Renowned Teesside indie band, Benefits has today revealed details of their much-anticipated sophomore album, “Constant Noise,” while also debuting a new single, “Relentless,” featuring none other than The Libertines‘ iconic frontman, Peter Doherty; , a seemingly perfect fit for a collaboration with the band given the biting commentary on the state of life in the U.K. in Doherty’s earlier work.
“Constant Noise” arrives on March 21st through Invada Records, home to BEAK>, Billy Nomates, and more. This follows the group’s widely acclaimed 2023 debut “NAILS,” a passionate expression of anger and disillusionment about divisive, xenophobic, and toxic rhetoric, conveyed through their signature brutal and eviscerating sound. Prior to the debut’s release, the band had already generated a significant word-of-mouth following that most artists can only dream of. This early success caught the attention of Invada Records co-founder Geoff Barrow, as well as other high-profile fans like the late great Steve Albini. The band’s debut album more than lived up to the early hype, and now their eagerly awaited sophomore effort “Constant Noise” is poised to build on that momentum.
After an explosive year that saw the band make their Glastonbury Festival debut and tour across Europe and the UK, the question on everyone’s mind was, “What’s next for Benefits?” To which, frontman Kingsley Hall responds, “Maybe it’s better to just give up … A year of endlessly stopping and starting, building up, getting knocked down, transforming, imploding. I’m sure we split up at one point, but it just slipped our minds, so we carried on. We felt there was no point in just repeating the first album. We’ve never been ones for simply sticking in our lane, plus, it’s been a tough few years – I’ve forgotten how many times we’ve been praised and written off in equal measure. This band is a battle.“
Rather than calling it quits, the band Benefits decided to realign their approach instead. After bringing various drummers on board, the group ultimately found their stride as a duo as Hall and electronic virtuoso Robbie Major. “We’re still angry and “Constant Noise” is an angry album,” says Hall, “just angry in a different way to before. There’s plenty of bands around who are more overt and obvious in their rage – just as we were on our debut – and that’s fine, we just wanted to develop something beyond that. We wanted to create something almost joyous in its disgust at the world. If the previous record was black and white, we wanted this to be technicolour.”
The new single “Relentless” sees the band venture further into ambient electronic soundscapes, blending gentle yet ominous synth lines with reserved yet smoldering vocals that reflect on fleeting halcyon days. The accompanying video, directed by Teesside filmmaker John Kirkbride, expands on the gritty ’70s/’80s late-night aesthetic established with the band’s recent return single “Land Of The Tyrants.”
Commenting on both the new single and the band’s collaboration with Doherty, Hall says: “The song is about craving for a past you had that exists perhaps solely in your memory. Yearning your lost youth, when things seemed easier. Getting Peter Doherty involved was important not just because he’s a legendary performer but also because he was a hero to both of us when we were getting into music, linking in with the theme of the song. Peter and the Libertines were integral to our musical education and love of music, like it or not, he’s a hugely important factor as to why we do what we do. He’s part of our past and we’re honoured and humbled that he agreed to participate in our future.”
Doherty is just one of the many contributing artists on the new album. The previous single also featured Zera Tønin, lead vocalist of the queerpop-electro duo Arch Femmesis. “Lies And Fear” features Neil Cooper of Therapy?, and “Divide” sees the band collaborate with Middlesbrough rapper Shakk for guest vocals. Besides welcoming guest musicians to perform with them, the album also features production work from acclaimed electronic musician and friend of the band James Welsh (signed to Erol Alkan’s Phantasy label) and James Adrian Brown (formerly of Pulled Apart By Horses, now an electronic/tape loops/noise artist) who were instrumental in steering the band along a new musical path.
Thematically speaking, the LP maintains a distinct British sensibility, echoing the themes explored in “NAILS” – a critique of the misinformation propagated by political parties and their efforts to cultivate a sense of nostalgic that may be inauthentic, all in an attempt to manipulate the public. Another prominent subject is the ever-present specter of war, a sobering reality that looms over our privileged daily lives, serving as a stark reminder that our personal troubles and concerns pale in comparison. The album also delves into the band’s most intimate material to date, as Hall grapples with the existential dread of aging, the swift passage of time, and the journey of parenthood. It also explores themes of mortality, grief, and the loss of his late father.
Hall elaborated, stating, “none of this sounds joyous, but believe me, it is, we strived for a dark euphoria, plus it was a thrill to make. It’s an album we’re all immensely proud of. We knew it was going to be a risk to go against the formula of our debut, especially as it was so well received by critics, but we never wanted this band to become predictable or get stuck in a rut. We prefer being on the edge of not quite knowing what we’re doing, our discomfort driving creativity. Benefits was designed as a collaborative project and whether that means we get our mate onstage to sing a folk song or ask the drummer from Therapy to play for us, that’s how it survives, and that’s how it will remain.”
To mark today’s announcement of “Constant Noise”, Benefits have also shared a new run of UK tour dates for April 2025. The full dates are as follows:
Tickets will go on sale Friday 15th November HERE
“Constant Noise” is out 21st March via Invada Records
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Featured photo courtesy of Tom White ©
