Hope and glory for Scottish stars of ska
SCOTLAND’S premier ska outfit, Esperanza, have unleashed their second studio album, Back On Hope Street.
The ska scene is thriving and the Glasgow-based band – who were playing in The Clutha bar the night a police helicopter crashed through the pub’s roof – have a fanatical following.
They regularly play alongside some of the most famous names in ska including Toots and the Maytals, Bad Manners, The Selecter and The Beat as well as headlining their own shows.
Back On Hope Street is out on February 19. A launch-night on February 13 will feature some of the best young acts and a matinee performance for younger fans.
It will take place in the city’s St Luke’s venue, a stone’s throw from the Barrowland Ballroom.
The album was recorded in Cumbernauld over four months following the release of a single last year. It comes after the band’s stellar appearance at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Commonwealth games.
The constantly evolving nine-piece’s newest and youngest member is Reagin Low don ,23, a trumpeter from Motherwell.
Drummer Jason Good, a founding member and songwriter, says: ‘The new album was a natural progression from the debut album. We took our time recording it but due to a couple of band members leaving, our line-up was affected briefly.
‘It’s an issue with a large band, situations change, people leave and recently two members have come back and re-joined us after circumstances changed again.’
Back on Hope Street features references to many of the band’s old Glasgow haunts. One Man Down, a crowd favourite, is released as a single on February 19.
The band embark on a spring tour and will cover many summer festivals in and around the UK and Europe.