Glasgow-based San Jose release their new single \u2018The Bastards\u2019 this week \u2013\u00a0the six-piece have no intention of tying themselves to any particular genre so it\u2019s impossible to guess what it will sound like.\u00a0\u00a0Lead singer Calum Grant shared the following insight with CLASH ahead of its release:\u00a0\u201c\u2019The Bastards\u2019 is a ballad about sovereignty. It\u2019s hard to write a song about anything else in today\u2019s climate. Everyday some creeping dark cloud over democracy grows, seemingly stronger and more opaque.\u201d <\/p>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019ve been trying to capture that cloud and distill that feeling for a while, and with \u2018The Bastards\u2019 we feel we\u2019ve come close. Being Scottish, it seems being politically discontent is part of our very being, our genealogy even. This feeling is building amongst us, and you can tangibly feel it \u2013 we hope that \u2018The Bastards\u2019 can be a light that shines upon that.\u00a0Sonically, as usual we pull inspiration from all over the place. Everything from Serge Gainsbourg to King Gizzard can be heard within \u2018The Bastards\u2019, it\u2019s a journey, tumultuous and eclectic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scotland is a hotbed for emerging artists right now, assisted by young independent promoters such as San Jose\u2019s management team Scottish Collective Management, who along with Crowded Flat co-founded Glasgow\u2019s Houseguest Fest.\u00a0San Jose believe that discontent is a huge motivator.\u00a0They continue:\u00a0\u201cPrior to Covid, most Glasgow bands sounded eerily similar, this was good for scene homogeneity, but it left quite a dull taste in the mouths of the different or the alternative. This has changed now.\u00a0The scene is vibrant and flowing, more and more bands are more unique and more confident in their craft.\u00a0Discontent is also a massive feeling nationally, a lot of bands feel cold-shouldered by their southern counterparts and in true Scottish fashion, we\u2019re all happy to work twice as hard to counteract London hegemony.\u201d<\/p>\n
San Jose have released four singles to date: \u2018Self Help\u2019, \u2018For Jim, I Loved You\u2019, \u2018Dirty Linen\u2019 and \u2018I\u2019ve Got You\u2019, each different from the one before.\u00a0It\u2019s intriguing to hear a band so early being adventurous with their sound.\u00a0\u00a0Calum expands: \u201cCreatively, we draw from anything and everything we can get our hands on. That\u2019s the beauty of contemporary art nowadays, we have more access now than ever before to deconstruct, add and replicate. Ultimately however, our main inspiration is engagement and spectacle. We want to create art that sits in the grey area between discomfort and acceptance, that\u2019s where something interesting resides, and we\u2019re committed to using all tools at our disposal to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having already conquered the iconic King Tuts Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow a couple of times, the latest being a raucous end of year hoolie in December, this is a band who thrives on the unpredictable possibilities of a live show.\u00a0Indeed this gig-goer still chuckles at the sight of Cean putting down his guitar for the final song, going into the crowd, and joining in the applause for the band at the end!\u00a0<\/p>\n
San Jose have quite rightly gained a passionate, loyal and enthusiastic support locally.\u00a0Their gigs can be chaotic affairs, and the band on occasion is expanded to include a brass section.\u00a0The most important thing for San Jose is \u201cconnection\u201d.\u00a0Recognising that punters are splashing the cash to pay for the gig, San Jose want to ensure the audience gets their money\u2019s worth.\u00a0\u201cWe think this is achieved with a pure connection with the audience and involvement. If we were aiming to play the tracks exactly the same live as they are on streaming platforms, we would encourage the audience to save themselves the \u00a313 and buy a chinese and listen to them at home. However, we\u2019re not, we want the audience to be the show. Engage in a pseudo-metamorphasis. Lose yourself to the show.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked if the band has any dream venues on their wish list, the response was simple \u201cthe unconventional\u201d.\u00a0Calum elaborates, sharing: \u201cWe would love to play on non-stages everywhere, gardens, monuments, fields, circuses, theatres and modes of transport. If we can be adaptable and dynamic, and take the show all over \u2013 we\u2019ll be content. If we were pushed for a conventional answer though, it\u2019d need to be the Barrowlands. We\u2019d love a huge stage set, multilevel, high flying acrobatics and trapeze, the whole shabang so to speak. Globally, though, you can\u2019t not say The Sphere in Las Vegas, a few crazy 3D simulations followed by a few financial failures at the casino next door.\u201d<\/p>\n
San Jose have just been announced as one of four artists selected for Wide Days Talent Development Programme which will see them perform at La Belle Angele in Edinburgh on April 30th.\u00a0It\u2019s a good start to 2026, as they also build on shows already played south of the border.\u00a0Brighton on March 28th for Garageland Promotions is already confirmed. San Jose\u00a0are keen to increase their release output too and already have another single ready to go following \u2018The Bastards\u2019.\u00a0There are plans to record a few times during the year, with the hope of a bigger project\/EP before the years end.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The final word has to go to San Jose:\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re aiming to break into mainland Europe also, with some exciting opportunities on the horizon. If we can imprint on the minds of the French or the Dutch we will be overjoyed. Overall, we hope we can continue to provide moments to remember, or forget (depending on Cean\u2019s level of nudity).\u201d<\/p>\n
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Words: Julia Mason<\/p>\n
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