Beans on Toast talks Survival of The Friendliest and how Covid has helped shape his positive outlook, ahead of Wedgewood Rooms gig | Interview

Never afraid to shy away from politics or difficult cultural matters, he would tackle them with his trademark wit and wry lyrics.

But he has also developed a real emotional depth as his fans have seen him fall in love, get married and become a father – all portrayed in song.

Jay McAllister, to give him his real name, has long since outgrown the jokey ‘drunk folk’ tag of his early days and over the course of 14 albums he has explored a wide array of styles.

As is his routine, latest album, Survival of The Friendliest was released on December 1 last year. Jay has put out an album on his birthday each year since 2009. The only exception was 2020, when he put out two at once instead.

Whereas 2020’s The Unforeseeable Future tackled the major issues of the day head-on – from the pandemic to political incompetence and the Black Lives Matter movement – Survival of The Friendliest is a very different reaction to the world we live in.

‘It's the most optimistic album I've ever made,’ says Jay. ‘I still don't really know why that was my reaction the chaos.

‘I think it was kind of testament to having a creative outlet. I wrote an album about Covid – I'd already covered that and the ongoing disasters that we face.

‘So when I sat down to write this one, even though it was about this time last year, right in the middle of the doom and gloom, I just couldn't be bothered to sing about it. No one wants to hear it!’

When Jay was able to do some socially distanced gigs in summer 2021, he made a conscious decision to be positive.

‘I walked on stage and thought, I'm not going to moan about anything. I'm not even going to moan about the Tories. I want a good time, people want to forget about all of that and just celebrate the things that are worth celebrating.

‘Those first shows kind of cemented it – that's what I want to do for this project.

‘So, what is left that we can celebrate? What is cool and beautiful and great? And let's write songs about that!’

And it’s prompted a bit of a sea change in his whole approach – for the moment at least.

‘The whole thing – the writing of the songs, the recording of the songs, and because we've done half the tour already, playing them live – I think I might just write happy songs from here-on out because it feels amazing!

‘The recording process was probably one of the best I've ever done. The nature of recording, you play the same songs over and over and over, but constantly saying all of this happy stuff, it was like a mantra.

‘When we finished it, everyone was like, wow, I feel like I've had a religious experience or something.’

Jay promised himself he wouldn't talk about Covid onstage, and doesn't play songs from Unforeseeable on this tour.

‘It was probably a case of feeling like I'd already said it, and what do I want to put out in to the world right now?

‘As well as the disease, there's too many opinions and loads of division, and I just couldn't be bothered to stick my oar into it.

‘I’ve never shied away from a political song, or telling people where I stand on current events, but I just wasn't feeling it.

‘The mountain of problems that lies ahead of us, we need to be strong in our hearts and minds before we can tackle that. I guess that was a bit of the vibe of it too: what are we fighting for?

‘When I come on stage, I say I'm not being naïve about what's going on in the world, but does everybody just want to forget about all of that for an hour and a half, and we'll celebrate the things worth celebrating? ‘And everybody is like: “Yeah!”’

To produce the new album Jay hit up an old friend – Blaine Harrison, the frontman of indie rockers Mystery Jets.

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‘I know Blaine from the hazy indie days of the early 2000s when I used to run indie nights in London. I always loved Blaine, loved the Mystery Jets, and we were mates – we partied together back in the day.

‘He just popped into my head when I was thinking about people I could work with. For the last few albums I've worked with musicians rather than producers, which seems to be a good set up for me.

‘I just churn out the same old three-chord folk songs, take them to a musician and be like: “Can you rewrite all of the music and I'll sing over the top of it?”’ he laughs.

‘I did that with Kitty, Daisy and Lewis for (2019’s) The Inevitable Trainwreck, and then Frank Turner for (2020’s other release) Knee Deep in Nostalgia.

‘With the output I have, every album needs to have a new angle and different sound to it. So when I'm looking for a producer, it's not just: “Can you record these songs?” It's more like: “I want to rob some of your personality..!”

‘When you offer it to people like that, I've found that everybody I've asked has leapt at it. It's a great project for a brilliant musician – the songs are written, they're super-simple, there's a million paths you could go down with the songs I write. So Blaine popped into my head and I was wondering, is he still on the same phone number..?

‘What have I got to lose? So I called him and left him a rambling voice note about how we haven't seen each other for ages, but... blah de blah de blah, do you fancy doing a record?’

Blaine leapt at the chance, and brought his bandmate Jack Flanagan with him for the project.

Given that his 2020 albums were recorded largely in isolation because of Covid restrictions, with music sent back-and-forth online, Jay was determined this one would be ‘a human record.’

‘Everyone needs to be in the studio making the record together. I said I wanted to do it in Kent because I'd recently moved there, so I booked this place called Big Jelly Studios in Ramsgate.

‘Blaine and I pieced together a band of people we thought would be good for the record, and all of the musicians I had in my head were available.

‘We did a week's worth of work just me, Jack and Blaine at my house, and then we went into the studio the following week.’

For the tour, Jay’s band is a trio completed by Jack and Kitty Liv. One third of Kitty, Daisy and Lewis, Kitty will also be the opening act.

‘She's absolutely amazing – one of the most soulful musicians. I've known her for along time. When I used to book shows at (music venue) Nambucca in north London, Kitty, Daisy and Lewis were one of the first bands I put on there and Kitty was nine years old at the time.

‘I knew her dad quite well – they had this family band. She was nine and she was the best harmonica player I'd ever seen, and she still is.

‘We've remained friends throughout.’

‘She's launching her solo career, so when it came to piecing the band together, I asked her if she wanted to join the tour as support? And then, if you're on the tour, would you be up for playing in the band...?

‘Jack and Kitty are both multi-instrumentalists and they switch between bass and guitar, we've got a stomp box, and it's cool.

‘And they're both really young. The tour we just did, it's like, I'm in my 40s now and I'm touring with people in their 20s. It's like,’ he hollers: ‘Never getting old!’

‘I thought, am I going to be able to keep up? But I've still got it! We went out every night. I surprised myself on that last run.

‘Portsmouth is right at the start of this leg, so you guys have go nothing to worry about, there won't be a hangover in sight.’

No Beans album these days would be complete without something for his wife Lizzy, and this time it’s called Let's Get Married Again.

‘Of course, it wouldn't be a Beans on Toast album without one! To be honest, that song's turned into a bit of a thorn in my side,’ he laughs. ‘After I wrote it, I was like, we've got to be true to the song, and we should get married again. Maybe we could turn it into a music video...

‘So I got the venue and I've been telling everyone, and whenever I play it I say we're going to get married again, who wants to come to the wedding? There's a big long list of people who keep emailing me about it now.

‘The truth is, I don't know when it's going to be able to happen. It was supposed to be in January, but then things got a bit dicey (with Covid).

‘I also think it's a bit rubbish, in the year when no one's been able to have their wedding for me to be like: “I'm having another one just for the hell of it!” I feel like it might be pushing it. But at some point Lizzy and I will honour the song.’

Beans on Toast is at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea on Tuesday, February 22. Go to wedgewood-rooms.co.uk.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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