The Golden Dregs

“We’ve been dying to meet you,” Ben Woods sings on ‘Linoleum’, the blistering new single out today from The Golden Dregs. Their most upbeat offering yet, Ben’s deep baritone vocals contrast with bright harmonies atop lilting, exploratory synth lines and driving drums. The lyrics, steeped in irony, explore themes of desire and stagnation and juxtapose dark with light. ‘Linoleum’ is the third single from Godspeed, the band’s fourth studio album, due 25 April via Joy of Life International in collaboration with End Of The Road Records.

On the new single, vocalist Ben says: “It’s always my hope that the songs I write sound as though they have arrived fully formed in the night. Truth is that I’ve spent years writing this one. It can be traced back as far as 2011, when I was living in Manchester. It was recorded again in 2014, in Penryn, and then it was left to gather dust. I tried again in late 2018, in Peckham and in Bath, shortly after the release of Hope is for the Hopeless, but it didn’t feel right. The key has changed several times over the years, and none of the original lyrics have survived the test of time, but the sentiment has stayed the same - a song of unresolved longing, stasis, inertia. Telegraph Hill is the place that made it all make sense, in 2023 when I was writing this record. It grounded the song in reality, and gave a space for the story to develop. From the top of the hill there’s a clear view of the city skyline, and a reminder that my own narrative is one of millions all happening at once. Thinking back, there’s always been a Telegraph Hill in every town I’ve spent a stretch in, it’s just taken a few years to put my finger on it.”

Linoleum’ follows previous singles ‘Big Ideas’ and ‘The Company of Strangers’, which have earned acclaim from the likes of Clash, The Line of Best Fit, and Uncut.

Now just a month from release, Godspeed marks a significant evolution for the band. The Golden Dregs was originally conceived as a solo project by multi-instrumentalist Ben Woods, but on their new album Godspeed, the project has fully evolved into an ensemble with individual contributions from each band member forming a vital part of the record. This shift brings a richer, fuller sound, with a textured palette of influences.

At the heart of it, though, is Ben’s resonant baritone and vivid songwriting. Grounded in the geography and the spirit of London, Godspeed soars and plunges through urban highs and lows, capturing collective human experiences — loneliness, resilience, and the interconnectedness of strangers. This connection to the city’s contradictions, its beauty and chaos, gives the record a raw authenticity. It’s personal yet outward-looking, and full of hooks that surprise and linger.