Project Description
.
.
Interview with
LUKE PRITCHARD
from
THE KOOKS
(18th September 2022)
Interview by Laura Hughes
.
.
The Kooks are coming back to Australia with a brand new album ‘10 Tracks To Echo In The Dark’ and ready to celebrate 15 years of their multiplatinum album ‘Inside In / Inside Out’ to their fans. Since banding together in 2004, the UK indie-pop act quickly took over the airways with anthems such as ‘Naïve’, ‘She Moves In Her Own Way’ and ‘You Don’t Love Me’.
In light of their Australian tour next month, I got the chance to talk to lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Luke about all things Kooks since the lockdown.
.
.
What has been one of the most unexpected moments in making the new album?
I mean, the most unexpected moment was not being able to be in the same room. As your bandmates for the majority of the recording. That was unexpected. It was unexpected to get a collaboration with Milky Chance that was cool. So quite a lot of different things to previous records, how we’ve experienced them and how we’ve made them. So, I always say pretty much everything to do with the album was unexpected. I’m really happy that it really it forced us to work in different ways and like to maybe challenge ourselves a little bit, put the guitars down occasionally, which is difficult for a band like The Kooks, you know, so. And actually, surprisingly, came up quite euphoric, which we’ve never made an album, like a euphoric album was made funky records and bluesy records and, and angsty emo records. But like, we’ve not really hit euphoria. And it wasn’t necessarily like thought about just by bringing in I think my personal mentality during the record it rubbed off that I was feeling quite positive. Which is weird, considering what was going on. But in a positivity, you know, and bring in some synthesizers and things that just, it was good. Quite a few unexpected twists and turns.
What was the process of like, you know, not being together in the studio, or even the same room? Has that effected your creative process in any way or anything like that?
Yeah, yeah, it did. I mean, it’s kind of we made it kind of like in our separate ways. We did have moments when we came together, but a lot of time, everyone had quite a lot of time to work on their parts, you know, so that meant maybe things were a little bit more careful and a little bit more introspective. And I think, particularly one of the one of the things that’s a bit of a staple for The Kooks is we’re quite into raw, like, we like to leave in mistakes and be quite cavalier like that. But then when you’ve got time at home, and you can really like sit with it, and you think about it, it’s it becomes a little bit more considered. So yeah, it did change the way we worked quite a lot. And I think we will probably learn a lot about recording in one bedroom, which is something we’re not used to, you know, The Kooks were old school, we’re from the you know, we’re the end of the Britpop era and stuff like that. So, we were used to recording and big recording studios and recording all of us on tape and things like that, which are becoming more fashionable again now, but it was weird for me it was like, I loved it, but it was like I had to learn a lot. I didn’t really know much about recording on laptops and it’s pretty amazing what you can do. I mean, you can get incredible stuff. Now just with a laptop, so that was quite interesting. And good fun. You know, it’s just good to be kind of modern ways.
.
.
Yeah, that sounds like really interesting, especially if you’ve all you’ve known is like a recording studio versus recording in the bedroom. The tape that would have been that wild, that feels so long ago.
You can record your boxer shorts.
Yeah, you don’t have to dress up anymore. I guess with the album, what kind of songs almost didn’t make the album. Were there any songs that you weren’t really 100%? Like, at one point?
You know what, like, this album, we pretty much used everything. I think there was one song called ‘Please Don’t Cry’. Hugh and I had a bit of a disagreement on it. He really wanted it on, and I really didn’t want it on, but I love the song were just to me it just didn’t like feel in keeping with the rest of the record, but you never know what these things you know, you make stands for certain things. And I think we released it in Japan actually. But it I think that’s the only one I mean, we basically put out the whole creative process, which was quite not that many songs really very different. To say like, oh my god, fuck, you know, like, our second album called Konk. I think I wrote like 75 songs literally. So, it’s not necessarily there was no, I’ve had moments of having dry patches as a writer and not finding my voice and stuff. But it wasn’t that at all, just, I was writing another record as well as writing an album with my wife that we put out for a duo record. So, I was writing a lot for that. So, it really was like when we came to The Kooks, it was like, very focused, and, you know, all the songs sounded really good. So, I didn’t really want to even ‘Please Don’t Cry’ that didn’t make it I could have put that on there nicely. But also working with Toby, who produced and wrote the record with me you know, we had it was like to me it was like I loved everything we did together you know it’s weird it’s like it’s quite rare that you usually have a few duds so I guess I’m quite proud of that really that when people listen to this album they’re hearing like everything we’re working on.
