Episode 45: Kingsley Hall – Benefits, The Chapman Family

Benefits. Credit: Supplied.

Listen to the Trusty Chords podcast via your preferred platform of choice here.

If you don’t recognise the name Kingsley Hall, then I want you to stop what you’re doing right now and do a bit of musical research.

For most, Kingsley’s name would be recognisable thanks to his role up the front of English outfit The Chapman Family, where he was better known as Kingsley Chapman. Though relatively unknown down here in Australia, their successes were notable (after all, they played the likes of Glastonbury and even boasted IDLES as a support act), though they split around 2013.

In recent years though, you’ve been able to find Kingsley up the front of Benefits, a noisy outfit which pairs harsh musical elements with Kingsley’s impassioned, politically-relevant, stream-of-consciousness lyrics. In fact, they resonated with me so much that their debut record, Nails, was my album of the year in 2023. Considering I listened to hundreds of records that year, it’s no mean feat.

But their music isn’t for everyone. It’s confronting, it’s harsh, it’s angular, and at times it’s a little hard to digest. But that’s part of the appeal.

Now, Benefits have pared down to a duo, with Kingsley joined by Robbie Major to present as a ferocious two-piece which still pack the same amount of energy and ferocity despite the much more economical format.

Today, they release their second album, Constant Noise, and it is an absolutely stunning piece of work. To some, it might feel like they’ve pulled back on the throttle a little bit when it comes to being a confronting record, but the energy is still there, the anger still palpable, and the visceral effect it has upon you as a listener is still as real as ever.

As I mention in the early part of our chat, when I started this podcast, Kingsley was one of the names I’d had right at the top of my list in terms of dream guests. Heck, I followed The Chapman Family quite a bit in their final years, and I’ve paid attention to everything he’s done since, so it’s no surprise I wanted to dive deep into his musical past.

So Kingsley was kind enough to join me for a chat recently, and despite our attempts to keep it short and snappy, it ended up being a long one – and that’s with all the editing he advised me to do.

Anyway, I strongly urge you to check out Benefits’ new album Constant Noise, and once you’re done giving that a spin, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

Kingsley Hall’s Trusty Chords

Kingsley’s One Influential Artist

1. David Bowie

Kingsley’s Three Impactful Albums

1. The Sisters Of Mercy – Floodland (1987)

2. The Streets – Original Pirate Material (2002)

3. Peaches – Fatherfucker (2003)

Kingsley’s Five Trusty Songs

1. Todd Terje – 'Delorean Dynamite' (2014)

2. Queen – 'Hammer To Fall' (1984) (Specifically, any live version, so we’re going with the 1985 Live Aid version.)

3. Chromatics – 'Shadow' (2015)

4. Happy Mondays – 'W.F.L. (The Vince Clarke Mix)' (1989)

5. Suicide – 'Dream Baby Dream' (1979)