4AD

the GOLDEN DREGS release their new 3-track EP entitled popular music vol. 1. The digital only release consists of cover versions of well-loved songs by pop icons: ‘When the Party’s Over’ by Billie Eilish, ‘Dealer’ by Lana Del Rey, and ‘Billions’ by Caroline Polachek.

The EP was recorded, mixed, and produced by Cornish musician Benjamin Woods and features band members Ted Mair on piano, Matt Merriman on drums, and Isabelle Armstrong, Davy Roderick, and Mike Clark on backing vocals. With their gentle harmonies and atmospheric instrumental arrangements that uniquely meld the bleak and the beautiful, combined with Woods’ rich baritone voice, the GOLDEN DREGS transform this trio of contemporary pop anthems into their own set of intimate ballads.

“Lana Del Rey's 'Dealer' has been on heavy rotation in the tour van since it was released, and we've often talked about covering it. In the past I’ve found I like to record a version of someone else’s song before working on my own - it can set the tone of a record without me worrying about what the song is so much, and allow me to explore textures and melodies that I might not arrive at myself. We’re about to head into the studio to work on our next album, so it felt like the right time to give our cover of ‘Dealer’ a go. This idea grew into exploring some of our favourite contemporary pop songs. We’re big fans of all of them - Lana Del Rey for her dark lyrics and sprawling arrangements, Billie Eilish for her subtle understated textures and haunting vocals, and Caroline Polachek for her bombastic maximalism. It was a lot of fun existing within these songs, and reinterpreting them - they each lent themselves nicely to some rich vocal textures and synthesis that we are moving towards for our next album.” - Benjamin Woods