Yeah, I guess I can I especially going for like how many albums in so many years like you know your sound changes and everything like that. How do you feel? How do you see on the fans receiving compared to I guess your older stuff would be like I guess you had like the emo era and all that type of stuff. With each era how do they receive that?
It seems really good I kind of have the mentality now just not thinking about it too much. I think we you know, we’ve made so many albums now and I used to see like the first album It was a bit of an albatross because it was so commercially successful that it’s hard you know, it’s hard to break out of and that now we were in this new time with music where it just kind of everything new stuff and all stuff can all work in the same time because people discover stuff and it feels new. You just have to look at the charts you know the stuff the number one that was like you know big in the 80s. So, it’s like it’s kind of funny times I you know like even ‘Naive’ went back into the top 50 in the UK again, you know it’s like weird to totally weird with streaming everything, so to be honest, I think like the live shows the fans really got it I don’t think it’s too far away. As a matter of thing locked down. I was very keen to make a record that was a live record, I didn’t want to sit down and do a lockdown kind of introspective, you know, I wanted to make an album like coming out of lockdown and being excited. So, it’s been really good and yeah, I don’t know. I just don’t know how it works anymore. It’s all tick tock now isn’t it.
.
.
Yeah, it’s interesting how the industry has really changed from since lockdown happened, it’s been really interesting to learn and see how people and artists adapt to it. And I guess what has been, I guess one of those learning curves that you’ve worked through lockdown? Besides, you know, not going to a recording studio and recording in your bedroom.
Yeah. Well, I think it’s cool because like, to me, like what you’re always trying to do, when you go and make album, you’re trying to find like debutism, again, you’re trying to find that like, spot, that is why people liked you in the first place, you know, rather than just redoing the same thing or, and that, ultimately is a commercial business process. But you know, what you’re trying to find is this, like, being fresh and new again. And I think that that this kind of put us in that place, because it was like, I was making music like I just started out, you know, I have a laptop, couple of bits of software, couple of keyboards, some tiny speakers, you know, and I’m making music. So, I feel like that has rubbed off on the songs. I mean, it’s not really for me to say, but it feels like that gave a freshness to some way as well.
Yeah. and you know, you can you guys have been a band for a very long time, since 2004. That’s a lot of dedication and commitment right there.
It’s kind of funny what we’re doing, you know it’s been hard to keep it together. But it’s been. I feel very lucky, honoured to be part of. It’s like a, like a team, you know, like, we’ve had different people coming in and out and still have people from the past that want to, you know, in the family, and, you know, it’s kind of like, we’re now like a kind of premiership football team. Like, we’ve, we’ve had wins and losses. We’ve probably usually like middle of a table, but occasionally, you know, we’ll get, we might get to the FA Cup Final, you know, it’s that kind of thing. And it just rolls on and, you know, it’s like, fucking 20 years coming up. And the way we’re doing 15 Year Anniversary Tour a couple of years late, because COVID I mean, we should have been doing this two years ago. So yeah, 20 years, that’s mad. That’s like, a whole adult person’s life.
.
.
It’s crazy. I mean, I guess what’s one of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt, like being in band for so long?
Patience. Humility, really, kind of important. Because, it is really interesting as the things you thought you wanted, maybe aren’t actually the things you wanted and really, when you boil it all down, the thing I learned is that you really just should be just, the goal is to keep making music, you know, and like, not, you know, get too wrapped up in all the other stuff and, and to be happy, and have a good team and that kind of thing. So yeah, I mean, I’m not trying to be too like, Zen about it, but there is this that I think I’ve gathered because I think I was fighting in the early days, you know, you’re trying so hard to shout the loudest. You know, we were one of 1000 indie bands, you know, it there was so many fucking bands in the UK, it was crazy. They just tried to shout the loudest and, and I think, especially now, yeah, just learning to just be a bit more happy that I did that; but then now it’s really sort of being comfortable in my own skin really. Because this challenging, you know, there’s so much stuff that you’re trying to be you know, I’m kind of personally think a guy in a band should be and you can get that quite wrong quite easily. And the actual thing that’s great is when you just want to be yourself and humble, and not take it too seriously, as well is important, because at the end of the day is like its music. It’s just vibes it’s just a feeling, you know that and it’s just ride the wave.
Yeah was there anything along the journey that like unexpected or that has happened to you guys as a band, that did you expect. Like when you blew up so quickly?
