One year since the war in Ukraine began and with the Doomsday clock closer to midnight than ever before, the UK folk singer returns with a timely protest song that needs little explanation.
As Beans says:
“Against the War is a protest song. It’s a song about peace written in a time of war. It wasn’t an easy song to write, but like everyone, the horrors of the Ukraine invasion have been at the forefront of my mind for the past year.”
From Neil Young to Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and countless more, the greatest folk artists have always used their voices to make a stand against conflict. Continuing in that tradition, the message from Beans on Toast couldn’t be plainer here, as he sings: “Peace is what I’m standing for and I’m Against the War”.
Available on Bandcamp as a “pay what you feel” release, all proceeds from the sales of “Against The War” will go directly to theCampaign for Nuclear Disarmament (C.N.D.). A limited edition T-shirt will also be available from 24 February, with 20% of profits additionally to be donated to the C.N.D.
The second of three new singles planned by Beans on Toast for the first quarter of 2023, it follows the warmly received “Back Out On The Road” – a song that heralded his extensive UK tour of the same name. 30 dates across England, Scotland and Wales, tickets for all remaining dates are on sale here. Details are below.
‘BACK OUT ON THE ROAD’ TOUR 2023
FEBRUARY
21 – COLCHESTER Arts Centre
22 – NORWICH Arts Centre
23 – CAMBRIDGE The Portland Arms – SOLD OUT
24 – MILTON KEYNES MK11
25 – NUNEATON Queens Hall
26 – LEICESTER The Sound House
28 – SHEFFIELD The Leadmill – SOLD OUT
MARCH
1 – BIRKENHEAD Future Yard
2 – NEWCASTLE The Cluny
3 – ABERDEEN Tunnels
4 – DUNDEE Beat Generator
5 – LANCASTER Kanteena
7 – MIDDLESBROUGH Westgarth Social
8 – YORK The Crescent
9 – LINCOLN The Drill
10 – MANCHESTER Band On The Wall
11 – LEEDS The Brudenell – SOLD OUT
12 – BIRMINGHAM Castle & Falcon
14 – CANTERBURY The Gulbenkian
15 – HASTINGS The Brass
16 – SOUTHAMPTON The Loft
17 – LISKEARD The Social
18 – FALMOUTH The Cornish Bank
19 – EXETER The Phoenix
20 – STROUD The Prince Albert
21 – BATH Moles
22 – SWANSEA The Bunkhouse
23 – BRISTOL Fleece
24 – READING Face Bar
25 – LONDON Lafayette
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).
Telling tales and playing tracks from across his extensive back catalogue, Beans on Toast will be “Back Out On The Road” for a huge UK tour this Spring. He has also confirmed that a new studio album is in the pipeline for 1st December 2023, which he has hinted will be back to “’classic Beans’, singing songs about the current state of the world around me and trying to make my opinions rhyme.”
