Sharp, young and intellectual, Birds of Wales have risen out of Canadian obscurity to become a surprise folk-rock sensation.

Their uplifting lyrics and carefully crafted songs are pricking up ears everywhere from British Columbia to the Thames Valley.

But, inevitably, the first thing everyone wants to know, is where on earth did they get such a ridiculous name?

"I have two great passions," explains Vancouver-born frontman Morgan Ross.

"Birds - the actual feathered creatures - and my Welsh roots."

"I've always had a thing for birds," he adds, sounding deadly serious. "I grew up with a cockatoo."

And the Welshness? "Well, My mum is overtly Welsh," he goes on. "And like all ex-patriots, she is very patriotic - and that has rubbed off on me."

And say what you like, you can't say it's not memorable.

And it hasn't stopped the Toronto-based band from gaining an impressive reputation, stretching far beyond the shoreline of their adopted Lake Ontario.

Their single, Cinderella (Has Nothing on You) has proved a surprise hit in Europe and North America - with more than 560,000 copies distributed in Ireland alone; and another song, My Lady in July, is to be featured in the Rob Heydon film Ecstasy - the sequel to Trainspotting.

They have played sold-out shows everywhere from Vancouver to the Liverpool Cavern Club, and earned comparisons to the likes of Mojave 3, Coldplay, Ryan Adams and Belle & Sebastian. They even went down a storm at Oxford's Cellar, last time they were in town.

On Monday, Morgan and bandmates Mike Caputo (lead guitar), Moe Smith (bass) and Paul Barry (drums) return to Oxford for a show at the Exeter Hall, in Cowley.

For Morgan, the gig is a homecoming. As a child of nine, he spent six months in the city while his academic parents did their thing at Oxford University.

"I absolutely love Oxford," he says, speaking from his home in Toronto's Kensington Market.

"I have a real nostalgia for the place - as does our guitarist Mike, who says he wants to move there."

Toronto seems an unlikely home for a Celtic-influenced bunch of avian-loving folk-rockers. But, insists Morgan, who moved to the buzzing lakeside metropolis from the Pacific coast a year and a half ago, it all makes perfect sense.

"There's a massive scene. I came for the music," he said.

"We are having some success though - which is mostly down to hard work, and the fact our sound is significantly different to anything else happening right now. It's completely new and different.

"I'm not coming out with any grandiose claims about making groundbreaking stuff, but lots of people say each of our songs is completely different and goes in different directions.

"It's because I write all the songs," he adds. "It's fairly intellectual stuff, and I pride myself on that.

"I like to write about a broad spectrum of topics. I studied political science and history...so I'm the guy writing about social issues.

"I was always proud of the fact I don't write about girls and break-ups, and hadn't turned into a sappy baby. But then I had a really nasty break-up with my girlfriend which made me into that guy writing about his feelings. That was a temporary blip - but it led to my best lyrical songs... even if they were a bit sappy. Even on the darker songs there's an underlying message of optimism and stuff to make people move."

Birds of Wales play the Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Cowley, at 8pm on Monday. Tickets are £4.