Teesside’s punk-noise provocateur’s Benefits are back, and they’re not here to play nice. Announcing their second album, Constant Noise, out 21st March via Invada Records, the duo (now just Kingsley Hall and Robbie Major) is set to give fans more of the unapologetic fury they’ve come to expect, with an experimental twist. Alongside the album announcement, they’ve dropped a new single, ‘Relentless,’ featuring none other than The Libertines’ own Peter Doherty, mixing nostalgia with the band’s “joyous disgust” at today’s world.
Benefits 2023 debut, NAILS, erupted onto the scene as an intense outpouring of rage against a society filled with toxic, divisive rhetoric. Now, Constant Noise continues the band’s war cry, but this time, it’s anger reimagined – as colourful, layered, and perhaps even oddly uplifting.
The album’s lead single, ‘Relentless,’ offers a preview of the new sonic territory they’re exploring. Frontman Hall explained, “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.“
This album embraces an eclectic mix of styles, drawing from Hall’s early days as well as a rich assortment of influences, from Underworld to Beastie Boys, with some indie-sleaze nostalgia and gritty 90s alt-rock woven in. The band’s recent single, ‘Land of the Tyrants,’ marked a shift into dance-driven beats. Constant Noise ups the ante by layering in guest artists, such as queerpop duo Arch Femmesis’ Zera Tønin, rapper Shakk, and Neil Cooper from Therapy?.
Constant Noise channels a “dark euphoria,” tackling big themes like societal manipulation, mortality, and, at its heart, raw existential dread. Hall has no illusions – “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.” And it’s not just political – the personal threads run deep, with Hall reflecting on parenthood, the passage of time, and the death of his father.
While the album’s themes sound heavy, the band is quick to point out the joy embedded in their work. “It was a thrill to make,” Hall adds, “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.”
Upcoming UK Tour
If you’re ready to catch Constant Noise live, Benefits has just announced a UK tour for April 2025, bringing their searing energy to cities across the country. Kicking off at Hebden Bridge’s Trades Club on 22nd April and wrapping up in Manchester on 1st May, tickets go on sale today, Friday, 15th November. Get yours now.
22/04 HEBDEN BRIGDE Trades Club
23/04 HULL Social
24/04 NOTTINGHAM Bodega
25/04 LONDON Lexington
26/04 BRISTOL Louisiana
27/04 BIRMINGHAM Hare & Hounds
28/04 LEICESTER Firebug
29/04 GLASGOW Rum Shack
30/04 LEEDS Attic
01/05 MANCHESTER The White Hotel
02/05 GATESHEAD Glasshouse
