2000s indie-rock trailblazers The Kooks have dialled down their musical output for the past couple of years, but with summertime approaching, this surely feels like the most appropriate time for their return, thanks to their infectiously upbeat sound combined with their notable nostalgic ability to deliver a feeling.
Formed in Brighton in 2004, the band achieved instant mainstream success with anthemic debut Inside In/Inside Out and quickly established their identity as indie stalwarts thanks to their easy blend of Brit Pop, Rock, Reggae and Ska. This May, after nearly two decades of jangly guitar riffs, festival anthems, and indie-rock charm, The Kooks reconnect with their timeless uplifting swing on their seventh album, Never/Know.
“My vision was to do it in a very impulsive way, like a lot of the music I love,” frontman Luke Pritchard tells me. “I think the best thing you can do as an artist is put out something you’d want to listen to yourself.” For this project, he took the reins as producer and steered the band back to its roots, organically drawing from his own personal growth while sonically and spiritually reconnecting with that raw chemistry that first defined the band.
The result is a romantic, nostalgic blend of their classic feel-good melodic instincts and a fresh dose of soul, funk, and classic rock influences. Lead single ‘Never Know’ – a shimmering, groove-led ode to the unpredictability of love – sets the tone for an album that’s full of heart. From the dreamy, nostalgic bounce of ‘Sunny Baby’ to the driving rhythms of ‘Compass Will Fracture’, and a smoky, soulful cover of Wings’ ‘Arrow Through Me’, the record plays like a love letter to their beginnings, their influences, and Pritchards’ young family.
While the sonic palette may be broader than ever, there’s a simplicity at its core: catchy hooks, stripped back guitars, and well crafted, honest pop-rock songwriting that still manages to resonate with both their long-time listeners and a whole new generation of fans.
Below, BRICKS meets the indie-rock frontman to chat all about their latest self-produced offering.
CHIARA: First off, congrats on your upcoming release. Excited for it to be out! How are you feeling about it? Do you have any fun plans to celebrate?
LUKE PRITCHARD: I’m feeling really good about it. I just feel like it’s the best thing we’ve done in ages and like a real doorway to a new chapter for us. We feel very reinvigorated and connected, and the chemistry on the record was really cool for us. I think we all go through albums that are more challenging, but this one was a real moment, so I feel really good. We’re already doing bits and pieces: we’ve got a load of small gigs to go and see everyone, play intimate shows, and some of the new songs, plus some festivals. There’s a lot going on, so it’s really exciting.
Exciting for sure. I know you did something at Notting Hill Arts Club recently too?
Exactly, yeah. We’ve been doing the indie nights.
Very fitting for you guys!
We still get spun at those clubs, which is amazing. It’s cool to get into some of the venues and club nights I used to go to when I was younger. It’s the right setting for our music. So it’s brilliant.
It’s been quite a while since you’ve released a full LP. What did you learn about yourself and about the band during your time off?
I really had some epiphany moments during that period. I became a dad, and I felt this release. There was a lot of tension and anxiety in my life. My dad died when he was the age I am now, and having a kid at this point really felt like something came over me. It got me thinking about the preciousness of life, I was hit with this wave of gratitude, and the songs came pouring out perfectly.
I really had some epiphany moments during that period. I became a dad, and I felt this release.
So sorry to hear about your dad. This all sounds like a great source of inspiration though. Can you talk me through the writing and recording process behind Never Know? How does it differ from your past albums?
I had this moment on stage, playing one of the older songs, and I saw everyone really connecting to the words. I thought, I’ve been collaborating with producers for a long time and embraced that way of working, but now what I need for myself, more than anything, is to start to really dive a bit more inward and write some songs just on my own. So I went home and started writing. In five days, I had pretty much the whole album sketched out. It was a very quick flow of music. Then I went to the guys and said, look, I really want to produce this one. I’ve got this vision — it’s all the original influences of the band, getting back to the core identity of The Kooks in 2025. They were super supportive and loved the songs.
We went to the countryside and just got jamming and arranging everything. I got a lot of constructive criticism, and we fleshed the songs out. This spiritual chemistry came in and we recorded it really quickly. My vision was to do it in a very impulsive way, like a lot of the music I love. I think the best thing you can do as an artist is put out something you’d want to listen to yourself. This isn’t laboured over — it’s stripped back. It’s guitar, music and soul.
Spontaneity is the best way around it, especially these days. You mentioned that the album was about reconnecting with the band’s original creative drive. How did you find that balance between honoring the past and pushing into new musical spaces?
Well, it’s always pushing into new musical spaces in the sense that it’s not about repetition. It was about returning to the pillars of the band. We’d done albums that helped us evolve, so it felt like time to do a modern album with our original influences. It started by listening to music — The Police, Dylan, Buddy Holly, David Bowie, Lou Reed. Just honing in on what we were playing when we started the band.
That makes sense. The album presents endearing themes of love and family that easily resonate with a wide audience. If you had to direct a romantic comedy with your music as the soundtrack, what would it look like and be about? Who would you cast in it?
