OFF THE GRID WITH KLOZER

INTERVIEW | KLOZER by Anne Kelly

This month, Glasgow‘s most exciting new music spectacle is set to take the city by storm as B12 Entertainment presents Off The Grid. A live series that brings 50 rising bands from across the Central Belt to some of Glasgow’s most iconic grassroots venues.

One of the first of 12 unique Off The Grid line-ups to take place across the city will be on Friday 28th August at Ivory Blacks, hosting Modern Ruin, In Reflection, One Nine Eight and Glagsow based indie risers Klozer. We caught up with the band to chat about their experience of the local scene, Off The Grid, plus a deep dive into their latest single ‘The Line’.

Nice to meet you, Klozer! Can you start by introducing yourselves – who makes up the band, where are you based, and how long have you been together?

We are based in Glasgow and have been together for about a year and a half now. The line-up consists of frontman Ethan, rhythm guitarist Jake, lead guitarist Chris, drummer Ethan Mac, and on bass, Finlay.

Which three musical influences have shaped your identity the most?

The Stone Roses, Sam Fender and Oasis.

Earlier this year you dropped ‘The Line’ exclusively on SoundCloud – what inspired the track, and what’s the story behind it?

‘The Line’ tells the story of first love, inspired by the moment of seeing someone for the very first time and instantly feeling like your lives were meant to cross. Written in the aftermath of a breakup, the song captures the conflict between heartbreak and hope, holding onto the belief that some connections are too strong to simply disappear. Rather than looking back with regret, it reflects on the feeling that even after everything falls apart, some people never truly leave your story.

At its heart, the song is influenced by the idea of the invisible string—the belief that two people can be tied together by an unseen thread that stretches no matter how far apart life takes them, always carrying the possibility that they’ll find their way back to one another. That idea runs beneath every lyric, balancing the pain of letting go with the quiet optimism that some relationships are meant to come full circle.

Musically, ‘The Line’ deliberately contrasts its emotional weight with an uplifting, indie-rock energy. While the lyrics explore longing, loss and unanswered questions, the guitars, driving rhythms and anthemic choruses give the song a sense of movement and hope.

Inspired by bands like The Snuts and The Royston Club, it’s the kind of track that feels equally at home in a packed-out venue, where a crowd can sing every word, or in a quiet moment when the meaning behind those words really sinks in.

Looking ahead, are you heading back into the studio soon, or are there new releases on the horizon?

New material is currently being written and recorded, but we’ll not give too much away. However, we’re continuing to build our momentum and are focused on expanding our reach through support slots, festival appearances and headline shows across Scotland and beyond.

Events like Off The Grid are all about music discovery. Has there ever been a gig where you went in blind and walked away with a new favourite band?

Just recently, we attended TRNSMT Festival on the Saturday, and while waiting to see Keo, we discovered a band we had only heard of but not seen. It was Madra Salach; we found their songs extremely captivating, and a different type of energy was felt. This led us to latch onto them, and they’re now a consistent listen for all of us. 

For your upcoming gig at Ivory Blacks, what can gig-goers expect from the live set?

While not giving too much away, fans can expect a mostly original set with a cover added in that we’ve been working on, giving it our own spin and Klozer style. But of course, fans can expect the raw energy and driving guitar rhythms that will force you to remember us. 

What’s the most challenging part of playing live that the average person never sees behind the scenes?

The most challenging part we’ve found as a band is trying to adjust to the sound on stage, with monitors and sounding not always being perfect. It might sound good out front, but to us, we’ve found ourselves at some venues just completely winging it and practically hearing nothing. This can be a challenge as a band for many reasons that the fans out front may not understand.

Every band has a live disaster story – what’s the biggest blunder or mishap you’ve had to survive on stage?

We had a support slot at Poetry Club, and at the beginning of the gig we had our intro planned out for the lead singer (Ethan) to start with a greeting after a short interlude. As Ethan moved towards the mic to say his piece, turns out the mic wasn’t even turned on yet, and there was a short silence. Tad embarrassing, but the show went on. Luckily the band improvised well and we kicked straight into song despite this mishap.

Furthermore, during that first song, our bassist’s pedalboard malfunctioned and kicked into a setting that drowned out the rest of the full band’s sound. It only lasted a brief moment and was barely noticed by the fans out front. However, for us it was a disaster on stage, which could be seen as a learning curve; the show must go on! And we certainly learned it that night. 

Looking across the wider Off The Grid lineup, if you were to buy a ticket to check out any other show on the bill, who are you going to see?

If we had to attend an Off The Grid gig, we would attend Drygate on the 18th September. We attended The Rooks headline at the tail end of last year, and The Rants were supporting. We enjoyed their set and it would be appealing for us to see them again! 

Klozer will perform at Ivory Blacks on Friday 28th August alongside Modern Ruin, One Nine Eight and In Reflection. Tickets are on sale now for a mere £12 (+ £1 booking fee) from B12 Entertainment.