The Kooks: ‘I want this album to be for the hardcore fans’ | Music | Entertainment

Nearly two decades after breaking through with catchy guitar hooks and breezy swagger, brighton-based band, The Kooks are stepping into a new era, one that feels like a celebration of who they are, unbothered by outside noise and the pressure to appease any one in particular. Across its 11 tracks, their seventh studio album, Never/Know, which is out now, brings a confident return to rock’n’roll energy that is also paired with the kind of simple, but expressive lyricism that made their 2006 debut one of the most defining records of the 2000s.

There are few songs as defining of the 2000s as ‘Naive’, but the band were never a one-hit wonder, and their follow-up record Konk, hit number one on the UK album charts, one of four that graced the top 10. But as vocalist and guitartist, Luke Pritchard, has put it, their newest record, Never/Know, isn’t a throwback, but a rediscovery of their identity. I sat down with the 40-year-old frontman as he reveals the new process was all about making music that feels natural, instinctive, and true to their roots, and said they’re looking forward to bringing that revigerated energy to their headline tour in November this year.

“I think it’s quite rock ‘n’ roll, the new album,” he said. “It’s got guitars and it’s dynamic, we didn’t need any extra bits.” He sounds relaxed, content with where the band have landed: “I haven’t really worried about any of that stuff on this album.”

For Luke, there’s a good reason for that ease, Never/Know emerged from a period of clarity, both musically and personally: “My whole life changed quite drastically in the last few years with family and things settling down, and I was trying to just do what I wanted to listen to.”

Written initially as a solo project, the record grew into a band affair once Luke invited the rest of the band: guitarist, Hugh Harris; bassist, Peter Denton; and drummer Alexis Nunez, to join him in the studio. But, this time Luke’s role was more than just the frontman. He took the reins as producer for the first time, guiding the process from start to finish: “It was a challenge,” he said, but added: “It’s my debut, [so] it means a lot to me.”

He explains that he had a clear vision for the record, one he wanted to see through to the end, whether it was good or bad. Thankfully, it was one that came to life when the band stripped things back and spent proper time together, reconnecting with the reason they started making music in the first place.

“It was amazing – we went to the countryside just the four of us and were just listening and playing music together.” He added that this wasn’t just beneficial for the album, but their relationship in general: “There was a recalibration, and even just going on tour now has been a very cool, different kind of energy.”

Returning to that creative space led to what Luke calls their most honest work yet: “It’s not all super personal, but it’s just very vulnerable.” He credits this to being his own producer and being able to express himself more freely without having to try to be ‘cool’. That sense of self is reflected in the record, and while Luke admitted it is easy to fall into a trap where a band’s second or third albums risk becoming pastiche this one felt different. “This one just felt like a real celebration of the band. I kind of want it to be for the hardcore fans,” he revealed.

That affection for their long-term fans is grounded in the fact they’ve been around for so long. Next year the band will be celebrating their 20th year and that’s not small feat for any band. “I realised I’m going to have been in the band longer than I haven’t been next year, isn’t that weird?” Luke laughed. It’s the kind of moment that makes a person take stock, but on reflection Luke suggested they are better than ever: “The band are in a good place, the chemistry is there.”

That chemistry carries Never/Know through 11 tracks that nod to love, parenthood, uncertainty and optimism. The title track is an ode to unpredictable connection, while ‘Sunny Baby’ is dripping with nostalgia, and ‘Compass Will Fracture’ carries an undercurrent of social commentary.

Explaining the latter, Luke said: “It’s almost about the more knowledge we’ve gained, the less we know.” But, he admitted, it’s far from bleak. With a bit of what Luke described as ‘swagger’, the song “ultimately makes you feel good.” That’s the sweet spot The Kooks find themselves in, the melodies engrained in them means they can write feel good-music, with layers. “I think, what am I doing?” Luke confessed. “I’m in the middle of a really sunshine record and it’s all doom and gloom out there…I don’t know, I’m a bit of an optimist.”

That duality is threaded through the album: “I think part of the job of being a performer and writer is to somehow offer a break, offer a bit of something that transcends normal life,” Luke added, something he attributes to the melodies. “Melodies are amazing, if you stumble across an amazing melody it can completely change your brain chemistry. So, I just think I’m always trying to search for that.”

Alongside reconnecting with their sound, The Kooks have also connected with an entirely new audience. “We’ve been very lucky to play and pick up new fans and a younger audience, which is very exciting,” Luke said. “You see the next generation finding our music and liking it, and that’s crazy.”

Despite their signature sound being rooted in the indie heyday of the early 2000s, nearly half of the band’s current audience is aged between 18 and 24. And while many other artists work hard to keep up with shifting trends, Luke claimed that wasn’t their approach. “I wasn’t fond of going, ‘I need to sound like Billie Eilish or the Fontaines D.C.’ I was like, ‘I really like this new music but let’s just do what we do.’”

“We had a huge TikTok song with ‘Jeanie’ – a collaboration track, completely random – and it was like number 11 in the TikTok chart worldwide,” Luke said. For him, and the band, social media has made it easier to put themselves out there and on a level provides freedom and spontanetiy. “It doesn’t have to be such a corporate way of putting music out anymore, which kind of democratises it.”

Their new-found platform is helping build excitement around their biggest London headline show to date, taking place at O2 Arena in November as part of their wider UK tour. For Luke, it’s a milestone that brings things full circle: “The last time we played there we were supporting The Rolling Stones,” he recalls. “I feel like it’s going to be one of the best nights of my life.”

Luke even teases he’s bringing in a new look for the new era, “I just bought leather trousers.” Still, he insists the band won’t forget where they came from: “Don’t worry, we’ll play the hits,” he says.

“It’s going to be the kind of rock ‘n’ roll songs the band have produced, and we’re going to be looking at some songs that I always notice people asking for but that we don’t play, or we haven’t played for years.”

Fashion statements aside, the band seems more optimistic than ever. Reflecting on his earlier comment about the record’s roots, I ask Luke whether he feels they’ve finally found their identity.

“It’s good to make a stand for proper rock ’n’ roll, and playing guitar music, and do a real modern take on the music that we love and where we started,” he said, before adding with a quiet confidence, “And I think in a sense we have.”

‘Never/Know’ is out now. Get tickets to their upcoming tour.