“Kill The Lights” Is benches’ Darkest Daydream Yet

Written By: Big C

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Photo Credit: Attiken Vega

San Diego indie-rock band benches hit the gas and don’t look back on Kill The Lights. Fueled by frustration and written in a single night, the song unspools like a slow panic attack in motion, cinematic in scope and emotionally raw at its core. Reverb-heavy guitars and anxious vocals loop surround a repeating refrain. The song continues to spiral from nostalgia to fantasy, while searching for a way out knowing there might not be one. Bracing against the collapse, vocalist Anson Kelley says:

At its core, the song is about fear. The fear of making the wrong choices and ending up living a version of your life that’s unrecognizable.

That emotional edge, equal parts dread and defiance, has become a signature of benches’ sound. Produced by the band and mixed by GRAMMY-nominated Martin Cooke, the Kill The Lights EP promises to explore these themes in full. This summer, they’ll bring their magnetic live show across the Western U.S. alongside Pleasure Pill, before hitting the stage at Lollapalooza in August. Stream “Kill The Lights,” the sharp and swirling title track from their newly announced EP, arriving May 23. Follow benches on Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music.

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