Introducing: OK AURORA

With their bold, cinematic second album Hope, London-based octet OK Aurora push their genre-blurring sound into deeper, more expansive territory. Led by drummer and composer Rod Oughton, and fronted by magnetic Russian vocalist Alina Miroshnichenko, the band folds Brazilian rhythms, Congolese guitar lines, soaring flutes, and even handmade music boxes into a vibrant, emotionally rich collection.

From the blistering guitar solo that crowns the title track, to meditative ballads and joyful horn chorales, Hope captures personal reckoning and global influences in equal measure. Ahead of their album launch at Pizza Express Holborn, we spoke to Rod and Alina about evolution, emotion, and capturing lightning in the studio.

Q1. The album is titled Hope, and you've described it as being rooted in both personal reflection and a sense of collective future. How do you balance that emotional intimacy with the expansive, cinematic sound you've built across the record?

A: I chose ‘Hope’ to be the title track for the album as it’s the most ambitious composition on the record. The track is in three parts; a rubato vocal feature at the beginning, an acapella horn chorale in the middle and an extended guitar solo at the end.It also had one of the clearest and strongest sentiments of any of the tracks on the record. The idea of hoping someone can stay with you even though you know they have to go is something that most of us can relate to in one way or another.I felt the title ‘Hope’ was fitting as hope is a broad concept. It means different things to different people. One person might hope for a job interview to go well while two million people might hope for freedom. In that way, the title can encompass a whole range of different sounds across the album.

Q2. Tracks like "Não Quero Me Lembrar" and "OKA Baião" draw clear influence from Brazilian artists — how did that cultural and rhythmic language shape the writing process, and how did you ensure it still felt like OK Aurora?

A: In 2022, I was lucky enough to study in São Paulo as part of my Masters’ degree. I learnt about Samba and Forró, I took lessons in pandeiro and studied with some legends of Brazilian music. I also learnt Portuguese, which was an amazing process in itself.My time there changed me as a person. It was so eye opening, living and studying on the other side of the world from where I grew up. It also changed my musical output, as my love for Brazilian rhythms, melodies and song forms started to become apparent in my writing. I see this only as a positive thing, as I now have another vocabulary I can draw from when composing. Before my writing was mainly influenced by pop and jazz artists, but now I feel as though I’ve listened to and studied enough Brazilian artists that I can organically let their influence come out in my writing.I knew this would take OK Aurora in a slightly different direction but that didn’t worry me too much. My favourite artists have always been those that were constantly evolving, such as The Beatles, David Bowie or Joni Mitchell. Each album of theirs was a demonstration of what they were checking out in that moment; there was no desire to stay ‘loyal’ to a particular sound. I had always hoped my albums would do the same.

Q3. Alina, your vocals bring such depth and drama to the music. On a record that travels from Congolese guitar flourishes to handmade music boxes, how do you approach embodying such a wide range of sonic worlds?

A: I wholeheartedly welcome it! I love that range in Rod’s music, and it’s a treat to be able to show different facets of myself when adapting to each song. When we started playing together, it took a bit of time to get used to certain elements, such as songs based on polyrhythms or odd time signatures, but over time there comes a moment when something clicks and you all find the flow together that just makes sense. I love experiencing that a-ha moment and then being able to let go on the gigs and go on that journey, in terms of peaks and troughs of each song’s energy, together.

Q4. Rod, you mentioned trying to capture the rawness of Eddie Hazel’s ‘Maggot Brain’ in the title track’s guitar solo — was there a particular emotional or musical breakthrough moment during the making of Hope where things really clicked into place?

A: ‘Maggot Brain’ is an amazing song. For anyone that hasn’t heard it, I very much encourage them to check it out! I stole Funkadelic’s idea for sure, to write a song centered around a guitar solo. They had Eddie Hazel, we have Billy Marrows! Billy’s one of my favourite musicians and an unbelievable guitarist. What he plays on ‘Hope’ is truly breathtaking, and is the perfect climax to the song.There wasn’t really one lightbulb moment while recording, it was more of a whirlwind. Making albums for independent artists is usually that way, a brief intense period of activity to try and keep costs down, rather than a drawn out voyage of discovery. The guys were amazing though, they came into the Lightship 95 studio (in east London) and played beautifully over the course of two days, and brought a great energy throughout.

Q5. OK Aurora’s live shows have a reputation for being dynamic and immersive. With the album launch at Pizza Express Holborn on the horizon, how are you planning to translate the complexity and emotional arc of Hope into a live setting?

A: It’s the age old problem, how to balance musical complexity against what is actually possible to deliver as part of a live show. In the studio you can do whatever you want, as long as you have time. In a live setting though, you are limited to who and what you have on stage with you, and you only get one go! I feel very lucky to have such amazing musicians in the band that can replicate the trickier parts of what I write in a live setting. And they almost always get it right! Aha.We played at Pizza Express Holborn last July, and we’re really thrilled to be releasing the album there. The semi-circular stage gives the feeling of almost playing in the round, and the audience can get super close and pretty much surround the band on all sides. It’s perfect for our music, as we can draw the audience in for the more intimate numbers and really feel their energy on the more lively tracks. I think it’s also fantastic for the audience, who get a great view of two saxophones, a trumpet, a keyboard, electric guitar, bass guitar and drums. Oh, and of course, our vocalist Alina! The shows on September 10th 2025, and tickets are on sale now!