The Australian rockers talk chicken gizzards, making their album and how it feels to have their own beer
It’s currently a very hectic time for Brisbane-based punk-rock band Beddy Rays. Though, instead of reciting the same old album release spiels, the boys are currently chatting with me about the weird food they’ve been trying out lately.
“So far, the strangest thing I’ve eaten is chicken gizzard,” lead vocalist Jackson ‘Jacko’ Van Issum shares, recalling his recounting his trip to Japan. “It wasn’t that bad. It just tastes like chicken.”
“I don’t mind weird food either,” guitarist Lewis McKenna, or Lewy as they call him, adds with a laugh. “My Nan used to feed us dog log, and we turned out just fine.”
For a moment, I feel like part of the crew, laughing along at their offbeat humour. But that feeling quickly fades as I realise I need to get back to business. After all, these boys have an album to promote. Their sophomore record Do What You Wanna is set to drop on April 18, 2025.
Beddy Rays is made up of Jacko, Lewy, Bradley O’Connor, ‘Brad’, and Benjamin Wade ‘Benny’. Today, I’m speaking with two of the gang. Jackson’s dialling in from Tokyo, and Lewy’s in Tasmania. Despite the distance, there’s an undeniable sense of camaraderie in their voices, making it feel like we’re sitting at the pub together.
The new album, they explain, carries a theme that resonates deeply with the band’s core philosophy. “When you grow up, you’re told all these things you have to do: buy a house, get a normal job,” Jacko reflects. “But life’s not about the things you’re supposed to do.”
While many bands might feel the weight of expectation with a sophomore album, Beddy Rays are relaxed and confident. I shouldn’t be surprised, really. The band has built their name on a laid-back, do-what-you-want ethos.
“We’re pretty laid-back by nature,” Lewy says, speaking to the calm that guided the creation of Do What You Wanna. “There are a million things to worry about, but we know we’ve got a solid fan base that’s got our back. And we’ve got a killer album too.”
That easy-going attitude stems from a deep trust in the process and in each other. “We didn’t want to overthink it,” Jacko explains. “We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel. But we also didn’t want to play it safe either. We just wrote whatever came to us.”
The result is a record that feels both expansive and grounded. “Sonically, it’s bigger,” Jacko says. “And when we recorded it, we always thought about how it would sound live. We often imagine how the crowd would react to certain parts.”
It’s clear that the goal wasn’t just to make a record that sounded good to them, but one they were truly stoked on. “If you’re not writing something you’re stoked on, what’s the point?” Jacko asks, as though it’s the simplest truth in the world.
Lewy nods in agreement, adding, “It has to be passion-based. The music and the love have to come first. Really, you just have to do what you wanna.”
And that’s exactly what they did.
They pushed the boundaries of their sound with some surprising choices. “We didn’t use that many electric instruments,” Lewy says. “We actually used a glockenspiel. It just became super bouncy and dope.”
The process of creating music together feels natural for a band that’s been friends since day one. “One hundred percent,” Lewy says. “We hear the idea out, try it, and don’t just dismiss it. You’ve got to listen. When you’re trying to express something, you can’t just shut it down.”
For them, the recording process begins simply—with just Jacko and an acoustic guitar, along with their producer, Matty Cochran. “Then the boys come in, and we throw our flavours in,” Jacko explains. “When it’s time for the studio, that’s when the beers come out, and the creative juices flow. That’s when the song really becomes a Beddy’s song.”
Interestingly, the band has even created their own beer—a natural extension of their laid-back vibe. When I ask about it, Lewy jokes, “It tastes like Jacko’s armpit sweat,” before Jacko laughs and reassures me, “Nah, it’s a really good beer.”
Musically, the album is multifaceted. “Some of the choruses on this album are bigger,” Jacko notes. “There’s a song called ‘Pocket Rocket,’ and it’s the most fun, punky song. I feel sorry for Benny on the drums—it’s a pocket rocket!”
But there’s depth to the record too. Take “Vices,” the slowest song Beddy Rays have ever written. In stark contrast to the rest of the album, the song tackles heavy themes of drug addiction and loss, reflecting the band’s willingness to explore a range of emotions.
In classic Beddy Rays fashion, though, they don’t take it all that seriously.
“My manager always asks me before press things, like, ‘What’s this song about?’” Jacko says with a grin. “And I usually have no fucking clue. I just write, and whatever comes out, comes out.”
And what’s come out here is something you’ll love. I have no doubt about it.
Do What You Wanna is available for pre-save here, and album bundles can be pre-ordered here. Exclusive behind the scenes photos of the making of the album can be viewed below.
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