OSKA Releases Sophomore Album ‘Refined Believer’

Today, Viennese indie-pop singer/songwriter OSKA releases her anticipated sophomore album Refined Believer. Produced by David Kosten (Bat for Lashes, Marina Diamandis), Refined Believer explores themes of trust, self-discovery, and quiet resilience through OSKA’s signature whispery soprano and poetic songwriting. Listen to the album here: https://oska.ffm.to/refinedbeliever

Following a whirlwind year that included a standout debut at SXSW, support slots for Coldplay and Maggie Rogers in her hometown, more than 20 Million streams, a 2025 Amadeus Austrian Music Award, and praise from outlets like Under The Radar (“OSKA has a special talent for bittersweet yearning poeticism”), Atwood  (“soul-stirring”), LUNA Collective (“Vienna’s Rising Star”) and Indie Shuffle (“best act,” “crowd silencer”), OSKA is ready to share her most intimate and expressive work to date.

From the crystalline opener “The Final Straw” — a tender track that unravels the quiet devastation of heartbreak — to the luminous, drum-machine-driven “Like A Song,” OSKA crafts a soundscape that is both heartfelt and emotionally expansive. The wistful “April, May, July” dwells in solitude and reflection, written during a stretch of isolation in London, while “With Love, Your Clementine” leans into minimalist balladry, offering a poetic meditation on courage and childhood reassurance. Themes of deep friendship shine in “Forever Blue,” and resilience takes center stage in “Gloria,” a mid-tempo pop gem about breaking free from the weight of judgment and toxic love. The album’s poignant closer and title track, “Refined Believer,” is a quiet declaration of hope — a song that gently marks OSKA’s journey back to trust, faith, and emotional openness.

Raised in a small village in Lower Austria, OSKA moved to Vienna at the age of 18 to pursue her passion for music. She began busking on the streets and in the squares of the capital while studying pop and jazz vocals. In 2020, she signed with Nettwerk and released her debut EP Honeymoon Phase the following year to critical acclaim. The project earned her widespread industry recognition, including the XA Music Export Award at the 2020 Waves Vienna Showcase Festival and an Amadeus Austrian Music Award in 2022. That same year, she was nominated for the prestigious Anchor Award at Reeperbahn Festival, where jury member Tom Odell discovered her and invited her to support him on his European tour.

OSKA’s 2022 debut album My World, My Love, Paris is a heartfelt collection of songs reflecting on family, youth, and the complexities of growing up. Her distinctive blend of honesty and vulnerability shines through in candid lyrics and tender melodies. In addition to touring with Odell, as well as labelmate Stu Larsen, Matt Simons, and HAEVN, she performed at Eurosonic in 2023, where she was honored with the Music Moves Europe Talent Award — a recognition previously awarded to the likes of Rosalía, Dua Lipa, Hozier, and Adele.