Jay Urquhart
Known to many in Plympton as The Rustic Busker, Jay Urquhart spent years turning street performances into a musical career.
But the road to becoming a working musician began long before the pub gigs and the regular audiences. And, as Jay explains, it all started with a guitar and a happy accident.
Now he wants to help change the scene for musicians across Plymouth.
Finding his way through music
Jay grew up around Devonport and Pennycross but spent much of his childhood in the care system. His early years weren't easy, and he occasionally found himself on the wrong side of the law.
Along the way, though, he discovered something that would become a constant in his life: music.
He taught himself guitar, starting with the basic chords, without any particular plan for where it might take him. At the time, he didn't even realise he could sing.
Then, at around 17 or 18, he made an unexpected discovery.
“I was just waiting for a friend in town,” he recalls. “I picked out my guitar while I was waiting and just started to have a little jam to myself, singing along.”
People began putting money into his guitar case.
“I just thought, well, I'm earning more in the first hour here than I've just done at a job.”
And with that, a new direction presented itself.
“It was a no-brainer. I've kind of not looked back since.”
Sixteen years on the streets
Jay spent around 16 years busking before being approached to play his first pub gig.
For him, busking was never simply a way to earn a few quid. It was an education in performing, meeting people and learning how to connect with an audience.
Along the way, those street performances opened doors to weddings, house parties and, eventually, regular gigs.
A local pub landlord heard Jay busking in The Ridgeway, Plympton and invited him to come and perform at his venue. But Jay took a bit of convincing.
It wasn’t until the third or fourth time of asking that he finally accepted the invitation. And that first opportunity helped him see that music could take him beyond the street corner and onto the stage.
He's been performing gigs for around six or seven years now - playing as The Rustic Busker and Reggae Jay - and although he still occasionally busks, it's no longer his main source of work.
Jay knows that busking can carry a certain stigma. Some people assume that anyone playing on the street must be homeless or struggling with addiction. While acknowledging that this can sometimes be the case, he points out that busking is also a way for musicians to get noticed, develop their skills and find work.
His own experience is proof of what can grow from that simple exchange between a performer and someone prepared to stop and listen.
More than just a place to play
Jay originally busked in Plymouth city centre. When he moved to Plympton, however, he discovered something different.
“There was a whole different community vibe around it,” he says. “People were really warming to what I was giving out.”
He found himself connecting with older residents, some of whom had few opportunities for conversation during the week. Over time, the familiar faces became people he knew personally, and the music became a way of getting to know their stories.
“You kind of become integrated into the community really nicely,” he explains.
His affection for Plympton is obvious. What might have started as a convenient place to play became something more meaningful: a place where music could bring people together, even if only for the length of a song and a chat.
It's a reminder that live music isn't only about the performer or the audience. Sometimes it's about the little connections that happen in between.
Making a living from music
Life as a working musician isn't always straightforward, though. Jay is open about the challenges he's facing personally, and music continues to give him a positive focus while he works through them.
There's also the wider uncertainty of trying to make a living in an industry where opportunities can be difficult to find.
Jay feels fortunate he doesn't have to spend all his time chasing bookings, but he sees other musicians struggling to get a foot in the door.
“On a weekly basis, if I message three venues, you might not get a reply. You can message ten venues, you might get six replies out of ten.”
Even securing a gig isn't necessarily a question of how good a musician is or how many fans they can bring through the door. Venues have their own pressures, from rising costs to the challenges of keeping a business going.
For Jay, there isn't one simple answer to the difficulties facing musicians. Every performer has their own circumstances, but the wider environment affects them all.
He believes it's time to look at how things could work better for everyone involved.
A better future for Plymouth’s music scene
Jay's ambitions extend beyond building his own career. He wants to see more opportunities for local musicians and a more supportive environment in which they can work.
That means changing perceptions of buskers and musicians, but also recognising that performers, venues and audiences all have a part to play.
“I want to try and focus on actually bringing a change to the community and the way that people perceive musicians and buskers,” he says.
His vision isn't about finding a solution that benefits only a select few. It's about bringing people together and finding ways forward that work for the whole music scene.
“We need to encompass everybody and find ideas that bring not only the musicians, but the venues and the customers that are coming to see the venues and the performers actually perform.”
He recognises the difficulties, but he's optimistic that progress is possible.
“There's a struggle, but there's ways out of it. We just need to come together.”
For someone whose own musical journey began with a guitar, a bit of time to kill and a handful of unexpected coins, it's an ambition that feels fitting.
Jay wants to keep bringing music, smiles and energy to the people around him. And if he can help create more opportunities for other musicians along the way, so much the better.
After all, he knows first-hand just how much can begin when somebody gets the chance to play.
Jay was chatting to John Govier. Watch the video below to hear Jay’s story - and his music.
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