Benefits Return With New Single Land Of The Tyrants Featuring Zera Tønin
Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: Tom White
Benefits have returned with a new single.
Now a two-piece, comprising frontman Kingsley Hall and electronic mastermind Robbie Major, the Teeside noise-punks have shared Land Of The Tyrants, a fusion of dense '90s-inflected electronica and spoken word that marks their first new material since their breakthrough debut album, 2023's 'NAILS'. Hall said:
"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. Audiences came intrigued by what they’d heard about us in the music press, some stayed, some fled to the nearest exit their hands cupped tight round their ears. We supported Warmduscher and a guy in the front row recommended I get therapy. We got album of the year accolades for something we recorded in our bedrooms. It was a strange old time.”
On the new track, which features production work from James Welsh and guest vocals from Zera Tønin of Arch Femmesis, Hall added: "Our songs are still angry, WE are still angry, but we are approaching it all in a different way. This is a punk move from us, this IS punk, but not as you might know it."
Head below to view the accompanying John Kirkbride-directed video, which draws inspiration from the 1980 film The Long Good Friday.
"I’m not very good at being Bob Hoskins but Robbie is surprisingly good at being Pierce Brosnan, that’s my hot take. If the people who make Bond movies want to get in touch our DMs are open," Hall joked. "There’s something really gratifying about having a daft idea in the middle of the night - like wanting to recreate the final scene in The Long Good Friday - and then seeing it materialise with a few wonky edges, a few days later on your laptop screen.
"Our amazing friend Martin Fox came to the rescue with lending us his car, a lovely motor, and because he looks incredible AND hard as nails, he also agreed to play an important role in the video too. Result."
Benefits will tour the UK this autumn, alongside appearances at European festivals Left Of The Dial, Iceland Airwaves, and Transmusical. The trek will follow a one-off date supporting Arab Strap at Glasgow Barrowland on Saturday (September 21). Tickets are on sale now.
Benefits Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Sat October 05 2024 - HUDDERSFIELD Parish Dive Bar
Sun October 06 2024 - LANCASTER Kanteena
Mon October 07 2024 - GLASGOW Hug and Pint
Tue October 08 2024 - EDINBURGH Wee Red Bar
Wed October 09 2024 - ABERDEEN Tunnels
Thu October 10 2024 - STIRLING Tolbooth
Fri October 11 2024 - MIDDLESBROUGH Play Brew
Sat October 12 2024 - LIVERPOOL Shipping Forecast
Sun October 13 2024 - PRESTON Ferret
Tue October 22 2024 - SOUTHAMPTON Joiners
Wed October 23 2024 - BRIGHTON Hope & Ruin
Thu October 24 2024 - MARGATE Where Else?
Fri October 25 2024 - LONDON George Tavern
Sat October 26 2024 - NEWPORT Le Pub
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