Homegrown Showcase FT. Kai Reesu, GAÏA, Pippa Blundell + Sekoya

Sponsored by ESP Music Rentals.

Supported by The Scottish Government’s Expanded Festivals Fund through Creative Scotland.

SAY Award winners Kai Reesu are an emergent force on both the Scottish jazz and hiphop scenes . blending Boom Bap and R’n’B instrumentals – inspired in no small part by legendary producers such as Madlib and J Dilla ; along with polyrhythmic detail , odd time signatures , macabre jazz aesthetics and new wave electronic elements . a melting pot of underground hip-hop and jazz ; led by Paul Copeland on keys and centred around a core rhythm section with Matt Sim on drums and Robert McArthur on guitar and bass , they blend elements of psychedelia , grime and melancholic neo-classical piano into a foundation of old skool funk and progressive hip-hop , with thumping polyrhthms and rich horns . Their debut EP ‘Brake Even’ solidified their presence as a groove based ensemble . Their follow-up mixtape ‘KOMPROMAT VOL. i ‘ expanded the collaborative energy to include Los Angeles rapper Jurnalist featuring with the ensemble and tenor saxophone colossus Harry Weir (AKU! , corto.alto , Rebecca Vasmant Ensemble) .

GAÏA makes neo-soul straight from the source. She is a French singer-songwriter based in Glasgow, blending nu-jazz, R&B, and neo-soul. She began her artistic journey in Glasgow’s vibrant grassroots jazz scene—listening, learning, and developing her craft—eventually gaining recognition through local jam sessions and collaborations. Deeply influenced by Black music, GAÏA draws on her mixed heritage to create a genre-fluid sound rooted in soul, hip-hop, and R&B. Her songwriting explores identity, belonging, and self-expression, shaped by both personal experience and community.

Glasgow, Scotland is the gift that keeps on giving and Pippa Blundell is fast becoming one of its most captivating new voices. The rising singer-songwriter has already earned recognition from the Scottish Album of the Year Awards, Scottish Alternative Music awards and winner of the 2025 ‘rising star’ in the Scottish Jazz Awards. Their album was hailed 2025 album of the Year on BBC Radio Scotland’s ‘Roddy Hart’ show and this year they were invited to perform with the BBC SSO as for their Burns night 2026. Their music blends the intimacy of folk storytelling with ambient textures and a classical vocal edge, drawing comparisons to This Is the Kit and Jeff Buckley, with lyrics that navigate stillness, observation and life’s chaos. Following the success of their debut EP sisters (2023), Blundell released their acclaimed debut album common thread in 2025 via Bridge the Gap — a collection praised for its emotional honesty and poetic exploration of the many ways we love. She’s shared stages with the likes of Rachel Sermanni, Kaia Kater, corto.alto, Nubiyan Twist, and 10cc.

Sekoya is a contemporary jazz group whose music is rich yet simple with ever-flowing and evolving textures. They draw inspiration from a diverse range of musical influences, including European jazz, soul, minimal electronic, contemporary classical, folk, and Scottish trad. This unique blend of genres creates a genre-defying musical entanglement that is distinctly their own. The amalgamation of these three instrumentalists results in a singular sonic spirit, evoking a meditative, cinematic sound characterised by dynamic and interplay.