Photo by @bymarisvza
Glasgow newcomers San Jose are a sextet of post-punk intentions, their unique sound and lightning performances seeing them open for the likes of Gallus, Courting, Hotel Lux and sell-out King Tuts. With unquestionably rising stock and a clear artistic vision, they’ve quickly become one to watch.
Their latest single is a six-and-a-half-minute epic, an unstoppable train of soundscapes that never seems to run out of new instruments or ways to use them. ‘Dirty Linen’ is transfixing, letting the lyrics explain the picture as the instrumentation rapidly tries to paint it. The orchestration rises and falls, embracing a chaotic nature leaving the vocals to complete their thoughtful and vast societal commentary. The ups and downs, the anger and the moments of taking a breath all bring a heated conversation to life.
The band share the story of the single, “The song stems from a conversation with a bigot. We spoke about purity and race. Eventually, the bigot returned to the empty glass in front of him, and I went home.
But born was the idea that no one is truly “pure”. We are all from somewhere, a rehash of a rehash of a rehash. We have all been through the washing machine and tumble dryer and we all will return there again. That bigot will be reborn, in his mind “stained” by the marvels of multiculturalism and immigration, but in my mind he has been fulfilled, like a colouring-in page receiving its last crayon mark. We are what surrounds us, and if anyone considers it ‘dirty’ then let it be so. We’d all rather play in the “mud”, than let our clothes keep us captive.
Check out the single here…
