Shock Radio interviews Walt Disco!

Glasgow has a long and celebrated history of producing distinctive musical talent, from the post-punk experimentation of the 1980’s to the indie-pop movements that have influenced generations of musicians. Among the city’s most exciting modern musical exports is Walt Disco, a band whose flamboyant image, theatrical performances and genre-defying sound have helped establish them as one of Scotland's most distinctive contemporary acts.

Walt Disco was founded by vocalist Jocelyn Si, who was initially studying to become a marine biologist. “Everyone was like ‘you’re the indie kid, you play guitar, that’s what you’re good at’, I kind of felt actually peer pressure to go the other way weirdly because all my friends were really clever so I was like, ‘I’m going to do science, I’m going to be a marine biologist’”. Upon starting university, the band started out practicing in their on-campus facilities, with their early musical influences being artists such as Marc Demarco, Tame Impala, Joy division and other artists who blurred the boundaries between music and performance.

Like many Glasgow bands, Walt Disco grew through the city’s grassroots venues, student events and independent music community, however, there was something immediately different about their approach. As opposed to following the understated aesthetic associated with much contemporary indie music, they embraced glamour, theatricality and almost larger than life stage presence. “We were trying to be experimental within songs that we feel could be catchy or fill a room”, we were told upon speaking with Jocelyn, “we imagine these songs in bigger rooms.”

Walt Disco’s early releases established their reputation as exciting prospects within the Scottish Alternative music scene. Their 2020 EP Young Hard and Handsome, introduced listeners to their combination of energetic post-punk rhythms, pop melodies and flamboyant glam-rock influences.

The EP presented a band comfortable with experimentation who were unwilling to restrict themselves to a single genre; “I say it’s like rock music, there’s some electronics, slightly experimental sometimes, a press package would say alt rock and there’s a bit of art rock stuck in there.” Tracks such as Hey Boy (You’re One of Us) helped introduce their personality to a wider audience, with there being a sense of inclusivity and celebration running through their music and an emphasis on individuality and finding confidence in being different. We also asked about the bands most recent self-titled album; “Look out for me I feel, is the best song I’ve written. I really love the emotion in My Body’s Still Mine, Wonderland and I love them. The size of those tracks and the instrumentation, it’s just very my taste and my taste in writing and I said a lot of stuff that I wanted to say that I felt like I couldn’t say in real life at the time, so those three tracks really mean a lot to me.”.

Walt Disco’s career has been defined by evolution. From their early glam-inspired recordings to the ambitious production of Unlearning, the orchestral experimentation of The Warping and the more guitar driven confidence of their 2026 self-titled album, they have consistently refused to stand still. Their recently released self-titled album continues to explore themes of identity, changing relationships, self-doubt and personal growth, however, there is also a greater sense of acceptance and confidence running through the material. For a band that has spent so much time embracing change, the album feels like an opportunity to bring together everything that they have learned. As a band, evolve is “all we’ve ever really done” Jocelyn has told us, “if I had to use a buzzword to describe the band it is that, and we’ve evolved to something that is now satisfying to us and the way we’re making sounds with guitars in the room but also using the electronics that has interested us adds a sprinkle on top of that, it’s really satisfying to us to make another record with a similar ethos which we’ve never really done. Every time we’ve made a record before we’ve ripped up the rulebook and the style of delivering it.”

With three albums behind them and an ever developing musical identity, Walt Dosco have established themselves as far more than another promising Scottish indie band. They are ambitious, unpredictable and an original music force, and they are only just getting started.

By Esme Broxton