A SCOTTISH band have spoken of their surprise when they spotted their pro-independence song in the official UK charts.

Feet of Clay’s vocalist Johnpaul McMullen said it was “really unexpected” to have his song No Apologies reach number 83 in the charts. “We have just been promoting the song on Twitter and playing on local radio stations but we’ve had no national airplay,” he said. “We didn’t expect it to happen.”

Feet of Clay was formed 10 years ago and is signed to Button Up Records, which is run by Garry John Kane of the Proclaimers.

McMullen said he didn’t plan to write a political song, telling The National: “I write about whatever is bothering me. I didn’t set out to write anything political. You've got to apologise for supporting independence these days since we lost the referendum in 2014.”

The song’s music video, which has only had about 500 views, features scenes from various independence marches across Scotland with the lyrics “together we are one/I’m not ever apologising”. “You take and you take and you just can’t give” is sung over pictures of the royal family, statistics about lack of disability benefits and support for the homeless and the Tories controversial Covid contracts.

McMullen added: “The song is unapologetic as the lyrics say ‘take and take and won’t give’. We want to get rid of the Tories and have our own government.”

He says the band’s other members – Bif Brown, Brian Imrie, Craig Croal, Andy Kirkpatrick and Mick Mullen – also support independence.

McMullen continued: “We played a gig at Yes in the Park [a pro-independence event at Glasgow's Strathclyde Park] before 2014 so we always had our colours nailed to the mast.

“The meaning [of No Apologies] could bypass you if you didn’t know what the song was about. Everyone is now desperate for independence – I thought there was a big majority before the last referendum but it is definitely bigger now.”

McMullen said people don’t use the arts enough in Scotland to convey political messages, pointing to the Cool Britannia movement which coincided with the 1997 General Election where Tony Blair's New Labour government won in a landslide.

He added: “I don’t think enough people use the arts to convey political messages. When New Labour came in they used Oasis. I don’t think we do that in Scotland.”

McMullen advised Yes voters to avoid getting caught up in party politics, concluding: “I see a lot of people fighting about the SNP and Alba. We tell No voters independence is not a party thing but all of a sudden it’s about new parties. What matters most is that we all vote for independence.”