Yeah, yeah, I think, yeah, I think listen, I think it’s a trauma bit with like, we had ambitions and stuff, but we weren’t meant to be that big on our first album, in terms of like, we weren’t, you know, Arctic Monkeys or The Killers, you know, we weren’t like The Kooks are going to be the big thing. So, we were like, super cool, like, we’re just gonna come out and be cool. And then it just went so crazy big, like, worldwide as well, everywhere, it went crazy big. Like I say, commercially, and I’m very grateful for that. I guess we were so young. And we probably just, you know, it was too much for two of the guys in the first line-up, and that that was really difficult, because we started at that point, you know, that, that was like, a long time to kind of figure that out. Not having your best mate to start with and seeing them fall out of it. And then trying to get things back together, that was quite a difficult time. A lot of fun was had during it. It was, you know, but it was like a bit crazy. So, but that was, you know, a couple of years. But I think that that’s where, you know, set us off on that, where things internally weren’t maybe as stable as, say, other bands I look at who didn’t have that, that kind of instability, but then it kind of in a way created something really magical with our band. And I think meant that, like, we have made lots of risks, taken lots of risks with our music and done lots of different styles. And we haven’t we, you know, we haven’t sold out, but we all and we’ve done that, and we’ve done the thing I think that was bound to being maybe not so secure.
Yeah, I mean, I don’t really believe in selling out, I think every fan should be happy, like, you know, happy about the fact that one of their favourite bands is getting the recognition they deserve. So, I guess it’s just how you view commercialised radio and all that type of stuff that comes along with popularity. Did the pandemic affect how you viewed live music and performing?
It’s been very, very cool. Coming back to it. People be very excited. It was kind of nervous going back because we haven’t played for quite a while. That was different. I haven’t felt nervous before going on stage for a long time. Since I was a teenager, so that was quite cool. quite enjoyed that.
.
.
Have you kind of changed how you approach performing now versus pre COVID?
Not really no, no, we totally, you know, energy is very similar. I mean, I think we did, we did go into the songs especially the first album since we’ve kind of over 15 years, we’ve started playing differently to the album. So, it’s kind of funny, we went back and like really worked out all the parts properly again. So that was, I guess that would be a bit different. But it’s rock’n’roll. You know, it’s music. You play and try and lose yourself in the moment.
Yeah, I mean, talking about how you’re playing songs a bit differently live then they were recorded; would you if had the chance, go back and like if you could record those songs how you perform them live or you happy how they are recorded versus live and giving like a different experience?
Interesting question. I think you’ve got to leave things. I mean, I was like time capsules. So, you wanna leave the album as it was. I think in some ways, having said that, I wouldn’t say no to recording our first album again, it’ll be quite fun. So, I don’t know. I mean, I think when you know, when you’re young as well, there’s a kind of naivety to how you play and how you sing. So that’s something kind of magical that we can’t then do later. So, I don’t know. I am just happy that the record is still spinning, basically.
Well, like I know, touring is expensive right now, what’s the best way fans can support you guys on tour?
Well, buying a ticket will be very, very appreciated. I think. It’s, we got a lot of gratitude to our fans, and it’s been unbelievable already. Like, the response to the tour going on sale in Australia. It’s been nuts. So, listen, it’s hard times it’s really difficult for everyone. It depends how you look at it, you know, it’s like, coming out of all these things like, yes, it’s maybe not the most priority-based thing is going to concerts but it’s human. And I think like, not just for our band, but I think like, just really appreciate people that go to concerts and come together and support artists, because I think it’s really important in life that we don’t forget, just because, well, I’m not belittling it, but because things are very difficult for people at the moment. So, we just really appreciate people spending their hard-earned cash, you know, because you know, people have to make the effort. But listen, we were cool. We just want to come and play and have a really good time. And yeah, hopefully, if we, you know, these festivals are going to be unbelievable, you know, it’s, I think it’s our first our first ever headlining festival in in Australia, which is nuts. So, we’re just really thrilled.
.
.
Tour Dates:
Tuesday 4th October 2022 – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
Thursday 6th October 2022 – Festival Hall, Melbourne
Wednesday 12th October 2022 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney (SOLD OUT)
Thursday 13th October 2022 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
.
.
Follow THE KOOKS
Website – Instagram – Facebook – Spotify
.
Press Release 22nd July 2022 (below) HERE
THE KOOKS
release sixth studio album
’10 TRACKS TO ECHO IN THE DARK’
Listen HERE
Watch the video for ‘COLD HEART’ HERE
.
.