The Next Chapter: Clyde Built Radio

5 Minute Read

Music

Written by Alasdair King

The Glasgow based community driven radio station needs help to persevere and grow as founders Andrew and Claudia reflect.

Glasgow has always been a city with a fierce musical reputation. Someone once joked that the reason the city was so prolific musically was because of the weather – the sheer amount of rain drove people to distraction indoors, music being the outlet of choice. Bands have come and gone, so too have the venues and clubs which made the city a stronghold for creative expression.

However, more recently things have been tough. Cities up and down the country have been losing creative spaces due to lack of funds and resources, venues are closing and community driven spaces are struggling beneath the strain of economic and social pressures. Glasgow is no exception…

Clyde Built Radio was founded by Andrew Thomson and Claudia Vasiliu in 2020. A tiny studio was opened in the midst of the Barras Market, an East End staple of the city which has long been known for its resilience and working class integrity. Situated amidst bootleg merchandise stalls, micro-galleries and locals punting knock off DVD’s, the space is iconic and a real representation of the grit and determination of a city and a people who work hard for one another.

The station was founded as a labour of love, a platform to give back to the wider Glasgow music and creative scenes, offering those who might not otherwise have had a chance to learn more about radio and broadcast the music and voices they love online. Since then the station has grown in prominence and has developed a close knit family and following.

However, as noted earlier, nothing this grassroots can exist without threat. Earlier this month saw the Clyde Built team announce a Crowdfunder dedicated to securing the future and longevity of the station and those who have built a hub around it.

Locals have rallied already but the station needs more support as Richard Chater of Rubadub & Numbers reflects:

“A little creative infrastructure goes a long way. At a time when access to music and culture is shrinking, Clyde Built gives people the chance to create with no barriers to entry. Like their Southside neighbours Radio Buena Vida, the station truly welcomes everyone, no matter what scene you are part of or even if you are part of none.

This city’s creative ecosystem, from online radio to record shops to nightclubs, cannot run on goodwill alone. Rent, rates, wages, bills and taxes all need to be paid.

If you can, consider skipping a latte and throw a little something into the Clydebuilt crowdfunder. And while you are at it, buy a record, grab a drink at your favourite club, and keep things moving.”

As Jonnie Wilkes of Optimo emphasises “Glasgow needs Clyde Built Radio, six years in now and your support is vital…”

Andrew and Claudia spoke to us about what the station means to them and shine a light on some of the people and voices who have found solace in the project.

⁠First of all, what does Clyde Built mean to you both individually?

“Clyde Built has been a huge part of our lives. It started as this DIY idea over the kitchen table and somehow became something we structure our weeks, our friendships, and our energy around. We didn’t really know what we were doing at first, we learned on the go, made mistakes in public, figured out how to fix things as they broke, and kept going because it felt important.

Running the station has taught me a lot about radio, about Glasgow, about how creative communities function, and about what it really takes to hold something together with limited resources. It’s pushed us, exhausted us at times, but also given us so much joy. It’s become a place where we get to see people grow, try new things, and find confidence, and that makes all the hard bits worth it. There’s a big mix of resilience, optimism, and stubbornness that goes into keeping something like this alive.” – Claudia

“There’s a few ways to answer, but one of the most played songs on the station – if not the most – is Pigs by Robert Wyatt. To me that sums up a lot of what the station represents. Musicality, somewhat DIY. Not 4/4. Not the most obvious but not crazy obscure. Weird but accessible. Funny and friendly. I think you could apply some of these to the station more broadly and the approach we’ve adopted. We’re just as defined by the things we’re not.

Glasgow has a reputation for being a party city and there’s plenty of that side represented on the station too, but there’s something quite intimate and personal about this particular song that makes me feel like we tapped into a certain frequency of music lover who is drawn to what we do.” – Andrew

What value do you feel that it brings to the city and the community around it?

“Glasgow has so much talent, but not always enough platforms to support it. CBR gives people somewhere to start, to experiment and to connect. It’s not about being polished or perfect it’s about giving people a chance to try something and feel supported while they do it. A lot of friendships, collaborations and opportunities have started through the station. You see people who might never have met otherwise suddenly working together or cheering each other on. We’re in a time when so many cultural spaces are disappearing or becoming inaccessible so having an open, independent platform like this genuinely matters. It keeps the creative energy of the city circulating and reminds people that they’re part of something that goes beyond the pressure of algorithms or commercial expectations.” – Claudia

“It gets boring mentioning the pandemic, but we started a few weeks before the first lockdown and as a result, we became quite aware of the benefits the station could bring in terms of giving people a sense of purpose and also helped people feel connected to music and each other. This sense of connection has continued amidst a crazy period of change in the world at large and lots of local change as well. Over time, we’ve tried to sustain a sense of balance as we navigate lots of interpersonal changes, stress and anxiety levels.We’ve welcomed new faces as they appear on the scene, reach out to old heads who are maybe less involved as they’d like to be, people have got ill, some have died, some moved away, then came back, there’s been break ups and make ups, new collaborations have started, relationships have formed, babies have been born. Real life stuff that can be messy and chaotic and we maybe hadn’t anticipated being part of our remit, but have grown to accept that it comes with the territory, if you value working with a range of people.” – Andrew

Given the current social climate where social media and short form content is most prevalent – what importance and value do you think radio brings?

