Beans On Toast (musician)

Beans On Toast
Beans on Toast at Knuckleheads Saloon in Kansas City, MO
Background information
Born (1980-12-01) 1 December 1980
Origin Essex, United Kingdom
Genres Folk, alternative rock, antifolk
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments Guitar, vocals
Labels Xtra Mile
Associated acts Billy Bragg, Frank Turner, Johnny Flynn, Laura Marling, Emmy the Great, Mumford and Sons, The Holloways and Skinny Lister
Website http://www.beansontoastmusic.com/

Beans On Toast is the stage name of British folk singer Jay McAllister from Braintree, Essex, who rose to prominence out of the UK folk scene in 2005. His songwriting openly deals with the topics of politics, drugs and love. Beans On Toast has released nine studio albums, traditionally releasing a new record each year on 1 December, McAllister's birthday.

Career

Jay McAllister was born on 1 December 1980.[1] Embarking on the folk music scene in 2005, Beans On Toast opened the Glastonbury Festival, and has done so every year since. He supported Kate Nash at London's Hammersmith Apollo in 2008, before releasing his debut 50-track double album Standing On A Chair in 2009.[2] Produced by Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons, it featured guest vocals by Emmy The Great, Frank Turner and members of The Holloways, amongst others.

Along with Ian Grimble, Beans On Toast produced 2010 follow-up Writing On The Wall. Both albums were well-received and gained positive reviews in the Sunday Times and the Mirror, alongside airplay on 6Music, XFM, and Radio 1 and 2. Later in the year, Beans On Toast played in the "Westway Round the UK Tour", the first national tour by Strummerville bands.[3]

Beans On Toast's third album, Trying to tell the Truth, was released in 2011 and produced by Frank Turner, with Beans On Toast going on to be the support act for Turner’s sold out Wembley Arena show in April 2012.[2]

A fourth studio album, Fishing for a Thank You, was released in 2012 with production work by Lee Smith and Jamie Lockhart.[4] During this period, Beans On Toast also headlined a sold-out Scala show in Kings Cross, London, which was captured and released as the Live at Scala album in 2013. Fifth album, Giving Everything, was released on 1 December 2013 and made it into the top ten of the iTunes’ Singer-Songwriter Charts.

In 2014, Beans On Toast performed to a crowd of over 100,000 in one week while opening Frank Turner’s UK stadium tour. In the same year, he embarked upon his first American tour, playing headline shows as well as several dates with Irish-American punk band Flogging Molly. A limited edition 10" was released in the UK entitled Best of Toast Pressed On A Vinyl for Record Store Day 2014 in April. This led to a sixth studio album, The Grand Scheme of Things, followed by a UK tour.

Throughout 2015, Beans On Toast toured the UK and US, as well as playing one-off shows in the Netherlands, Germany, and South America. He kicked off the year touring America before returning to the UK for an "Off the Road" tour, visiting smaller venues in the UK. Beans On Toast also toured during the festival season, appearing at YNOT Festival, Boomtown, and the Glastonbury Festival, amongst others. In mid-September, Jay followed long-time friend and producer Frank Turner on his headline tour of America. In December 2015, Beans On Toast released a seventh album, Rolling Up A Hill, recorded in Kansas with Truckstop Honeymoon.

In 2016 McAllister again completed his usual touring schedule, including North America, two UK tours, and a number of other shows worldwide. On his main UK tour in November/December McAllister had two main support acts, SkySmeed, an American country singer and Tensheds, a piano bashing duo. On 1 December, he released his 8th album A Spanner In The Works which was recorded over one weekend on a laptop, straying a way from a typical Beans on Toast album with no guitar being used.

On the 1st Decemember 2017, Beans on Toast released his 9th Studio Album ‘Cushty’ followed by his upcoming album “A Bird in the Hand” which marks Beans 10th Studio album, produced by Ben Lovett in London’s legendary Church Studios. The album focuses heavily on the birth of his newborn daughter, tackling family, love and the world on your front door step.

Discography

Studio albums

  • Standing On A Chair (1 December 2009)
  • Writing On The Wall (1 December 2010)
  • Trying To Tell The Truth (1 December 2011)
  • Fishing For A Thank You (1 December 2012)
  • Giving Everything (1 December 2013)
  • The Grand Scheme Of Things (1 December 2014)
  • Rolling Up The Hill (1 December 2015)
  • A Spanner In The Works (1 December 2016)
  • Cushty (1 December 2017)
  • A Bird in the Hand (1 December 2018)

Compilations

  • Rock Against Malaria (2009) Eunuch Records
  • Live at Scala (25 September 2013)
  • Best of Toast Pressed on Vinyl (19 April 2014)

References

  1. ↑ "Beans on Toast releases sixth studio album". Daily Gazette. 30 December 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2016. Beans on Toast releases his 6th studio album as has been tradition on his 34th Birthday.
  2. 1 2 Cullen, Clara (17 September 2012). "Interview: A Conversation with Beans on Toast". Huffington Post. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  3. ↑ Dingwall, John (8 October 2010). "Glasgow Calling: Bands Pay Tribute to Clash Star Strummer". The Daily Record. Glasgow. Retrieved 16 November 2016.  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required)
  4. ↑ Moore, John B. (2013). "Beans on Toast – Interview". Blurt. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
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