Today, Cornish musician Benjamin Woods shares ‘Vista’, the final GOLDEN DREGS single from his forthcoming record, On Grace & Dignity. Inspired by the Graham Green short story The Destructors, Woods blithely surveys the wanton abandon and recklessness of teenage boys burning down a house, “for no reason than to see the burning world.” Finely tuned with filigrees of guitar and skipping bass, ‘Vista’ echoes the nostalgia for his own childhood experiences as a curious teenager living in a place where very little goes on.

+ Pre-order On Grace & Dignity from the 4AD Store here on eco black vinyl, limited clear vinyl and CD +
The first 100 LP pre-orders will be handsigned by Ben
+ Pre-order and pre-save on all formats here +  
+ Stream 'Vista' on all platforms + 

‘Vista’ follows the singles ‘Before We Fell From Grace’ ‘American Airlines’ and ‘Sundown Lake’, which all feature on the GOLDEN DREGS album, On Grace & Dignity, out this Friday 10 February. Woods’ third album considers his home and what it means to be shaped by a place – in this instance, Truro, Cornwall’s capital. In among the personal reflections on loss of innocence and inferiority and inspired by authors Raymond Carver, Lydia Davis and Richard Hugo, Woods spins subtly interweaving narratives about survival, desperate acts of violence, loss and the limitations of community in the face of rapacious gentrification. It unfurls at a graceful pace, grounded by Woods’ rich baritone voice which seems to resonate from his feet. For the album’s visuals, Woods commissioned Bristol-based model-maker Edie Lawrence to construct an HO-scale fictional Cornish village. Christened Polgras, the 9 ft by 4 ft diorama features a viaduct, an estuary, a supermarket, new-build houses and industrial buildings; every song from On Grace & Dignity is represented by a scene in the village.

Starting this Friday, Woods heads on a week-long run of free-entry in-store performances around the UK to celebrate the release of On Grace & Dignity. Woods has also launched fundraiser events for his six-piece live band’s appearance at SXSW and debut US tour. Events will include a Polgras Village Summer Fete exhibiting Lawrence’s model in public for the very first time, a raffle to win 4AD vinyl and festival tickets to End of the Road, Wide Awake, Manchester Psych Fest plus a chance to own Polgras. 

All dates are below, head here for more information.

Feburary UK In-Store Tour (Free Entry)
10th - Resident, Brighton, UK (Solo)
11th - Drift, Totnes, UK (Lunchtime)
11th -  The Cornish Bank w/ Jam Records, Falmouth, UK (Evening)
12th - Rough Trade, Bristol, UK (Solo)
13th - Rough Trade, Nottingham, UK (Solo)
14th - Truck, Oxford, UK (Solo)
15th - Pie & Vinyl, Southsea, UK (Solo)
16th - Rough Trade East, London, UK (Solo)

March
9th - Baby's All Right, Brooklyn, NY, US
13th - 18th - SXSW, Austin, TX, US
23rd - Gold Diggers, Los Angeles, CA, US
24-25th - Treefort Music Festival, Boise, ID, US 

April
6th - Village Underground, London, UK
13th - Le Grande Mix, Lille, France
14th - Hasard Ludique, Paris, France
15th - Motel Mozaique Festival, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
17th - AB Club, Brussels, Belgium
19th - Loppen, Copenhagen, Denmark
20th - Krøsset, Oslo, Norwat
21st - Kristallen @ Sodra Teatern, Stockholm, Sweden
23rd - Molotow, Hamburg, Germany
24th - Bumann & Sohn, Cologne, Germany
25th - Urban Spree, Berlin, Germany

May
5th - Elsewhere, Margate, UK
6th - Green Door Store, Brighton, UK
8th - The Louisiana, Bristol, UK
9th - Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, UK
13th - Workman's Club, Dublin, IE
14th - Roisin Dubh, Galway, IE
16th - Mono, Glasgow, SC
17th - Cluny 2, Newcastle, GB
18th - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, GB