“Radio is one of the few things left online that isn’t trying to rush you. It’s not about going viral or fighting for attention. It lets people breathe a bit. You can tune in and feel like you’re in the room with someone rather than just scrolling past them.

For DJs, it gives a different kind of freedom. You’re not worrying about likes or views, you’re building something slowly, hour by hour, over months and years. And for listeners, it creates a sense of community that’s harder to find on social media now. It’s a shared moment, even if you’re listening alone. Radio still has that magical ability to connect people in a very real way, and that feels important when everything else is getting faster and more fragmented.” – Claudia

“Back in 2019, everyone was running away from the notion of institutional gatekeepers which were to be replaced by a more democratic system. That has clearly benefited just as small a handful of people as before, causing a lot of frustration for everyone else. This time around, we are on these gamified platforms that pit us against each other instead, creating an awful compare and despair culture. As a result, we’ve seen a growing desire for curation of any form.It took us a while to realise a lot of attention and energy was being taken away from the same artists we had in mind when we started the station. The music minded ones who aren’t very good at shouting about themselves, were getting drowned out in a world of constant self promotion.

I can only see this demand for a return to gatekeepers / curators (or whatever term you’d like to use) increasing in the digital age. We’re still human and even the best algorithm is no match for real life experiences and interactions. Yes, you don’t need a label, record shop or label to ‘make it’, whatever that might mean, but it’s a pretty bleak existence and I think the promoters, record shops, venues and radio stations who keep going, will serve a greater value as they provide context to the content and separate the special from the slop.

Additionally, we’ve felt the effects of what being online can have on an individual. There’s a huge fear of failure and an understandable sense of perfectionism. People are worried about looking bad online in some way and radio is actually a really great antidote to this, especially when it’s live. Mistakes can happen, you can say the wrong phrase on the mic and you learn to live with that. There will be another show, there will be another day. It helps you grow and develop as an artist and a person. Once you get the hang of that, you can experiment too and that’s even more rewarding.

From a listener perspective too, it’s great to hear people talk with a local accent and not that cheesy local radio one either. The human ear also picks up on imperfections and helps us feel more connected to whoever is doing the show. It’s refreshing from playlists.” – Andrew

“It took us a while to realise a lot of attention and energy was being taken away from the same artists we had in mind when we started the station. The music minded ones who aren’t very good at shouting about themselves, were getting drowned out in a world of constant self promotion.”

What is your most special Clyde Built moment?

“It’s really hard to pick just one, there have been so many moments over the years that make running CBR feel worthwhile. Some are small, personal things, like seeing new parents bring their babies into the studio, or spotting someone wearing our merch in Glasgow, or even abroad, and realising the station has reached further than we imagined. Others are more surreal, like chatting with Brian Eno in our little Barras studio about Scottish painters.” – Claudia

“It’s a bit of a blur to be honest, any of our events have always been a great way to meet people and hang out. Over this past year, we hosted some pop up events at the Crabshakk in the west end and I enjoyed these get togethers which were still radio focussed with people recording their shows in a makeshift studio and they were meeting with a big cross section of people who were passing by. We are used to this at the Barras, so it was cool to see the format working in another setting and reminded me about our earlier intentions. I also get a kick out of people being surprised at how small our studio is when they arrive. You can do a lot with a little.” – Andrew

What would you like for the future of the station to be?

“Ideally, the station can become stable enough to grow without constantly fighting to survive month to month. With a bit of security, we can finally open the door to more ideas, more people, and long-term projects that have been waiting in the wings for years.

We want CBR to be a space where more people can take ownership, where new energy and perspectives help shape the next chapter. We want to keep building links with other stations and communities. And we’d love to develop a new website that truly reflects everything that’s been created here, a place where listeners can easily discover, navigate, and revisit the work that’s come out of the station.” – Claudia
“We’ve always had more plans and ideas than resources have allowed us, but keeping going in some way or another feels the most important. Running the station is equally exhausting and energising. Financially we should have packed it in years ago, but I really believe that our original vision of the station is of greater value now and will be even more in the years ahead. It can be easy to feel defeated by the current state of the world, but I refuse to accept that we can give into a dystopian future of isolation. Seeing old pals, meeting new folk, being together is worth striving for.” – Andrew