EXCLUSIVE – The Kooks: Karma, Kindness & Kick-Ass Music

The Kooks are an English pop rock band that currently comprises of band members Luke Pritchard, Hugh Harris, Alexis Nunez and Peter Denton. The popular group are best known for their hit tracks ‘She Moves In Her Own Way’, ‘Ooh La’, ‘Naïve’ and ‘Shine On’.
Hannah Montgomery managed to score interview time with Luke, who was more than happy to talk about everything from musical influences to personal goals…
The Kooks are a four-piece unit who have had much success – their debut album ‘Inside In/Inside Out’ has received quadruple platinum status – and despite being around since 2004, the guys are showing no signs of slowing down.
The band have headed a number of world tours, including one in the US, and earlier this year they supported the legendary musicians The Rolling Stones on two stadium dates. But how did it all begin?
“I’m originally from London, but I went to Brighton and met a bunch of guys and we formed a band called The Kooks,” Luke detailed. “Before that I went to the Brit School and then basically jumped into straight having a record deal aged about 18. It was all a bit quick! We released our debut album in 2006 and have been f**king legends since then! (laughs).”
Luke described his relationship with the other band members in positive terms: “We are an eclectic bunch, just like our music,” he said. “We get on great and have our ups and downs – kind of like brothers, as you would imagine, as I spend more time with the guys than I do my family.
“It’s kinda nuts but yeah, the name The Kooks in a funny way was quite relevant to us cus we feel like kind of outsiders, so the thing that bonds us I think is that. We were the shy kids at school, and finding ourselves bonded us.”
Having been around for 14 years, it is inevitable that The Kooks have also found their footing musically. Through experimentation and experience they have altered their style and sound – not so much for the purpose of the public, but in order to better reflect their particular mindset at any given time.
“We have changed – we grew up,” Luke said.  “It’s kind of a cliché of being in the music industry. Every album of ours does sound different; we don’t really have one sound, but with the new album ‘Lets Go Sunshine’ it was very clear in our minds that we wanted to redefine the band.
“It did cross our minds to go through a philosophical conundrum together and ask questions like: why are we doing this, what do we want to achieve, what do we want to put out there? We wanted to make an album that had the DNA that we started with, an album that goes against the grain of music right now. We have gone full circle and that’s where we are.”
So what can we expect from the new album? “There’s lots of different vibes,” Luke commented. “I’m very happy with the lyrics. It’s quite cheeky, pointing to some influences such as The Beatles. We enjoyed making the record – it’s a real Brit-pop album.”
When asked to discuss the name of the record, Luke told us that he personally wanted a title that referred to letting go, about a “release”, and that ‘Sunshine’ was included to signify how they “unashamedly make positive and upbeat music”.
Their tour is fast approaching, and the guys are super happy about presenting ‘Lets Go Sunshine’ to their fans. “I really want to play the new album!” Luke enthused. “As much as we love playing ‘Naïve’, we are excited to have some new material and see how the songs go down. Also with smaller venues it will be fun, it will be really intimate.”
Aside from the tour and album promo, Luke has some individual aims of his own. “My biggest dream at the moment is to have a studio, but I live in London and it’s f**king expensive!” he divulged. “A place to work would be a dream.”
As well as discussing plans for the future, Luke told us more about his general approach to life: “I believe in putting good things out there and that’s the way I try and live my life,” he concluded. “It’s all about kindness and karma.
“We all get it wrong sometimes and I think as I’ve gotten older I’ve started to realise that you don’t always have to understand why people act a certain way. As long as you keep yourself consistent with how you are then you should be alright. That’s really important to me.”
The Kooks are due to play the main stage at Reading & Leeds Festival later this month and will then embark on an intimate UK tour in September. The video for their new single ‘No Pressure’ is out now.
Image Credits: Andrew Whitton
> Hannah Montgomery