Meet All Day Breakfast Cafe, the female jazz collective with a mission to make you dance

Female jazz collective and rising stars of London’s music scene All Day Breakfast Cafe are performing at Woolwich Works this Saturday. The seven-piece group only formed just before lockdown in early 2020, but are already favourites of the summer festival circuit thanks in part to their feel-good mission: to spread disco joy and get people dancing.

Holly O’Mahony spoke to band member and producer Jelly Cleaver about clubbing together as female artists in a male-dominated space, playing in each other’s bands and crowning themselves ‘south London’s favourite disco band’...

Holly O’Mahony: You’ve been together as a band since the ill-fated, Covidplagued year of 2020, but how did you all meet and decide to collaborate together?

Jelly Cleaver: By 2020 we’d all been playing together in different bands and at jams for a few years, so when I had the mad idea to start an original disco project, I already knew exactly which musicians I’d want to be in it! When I first moved to London we found that jams were very male dominated and could be quite intimidating, so we naturally grouped together, encouraging each other to get on stage. Some of us also hadn’t been able to study music at university or afford music lessons when we were younger so we really grew up musically with each other. Before long we were all playing in each other’s bands because most of the girls in the band are also extremely talented composers and have their own amazing projects. We had a really strong community and most of us even ended up living together, which was very convenient during lockdown because we could still do some playing together.

HOM: Who plays or sings what within the group?

JC: Our lead singer Loucin is one of the most incredible vocalists ever in my opinion, and she also has her own music which I think everyone needs to go and check out! Kasia plays flute and sings backing vocals, and she’s also an amazing singer and has some beautiful EPs out. Beth always brings the fire on alto saxophone and she also has her own band called Queen Colobus which basically combines neo-soul and Dave Grohl, if you can imagine that? Lettie’s on trumpet and she also plays in an all female mariachi band. Shakira holds it down on drums, and does poetry and sound engineering when she’s not drumming. Woolwich Works will be our first gig with our new bassist Ana-Maria, which we’re really excited for. I’m on guitar and also write all the tunes for the band.

HOM: Tell us a bit about London’s jazz scene. How easy or hard is it to break into?

JC: What I love about the London jazz scene is that it’s basically a melting pot of all musical genres in one. I think people bring a love of jazz and ability to improvise but add grime, punk, afrobeat or whatever music they love to make something so innovative you probably couldn’t put a genre label on it. I think there’s something out there for everyone, even if you didn’t think you liked jazz. The scene is quite male dominated still, but there are some brilliant women leading the way. Another all-female collective who we absolutely love is Colectiva, an amazing Latin jazz band who are incredible to see live. There’s also some female and queer fronted jam nights like

Higher Ground and FYE Cyther, and I run my own jam night called Jelly’s Jams. Jams are a great place to meet other musicians.

HOM: You’ve crowned yourselves South London’s favourite disco band. We won’t attempt to steal that title away from you, but are you in competition for it?

JC: The thing is, we don’t know of any other live disco bands. Obviously there’s Nile Rodgers and Chic, Sister Sledge and other legendary acts that inspired our music who are tearing it up at festivals. There’s also some amazing pop artists like Beyonce and Lizzo who have ‘gone disco’ recently. But I can’t think of any new grassroots disco bands, especially not from south London. So we crowned ourselves that by default.

HOM: Long may you reign! So, what’s 2023 got in store for you?

JC: We’re incredibly excited that we’ll soon be recording our second EP. We don’t want to give too much away about it, but I really can’t wait for everyone to hear it! Last year we played 13 festivals, and while we might not have the energy to do as many this year, we’ve got a few exciting ones confirmed like Deer Shed in Yorkshire, and a few overseas ones which we can’t wait for.

HOM: What’s the one thing you’d like jazz novices to know about the scene?

JC: I think the ‘jazz’ scene these days is made up of so many different soundscapes and influences that there really is a place in it for everyone. It’s their own journey, so just go in with a bit of an open mind and you’ll have a great time.

HOM: Your mission as a band is to spread disco joy and get people dancing. Why do we need more of both in our lives?

