arts Club on 5 April. The band's debut EP is released on 4 May via Yucatan Records.