Artist On Artist Interview: Beddy Rays and Tones and I

To celebrate the release of their debut album, we got Beddy Rays’ good mate Tones and I to ask them 10 questions about their lives and music.

The rock band first met the ‘Dance Monkey’ star back in her Byron busking days, and they’ve remained firm friends ever since. When Tones launched her single ‘Johnny Run Away’, she asked Beddy to perform at the warehouse launch party in Byron.

Fast forward several years and it’s been a big week for both artists. After months of wild speculation, Tones’ huge collaboration with Macklemore finally dropped last Friday. Titled ‘Chant’, the track was the singer-songwriter’s second single of the year following ‘Eyes Don’t Lie’, while it was Macklemore’s first release since 2021.

And today, Beddy released their long-awaited self-titled debut album. Produced by the band alongside Brock Weston, it features well-received singles like ‘Week on Repeat’ and ‘Sobercoaster’.

“When we started a band many years ago as young whipper snappers in Reddy Bay all we wanted to do was play gigs, sink tins and chat to all the legends we’d meet along the way,” the band says about the album. “Now we have our very own album firmly in our grip, and to say we’re excited is a major understatement.

“We decided to go with a self-titled album for our debut because we believe this album IS Beddy Rays through-and-through. It’s honest, raw and nothing other than what we’re all about… mateship, Reddy Bay, good times and beers, but also the importance of looking after yourself and checking in with ya mates.”

You can read the chat between Tones and I and Beddy Rays below. If you want to see Beddy play their debut album live, they’ll be touring Australia throughout August and September, with support provided by TOWNS and Bakers Eddy (more information here).

Beddy Rays’ debut album is out now.

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Who is the first to get kicked out of the pub?

Probably Jacko. One time he got kicked out of the Royal Exchange in Brisbane for enjoying himself too much. He decided his night wasn’t over so he proceeded to climb the back fence ending up on the roof. He was then spotted by the chef in the kitchen. After the chef didn’t accept Jackos $20 bribe, security spotted him and came bounding over. You can guess what happened next.

What is the weirdest rider you’ve ever had?

On a regional tour of Queensland, we made our way to the beautiful Townsville. We were given crocodile pies on our rider which felt like a rite of passage into the tropical north. We were weirded out but eager to give it a crack. We can confirm that they are the chicken of the sea!

Who were your biggest influences growing up?

Green Day, The Offspring, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Blink-182 are all the classics of our era. We would all swap these band’s CDs and tell each other what our favourite songs off the albums were and debate the lyrics. This would lead us into proving each other wrong by whipping out the lyric books.

Who are your biggest influences now?

We’ve been loving Catfish & The Bottlemen for the insane wall of sound they throw at you in their live set. Violent Soho are another huge influence for us. The way that they have shown where their roots lie has made a large impact on us. The fact that they started as four mates jamming in a room to becoming a classic Aussie powerhouse of our time has played a huge part in our introduction into Australia’s live music scene we know and love today.

Check out ‘Sort It Out’ (Live) by Beddy Rays:

If you had to choose one, would it be Nutella or Vegemite?

Vegemite because it’ll always be lingering in the fridge when the paycheck hasn’t cleared.

Is there an artist’s song that you wish you wrote?

‘Let It Be’ by the Beatles is an all time classic. The lyrics are powerful, the chord progression is clever and hits the right notes at the right time. The harmonies would stand the hairs up on a hairless cat! It’s perfect in every way and can be easily loved by all!

Who would your dream collaboration be with?

Tenacious D. We all grew up watching Jack Black, love his humour, his songwriting, and absolutely love his voice. He’s an underrated vocal guru and always has us in stitches. They would be great to team up with!

What is something that you would all agree on and something that you would all disagree on?

I think we would all agree that the correct pronunciation for a Chicken Parmigiana is ‘Parmy’ not ‘Parma’. I think we would all disagree with who has packed up the most gear before and after gigs.

What has been your stand-out gig?

We’d have to say Riverstage 2021 with Brisbane lords Violent Soho. Having watched some of our favourite acts here over the years, we never imagined ourselves on the other side of the barrier. The nerves were high, the crowd was huge, and it was bloody loud! So many dreams came true that night and we were so grateful for the opportunity! People still come up to us and tell us that was where they discovered us.

Who would your dream gig be with?

It would have to be Green Day. We grew up blasting their music any and every chance we had. Their catchy songs can be loved by all, and their live show is insane! Billy Jo’s witty Lyrics, Mike Dirnt’s punchy baselines, and Tre Cool’s tasteful drumming is what got us hooked! Our mind would be blown to pieces if we ever had the chance to play with them!