You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who enjoys being in a band more than Brisbane pop-punk crew Beddy Rays. The band’s four members are all qualified tradespeople, but writing songs and going on tour are their true passions.

With the new single “Hold On” released in June, Beddy Rays will head out on an extensive metro and regional tour this August and September. The “Schooner or Later” tour is set to visit all states and territories except for the ACT, wrapping up with a major hometown show at The Triffid.

“Hold On” is Beddy Rays’ second single of 2024 and the fifth single released since the band’s self-titled debut album dropped in July 2022. There’s more music to come, we’re told, but for now, vocalist Jackson “Jacko” Van Issum and guitarist Lewis “Lewy” McKenna tell us about their love of touring, their growth as songwriters, and their favourite regional rest area.

Check Check: You were on the Splendour lineup. How disappointing was it for you that the festival got cancelled?

Lewis McKenna: That’s been a lifelong dream for us, to play Splendour. We’ve pretty much been every year since about 2015. And to be on the other side of the fence would be just amazing.

Obviously it was a big deal to us to lose out on that opportunity, but, like, it’s more the music industry as a whole – it is a scary time at the moment, music festivals getting cancelled left, right and centre. But I really hope that absence makes the heart grow fonder and we come back with a big influx of festivals and everyone buys tickets.

What are some of your favourite Splendour memories? 

Jackson Van Issum: We used to bring our gear and play in the campgrounds, back probably like ten years ago. We used to sit on top of people’s RVs and play to the campground. And then this year was the year that we were gonna actually be on the bill. It was going to be a special moment, but bigger things are going to come.

You’ve released a bunch of singles since Beddy Rays came out two years ago. Did you just keep writing after that album was released?

Jacko: One hundred per cent. I’m always writing songs. So, we just started writing straight away.

Did you have any big ideas about where you wanted to go next, musically or thematically?

Jacko: We just did what came naturally to us, which is write how we’ve always written. You can tell the songwriting has gotten better and it’s the next level up, but it was not really intended. It’s just something that’s growing.

The tour is called “Schooner or Later.” You’ve written songs like “Sobercoaster” that celebrate having a drink with friends and posed in press pictures holding longnecks of beer. Are you worried about creating the impression you endorse binge drinking?

Jacko: It’s just enjoying a beer. We’re a hard-working band. We’re all tradesmen. But it’s like, just enjoy a beer.

Have you encountered fans at your shows who come expecting Beddy Rays to be big party animals? 

Jacko: The people that come to the show, they’ll be on their own journey and they can do whatever they want. People have a good time at our shows and that’s the main thing. We always make sure it’s a safe environment and look after everyone. It’s always been a good time.

The tour includes a bunch of regional dates. Is it important for you to get out of the east coast cities and see other parts of the country?

Lewy: Definitely. It’s always a different experience going out to the regional spots. You’re playing in quite different venues and you get to see really nice parts of the country that aren’t so hustle bustle.

Especially the North Queensland leg, we love doing that. We love stopping into Airlie Beach on the way up and having a feed at Cape Gloucester.

Jacko: We stop there every time and have a beer.

What do you have to eat?

Lewy: Seafood, normally.

Jacko: Just go all-out. Put it on the band card. Fuck it. When we’re up there as well hopefully we can catch a Cowboys game. We’re North Queensland Cowboys fans.

Lewy: We’ve done that before. Last time we played Townsville, we were like, “Far out, we could probably squeeze in this game.” So, we went to this game and it was such a tight game, it went into extra time. And we were like, “We’ve gotta go and play.” So, we were walking back into the venue, watching the game on our phone, and we’d hear the crowd go off.

Jacko: Then right as we start playing, a bunch of rowdy Cowboys supporters – so, obviously Beddys fans – came in and threw jerseys on the stage and shit. It was funny as.

Lewy: And they started singing the Cowboys victory song. It was a good time.

Does being on the road suit your personalities? Do you feel comfortable with that lifestyle? 

Jacko: One hundred per cent. We’re a live band. We’re not really into the waiting around thing. We want to be busy.

Lewy: We feel a lot more at home on the road. When we finish these tours and we have a bit of a lull or whatever, it’s like, What the hell is happening? You kind of forget that you’re this band and you do all these hectic things. When it slows down it just feels like we need to get back on the road again.

Jacko: Yeah, I don’t want to fix fridges anymore. I want to go and play music.

Are you able to leave thoughts of your Monday-Friday lives behind and just focus on the shows and the experience of being on tour?

Jacko: At the start, we were all apprentices and we just said to each other, “Let’s just finish our apprenticeships and we can do a bit more hardcore touring.” We’ve got a level head on us, we know that this music probably won’t make us much money in the future, so we’ve got our trades there to back us up.

But we finished the trades and now we all work part-time or casually. Our bosses are pretty rad and they let us do our own things.

You say you’ve got a level head and don’t expect the band to make you rich, but do you also hope to make Beddy Rays a full-time thing? 

Jacko. Yep. That’s the plan.

Beddy Rays “Schooner or Later” 2024 Australian tour

Thursday 8 August – Seabreeze, Yuwibara Land, Mackay QLD
Friday 9 August – Magnums, Ngaro Land, Airlie Beach QLD
Saturday 10 August – Tanks Arts Centre, Yirrganydji/Cairns QLD
Thursday 15 August – Croxton Bandroom, Naarm/Melbourne VIC
Saturday 24 August – Darwin Railway Club, Larrakia Country, Darwin NT
Friday 30 August – Oxford Art Factory, Gadigal Land, Sydney NSW
Thursday 5 September – The River, Wadandi Boodja Country, Margaret River WA
Friday 6 September – Rosemount Hotel, Whadjuk Noongar Land, Perth WA
Saturday 7 September – Lion Arts Factory, Kaurna Land, Adelaide SA
Friday 13 September – Royal Oak, Palawa Country, Launceston TAS
Saturday 14 September – Altar, Muwinina Country, Hobart TAS
Saturday 21 September – The Triffid, Turrbal Land, Brisbane QLD

Tickets on sale now via Handsome Tours

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