JC: One of the things I love most about disco is that it is the music of optimism. It came from black and brown queer people in America who were facing extreme discrimination, and a lot of the best songs are about absolute heartbreak. But come Saturday night, you could leave all your troubles behind and dance with your community, feeling safe and seen. I love that ability to dance and celebrate all the good things about life, even when we’re all going through it. One of our songs is about how difficult it is to make a living as a young musician living in London, and about how hard we constantly have to work. Other songs are about getting out of toxic relationships. But the overall message of our music, and of the band itself, is really about friendship and about how things become so much better when we come together and have a good time! Seeing people dancing to our music and enjoying themselves is the best feeling and it makes me so happy to be able to do this. I think we all need to have more fun in our lives!

All Day Breakfast are performing at Woolwich Works, The Fireworks Factory, 11 No 1 Street, Royal Arsenal, London SE18 6HD. February 4, 8pm. Admission: £17.50/£15 concessions. www.woolwich. works/events/independent-venue-weekall-day-breakfast-cafe

Troll patrol

The award-winning, puppetry-led Garlic Theatre brings its lively, imaginative kids’s show The Nosy Little Troll to Blackheath Halls. Set deep within a forest in Norway (where troll myths hail from), the folkloric story follows a little troll who follows her nose on a quest to find a delicious stinky smell wafting through the trees. Puppets, live songs (including one about the Norwegian delicacy of brown cheese) and plenty of audience participation bring this loveable story to life.

Blackheath Halls, 23 Lee Road, Blackheath, London SE3 9RQ. February 4, 11am.

Admission: £9. www.blackheathhalls.com/whats-on/nosy-little-troll/

Book ahead: Family yoga for 3-6 year olds

Can’t wait to share your love of mindful stretching with your little one? Then book them onto this play-led family yoga class at Blackheath Yoga, suitable for 3-6 year olds and a parent. Led by Zowie Sheppard-Devney, the session uses kids’ stories, music and games to explore prominent yoga poses before closing with a calming meditation suitable for wrigglers. Blackheath Yoga, 35 Tranquil Vale, Blackheath, London SE3 0BU. February 11, 1pm - 2pm. Admission: £20. www.blackheathyoga.co.uk/workshops

Family film time

It’s semi-rare to find a movie that appeals equally to all generations, but Japan’s Studio Ghibli has spent almost 40 years producing films for all the family. While best known for titles including Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and My Neighbour Totoro (the latter was recently adapted for the stage at the Barbican), its 2014 title When Marnie Was There is a lesser-known gem within the canon. Based on British author Joan G. Robinson’s 1967 novel of the same name, the deeply moving story follows Anna, a lonely tween who befriends a mysterious girl, Marnie, who appears to be from another time. Catch it this Saturday at Greenwich Picturehouse.

180 Greenwich High Road, London SE10 8NN. February 4, 10:30am. £3.30. www.picturehouses.com/cinema/greenwich-picturehouse

Find a Gruffalo at Woodlands Farm

Take your tots to Woodlands Farm, where its weekly Toddler Club is delighting the farm’s littlest visitors. The sessions combine a mixture of free play, guided activities, stories and songs, and all take place in the great outdoors. Each week has a different theme, which this week is The Gruffalo, in honour of Julia Donaldson’s beloved picture book. Turn up prepared to have fun and get messy. Advanced booking via the website is essential. Woodlands Farm Trust, 331 Shooters Hill, Welling, Kent DA16 3RP. February 2, 10am - 11:30am. £6 per child. www.tockify.com/woodlands.farm/ detail/281/1675332000000

A sailor’s life

Ahoy! Cutty Sark is about to set sail (well, sort of) and it’s looking for a trusty crew to navigate the choppy seas. It’s the ship’s monthly Family Fun Weekend: a chance to meet characters from its past life as a functioning tea clipper, sing sea shanties, play games, listen to stories and take part in nautical-themed workshops.

Cutty Sark, King William Walk, London SE10 9HT. February 4 & 5, 10am - 5pm. Admission: £15/£7.50 kids/ FREE under 4s. www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/cutty-sark/family-fun-weekend