Glasgow theatrical post-punk poets San Jose share the looming new single ‘The Bastards‘. One of the most vital and uncompromising bands to emerge from Scotland’s underground in recent years, the six-piece have built a reputation for explosive live performances, genre-defying songwriting and a fearless rejection of convention. ‘The Bastards‘ sees San Jose distil that chaos into their most ambitious and politically charged statement to date.
Produced by Chris McCrory (Walt Disco, Catholic Action, Joy Hotel, Flat Party) and mastered by Felix Davis, ‘The Bastards’ is a sweeping, volatile track that interrogates power, sovereignty and identity against a backdrop of crumbling democracy. It is a work that moves fluidly between post-punk abrasion, krautrock repetition, folk melody and cabaret-like theatricality – always restless, always confrontational. Described by the band as “a ballad about sovereignty”, the track captures the unease of living under systems that feel increasingly hostile and immovable, through stark and visceral, lyricism pairing political disillusionment with moments of fragile beauty, as chants and swelling instrumentation give way to uneasy quiet.
Speaking about the single, the band shares:
“The Bastards is a ballad about sovereignty. It’s hard to write a song about anything else in today’s climate. Everyday some creeping dark cloud over democracy grows, seemingly stronger and more opaque. We’ve been trying to capture that cloud and distill that feeling for a while, and with The Bastards we feel we’ve 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 – we hope that The Bastards can be a light that shines upon that. As always, recording with Chris McCrory is a pleasure and a privilege. To have someone like Chris who knows when to keep us in line and when to let us run wild is a huge asset.”
Already tipped as one of Scotland’s most exciting new acts, San Jose have earned praise from CLASH, Dork, Backseat Mafia, Louder Than War, God Is In The TV, Glasgow World, The Scotsman and more. CLASH described the band as “a communal show of togetherness brought to life by a sprightly wall of sound and vocal ululations”.
Their live shows have become the stuff of local legend, incorporating performance art, mini-orchestral arrangements and surrealist set-pieces – selling out iconic Glasgow venues including King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut and Stereo, and sharing stages with Gallus, Courting, Rum Jungle and Soapbox. From crucified bear costumes to staged apocalypses, San Jose treats performance as ritual, blurring the line between audience and artist. San Jose’s commitment to creative freedom, often ignoring contemporary “music laws” entirely, has fostered a cult-like following and positioned them at the forefront of Scotland’s brewing musical underworld.
For more information on San Jose please check their instagram and tiktok.