Los Costureros release a seductive, Latin-inflected debut shaped by Spain, storytelling and late-night kitchen-table magic

Fresh from a sell-out launch show at Dartington’s Great Hall, Devon-based quartet Los Costureros unveil their self-titled debut album – a sultry, modern take on rumba, Brazilian rhythms and street-corner storytelling.

The band – Jovi (vocals), Eliot (congas), George (bass) and Anthony (trumpet) – wrote and recorded much of the record during an extended spell in Spain. What began in Jovi’s late grandmother’s apartment in Mataró soon spilled into a mountain commune populated by market traders, dreamers and lifelong musicians. The group busked to fund equipment, used mattresses as soundproofing, and recorded into the wine-soaked early hours. The result is a record that feels handmade in the best possible way: intimate, colourful – suffused with humanity and joy.

Across its ten tracks, Los Costureros blends the spicy swagger of rumba, the warm glow of nylon-string guitar and heart-wrenching harmonies with witty, vividly drawn characters. There’s the fruit seller calling across the crowd (“Frutero”), whispered confessions sung as if into a lover’s ear (“Bello”), and an ageing dancer who creaks when he walks but floats like an astronaut when the rhythm hits (“Astronauta”). The tongue-twisting “Corriente del Río” fizzes with energy, while “Umbabue” finds the band voyaging to shores of the imagination other groups have scarcely sighted.

It’s a record steeped in atmosphere – late nights of wine and cheese, kitchen-table debates, long walks in fertile valleys – where songs swoop from playful to tender to quietly devastating. A nightingale’s ear for melody runs through tracks like “Mira Me” and “Amalia”, where hushed vocals and acrobatic guitar lines meet slow-burn rhythms.

Live, Los Costureros are fast becoming a South West cult favourite, known for immersive shows filled with dancing, candles and theatrical flourishes. Their Dartington Great Hall launch – tapas, sangria, and the album performed end-to-end beneath soaring medieval timbers – sold out in advance and confirmed their reputation as one of the region’s most original new acts.

With Los Costureros (it means ‘The Tailors, fyi) this young band have stitched a bold musical garment from their time in Spain: seductive, story-rich and modern, yet unmistakably human. A debut full of texture, vivid colour and craftsmanship – and one that marks them as a group to watch closely in 2026.