This article was originally featured in ASBO MAGAZINE; Issue 10
The Golden Dregs is a 6-piece band and musical project fronted by Benjamin Woods. Wood’s poetic lyrics explore his own feelings through the lens of contemplation trademarked by his deep voice and smooth melodies. Having
released two albums, their most recent single ‘John’ follow Benjamin’s reflective and poignant lyricism in a touching elegy to a lost friend and the choices we make in life that lead us to who we are now, for better or worse. Alongside the smooth and rhythmic harmonies that compliment Wood’s lyrics, ‘John’ is a great first taste to what will hopefully be a new album in the works from a talented young artist with a fantastic band to support him.
I sat down with Alina Neukrich to speak with with Benjamin prior to their first gig since the Pandemic at the Windmill about the origin of The Golden Dregs and life during the pandemic.
Sebastian
Tell me about The Golden Dregs, how did it come to be?
Benjamin
It started as just an avenue for songs I was writing. Recording myself without the intention of performing live necessarily. I always played drums in bands and I had an interest in production but probably didn’t have the confidence to put my own force out and my name behind something. I was quite happy sat at the back.
I kind of wrote stuff and started playing, I was living in Falmouth and started playing with loads of great local musicians down there, plus my mates played in different lineups with them. Yeh, kind of just went from there really.
Sebastian
You moved back to Cornwall recently.
Benjamin
I moved nearly a year ago now because I lost my job here. I moved out of my flat and moved back in with my parents. But I think I’m coming to the end of my time there now though.
Sebastian
Did you did you find it quite difficult to write music [in Cornwall]?
Benjamin
Sort of. I’d written a load of music instrumentally while I was in my flat in the first lockdown and hadn’t really come upon any lyrics. So when I moved back I was like I need to really get on with this and I guess it was like peaks and
troughs. But the winter was quite a bleak time, I was working on a building site and it was just like the wettest winter I’ve ever experienced in my life. And like, you know when people show you pictures of festival mud, and it’s like “oh wow that looks bad”, this is big site diggers churning through stuff, it’s literally waist high.
Sebastian
First World War kind of stuff.
Benjamin
Yeah! It was a joke about being like trenches, we were putting up fences and landscaping and you put in big stakes of wood in and excavating and stuff like that. But yeah, you know, you meet some characters doing that and it’s quite a depressing place to be.
Sebastian
Last time I went to see you was at SET in Dalston and I remember you were dressed in white and your hair was dyed blonde, you’re dressed a lot differently now.
Benjamin
I’m going to put the whites on today the blonde isn’t coming back today though. I thought about it, you said about this great British summer [prior to the interview] and people have been like “are you gonna dye your hair again?” and I was like, well if we’re having a good summer then I might do.
Sebastian
It’s a good look.
Benjamin
For me I like to make it an occasion. You know, people seeing the show and it’s like, not just some people that set up and play an instrument. It’s a presentation, most of the band come dressed like this [regular clothes] and right before we play we get changed. I feel like it makes them a little bit more nervous and I kind of like that. It’s like “oh we’re getting ready”, you know, “put your uniform on.” Like the fact that there’s no real significance the fact it’s white apart from the fact that I felt everyone should wear the same colour. Black is just, on a stage it’s a bit like the Velvet Underground who I love but it’s a bit you know. If you’re gonna do a colour, it’s like okay white, it’s either that or grey.
Sebastian
There’s your latest song ‘John’, what was behind it?
Benjamin
It’s is a story of a childhood friend who isn’t with us anymore. I don’t know I haven’t really processed it. I guess there’s not loads I can really say about it.
Sebastian
Do you feel like you write a song and then you process it after?
Benjamin
Sometimes, there are pieces I write which are a bit more abstract and maybe I’ll assign meaning to them later or through performing them live, you kind of realise oh shit, that’s what I’m singing about but that one was a bit more
intentional. I kind of started with some words and I was like, okay, that’s where this is going. I guess the lyrics came fairly quickly. I had the music there for ages and I could feel in the music there was like this, last sound of it, you know? And yeah, I just struck upon it. I guess it just felt like that was what it should be and it kind of made me feel uncomfortable, but it kind of felt right at the same time.
Sebastian
Do you feel like there’s a certain dissonance between yourself and what you write, like two different people?
Benjamin
Sometimes yeah and when those lines blur it can become a bit distressing, I guess because you accidentally write something that’s too on the bone, you know? And then you’re like, well, I feel like it would be disingenuous to not
pursue this as a song but it makes you feel uncomfortable. There’s some things I can just like, sing again, and again it’s like whatever, but you know, I can feel it. But like, it’s not so deep. I don’t know.
Sebastian
I suppose it’s hard sometimes to be honest with yourself. I think when you relate to art, for example, if someone’s truly honest with themselves, the more intense of a shared experience it becomes with the viewer or listener. I think that’s the hard thing about artists because often that’s a very difficult thing to make you as yourself that vulnerable.
Benjamin
Yeah, totally. We’re encouraged to do it though (laughing). Yeah. And it’s, you know, it’s an important thing. And I feel grateful that I’m trying to do it at least.
Words and Pics by Sebastian Garraway
Check The Golden Dregs’ latest single ‘John’ below.
