On 1st December 2023, Beans on Toast will return with an all-new studio album: ‘The Toothpaste and the Tube’. Pre-save here.
The latest Beans on Toast album hits hard and hits home. The cult folk artist takes centre stage, delivering unfiltered takes on the environment's dire straits, the UK political landscape, the ominous rhythm of war drums, and the impending AI revolution. But don't let the weighty topics fool you – this album also delves into the lighter side of life, with reflections on parenthood, whimsical creatures, and the sheer bliss of a sea dip. It's Beans on Toast cranked up to perfection, offering a dynamic blend of profound insights and pure, unadulterated enjoyment.
Leading the way today, Beans is pleased to present its first single “The Golden Lion”, a paean to the magic and mythologies to be unearthed in the institution that is the Great British pub. Based on a real public house and venue of the same name in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, Beans explains:
“The characters in the “The Golden Lion” are real people, as is the bizarre history of the town that the song alludes to. I played a show at the pub last year and was so inspired by the town, the pub and its people that I couldn't help but write a folk song about it. As with the town, the song is quintessentially English, mysterious and boozy.”
To celebrate the release of his new album on 1st December, Beans will be returning to Todmorden for a very special launch show at The Golden Lion itself, with the show one of 35 other dates he’ll be playing in an extensive UK tour throughout 2023/24. Full details below. See The Golden Lion featured in the official video here.
Beans’ upcoming album, ‘The Toothpaste and the Tube’, is indebted to that old adage that “you can’t put toothpaste back in the tube”. Once something is said or done, it cannot be unsaid or undone. Actions have consequences. And with humanity’s impact on the planet and reflections on our fragile existence looming large throughout his latest work, it couldn’t be more apposite. As Beans says:
“The title of this album refers to the line "You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube" which is a fancy pants way of saying - it is what it is, which feels right for this collection of songs. Some of them deal with problems we face as humanity, and some of them celebrate family life or the legacy of a good boozer. There are also songs about losing a loved one or the joy of swimming in the sea. It feels to me like this record covers a lot of ground and a lot of varied subject matter which is nice, kinda like an old skool Beans on Toast record.”
Written with Beans’ usual wit and warmth, its 13 songs were recorded with the sensational blues duo Ferris & Sylvester. Invited into their family home for a week, the trio got stuck into an album that reels through the characterful country blues of “Hope & Glory”, the playful skiffle-pop of “Dragicorn“, to the impactful eco-protest jam of “The Greenwash”. Elsewhere, drummer and organ playing extraordinaire Ross Gordon lends his talents to the team, most notably on the gospel-tinted grooves of “Back Out On The Road” and the powerful and touching “Send Me A Bird”. There’s even space for a Beans on Toast bagpipes debut, on a heartfelt tribute to “Sunny Sunny Scotland”.
“We had a ball in the studio” adds Beans, “and I think you can feel that when you listen to it. So, enjoy!”
Beans on Toast will release ‘The Toothpaste and the Tube’ on 1st December 2023, via BOT Music. Pre-save the album here. Anyone who pre-orders the album will get early access to tickets for Beans’ extensive UK tour, all of which will be on general sale from Friday 8th September. The full list of tour dates are below.
BEANS ON TOAST - ‘THE TOOTHPASTE AND THE TUBE’ TOUR 2023/24
NOVEMBER
- 22 TUNBRIDGE WELLS - The Forum
- 23 GUILDFORD - The Boileroom
- 24 BEDFORD - Esquires
- 25 STOWMARKET - The John Peel Centre
- 26 DERBY - Annie's Burger Shack
- 28 SCUNTHORPE - Cafe Indie
- 29 POCKLINGTON - Arts Centre
- 30 BLACKPOOL - Bootleg Social
DECEMBER
- 01 ** Album Launch Show ** - TODMORDEN - The Golden Lion
- 02 MOSSLEY - The Vale
- 03 SHREWSBURY - Albert's Shed
- 05 WORCESTER - St Swithuns Church
- 06 OXFORD - The Jericho Tavern
- 07 CARDIFF - The Globe
- 08 WESTON-S-MARE - Electric Banana
- 09 BIDEFORD - The Palladium
- 12 TRURO - The Old Bakery
- 13 TOTNES - The Barrel House Ballroom
- 14 BRIDPORT - The Electric Palace
- 15 ISLE OF WIGHT - Strings Bar & Venue
FEBRUARY
- 21 NEWCASTLE - Cluny
- 22 GLASGOW - Stereo
- 23 EDINBURGH - La Belle Angele
- 24 MANCHESTER - Band on the Wall
- 25 NOTTINGHAM - Rescue Rooms
- 27 SHEFFIELD - The Leadmill
- 28 LINCOLN - The Drill
- 29 BIRMINGHAM - Hare & Hounds
MARCH
- 01 LEEDS - Brudenell Social Club
- 02 BRISTOL - Thekla
- 03 EXETER - Phoenix
- 05 READING - Facebar
- 06 BRIGHTON - Chalk
- 07 PORTSMOUTH - The Wedgewood Rooms
- 08 MARGATE - Olbys
- 09 LONDON - The Garage
Since 2005, Beans on Toast has written simple songs about complicated subjects. Tackling the big issues of the day but doing so with his feet firmly on the ground, he’s become a people’s champ of the modern folk scene and amassed a huge back catalogue of songs in the process.
An unrepentant optimist whose songs celebrate all that is wonderful about the human spirit, his live shows are similarly uplifting and have taken him from SOLD OUT headline shows in the UK to the stages of major international festivals across the globe.
Releasing the critically acclaimed studio album ‘Survival of the Friendliest’ in 2021, the record proved a hit with fans and critics alike, with RNR Magazine championing the record as “rather special…The lyrics shimmer with Beans’ trademark of truth and humour”, whereas Louder Than War hailed it as "the perfect antidote to re-energise us all".
In December 2022, Beans turned his hand to a new challenge and released his debut children’s book series and accompanying recordings 'The Fascinating Adventures of Little Bee’ (out now). The project earned praise for its “sunny melodies with easy-to-remember lyrics” (The Big Issue) and was hailed as “a really lovely endeavour [that] follows in the footsteps of the likes of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger” (Americana UK).
As vital a voice in folk music today as when he started, in 2023 Beans on Toast delivered a speech for the Campaign of Nuclear Disarmament from Glastonbury’s iconic Pyramid Stage, played to packed out crowds across 30 festival shows to this Summer (including his own SOLD OUT Foolhardy Folk Festival), with upcoming tours of America and Australia a testament to his growing global fanbase. He releases his new album, ‘The Toothpaste and the Tube’, on 1st December 2023.