Founded in Falmouth, Cornwall by songwriter and producer Benjamin Woods, The Golden Dregs released two albums in quick succession—Lafayette (2018) and Hope Is For The Hopeless (2019)—before signing to 4AD for 2023’s On Grace & Dignity.

With a love of storytelling delivered in a lulling baritone often compared to Leonard Cohen and Bill Callahan, Woods’ music blends sardonic wit with existential unease. As The Line of Best Fit put it, The Golden Dregs sound like “a soundtrack to happy hour in some smoke-ridden edge-of-town bar.”

Now based in South London, Woods launched his own label, Joy of Life International, in 2024—a fiercely independent home for ambitious, artist-led work. The label’s ethos reflects the spirit of Godspeed, The Golden Dregs’ fourth album, released in April 2025: a record that explores stasis and adventure, dread and defiance, through collaborative arrangements and vivid, storm-laced imagery.

The Joy of Life Revue brings this ethos to the stage. Featuring very special guest Sophie Jamieson and Lichen (solo), the tour is a celebration of kindred spirits and DIY community—a traveling showcase of songwriting, solidarity, and strange beauty.