It’s got to be Hugh Grant, hasn’t it? The best. It would be about someone who hasn’t quite got their life going, and someone comes in and changes that. Then there’s a twist — a breakup, and a rekindling… I’ll have to think more about it. I’ll start planning.
If you have any ideas, let me know [laughs].
I think we could do it. ‘Never Know’ is a bit like that. It’s about meeting someone and having that revelation that I mentioned earlier as I spoke about my dad — letting go of angst, starting to celebrate the little things, and gratitude. It’s a meet-cute with someone that makes your whole life and your perception all change, and all the things you thought were important, all of a sudden you realise aren’t as much. It’s the small, beautiful things in life that make it worth living.
Great. It’s very Love, Actually.
I’m a cheesy guy.
We love that. Were you initially demoing the album solo?
I wrote it with the band in mind, I just did it alone at first. I was nervous about it, I didn’t know if it would be potent enough. But when I brought in songs like ‘Sunny Baby’ and ‘Compass Will Fracture’, the reaction was so strong. That’s when I realised, this is what we should be doing. It was very intentionally for The Kooks.
It definitely feels familiar and new at the same time, which I think really works. You self-produced this record. What was that experience like?
I really loved it because it felt like seeing it through — from the songs to the end — really delivering my intention. It’s about a nostalgic feeling and staying true to the band. When you collaborate, you’re letting someone else into your world and finding that amazing fusion. But this one was very pure. It’s just what the band does live every night. I pushed that chemistry forward, and the lyrics came straight from my head. There’s an intimacy you don’t get when writing with others.
It’s a bit more work, but I enjoyed it. I liked the psychology of it, working with the band and making sure everyone was presented in the best way. I know them so well — I know what they’re capable of and their best bits. I loved working with Hugh on the guitar parts. In my opinion, he’s one of the great guitar players of our generation, and he doesn’t get celebrated enough. He’s done lots of interesting stuff with strings and pads, but this time we got back to a raw sound — just plugging into an amp, great tone, and his insane playing. It was fun to see that come to fruition.
Do you have one lyric or track from the album that you’re most proud of?
“Can’t take the money when it’s time to go, so let’s blow it like we’re movie stars.” I always like singing that one. It makes me feel good.
I love that. Indie icon energy.
Live in the moment. That’s the message. We’ve got to live for today.
What part of the album challenged you the most?
Stopping. You can just keep going forever. I think it was David Byrne or Eno who said, “You don’t finish an album, you abandon it.” That quote really resonated. The last song, ‘Talk About It’, was written in an hour and we did it live. It was tough not to build the track up, but I’m glad we left it raw. It felt brave.
I think it was David Byrne or Eno who said, “You don’t finish an album, you abandon it.” That quote really resonated. The last song, ‘Talk About It’, was written in an hour and we did it live. It was tough not to build the track up, but I’m glad we left it raw. It felt brave.
Can you explain your choice to include the cover of Paul McCartney’s ‘Arrow Through Me’? How did it inform the rest of the album?
It’s such a curveball. We’d never even considered putting a cover on an album before. But that song became the anthem of the record. We were listening to it constantly. We all love Wings and felt a strange affinity with them. When I was a kid, I liked Wings, but they weren’t considered cool. Now they are — and you see a lot of new artists influenced by them.
The Kooks have gone through something similar. We’ve been cool, uncool, and cool again. I wanted to shine a light on that track. It’s just brilliant, and we had so much fun doing it.
Speaking of influences, are there any emerging artists you’re really inspired by at the moment?
There are some great new bands. I really like The Thing, and Honeyglaze is really cool. I really like Role Model too — he’s got such positive vibes.
Me too, trying to get tickets for his show.
Cruz Beckham is great too. I’ve been lucky to hear some of his music and it’s brilliant. It’s not what you’d expect. I think it’s going to be really exciting to see what happens with him.
There’s a lot of conversation around “nepo babies” and what they should or shouldn’t be doing. But at the end of the day, if you want to put out art, you should, what do you think?
Well, Jeff Buckley was a nepo baby, and he made one of the greatest albums of the ’90s. It can be a hard place to be — in some ways harder. Everyone gets judged on their merit in the end. Inhaler is cool too, great band.
True. People talk about this a lot I guess, it’s always in the headlines.
It’s an age-old conversation. It’s always been there. It was just more shrouded before.
You’ve seen a lot of changes in the music industry over the years, especially with how social media has allowed bands to connect with fans. How has your relationship with fans evolved, and how does it impact your songwriting?
It’s been seismic. We’ve seen so many iterations. When we started, there was Myspace. That felt like a real-time connection with people. It’s cool to witness how it’s changed. You have to embrace it without letting it sway you too much. You’ve still got to make music you love, not just what you think others will.
For this album though, I thought — let’s do something our real fans will love. Give them something fresh, but also nostalgic. When people talk about our old songs or B Side online, that’s what they connect with. A lot of the sensitivity of The Kooks resonates with young female fans now. We used to get criticised for that, but now it’s embraced, and I’ve leaned into that more in my writing.
Sorry, can you hear my kid?
Awh yes, no worries! How old is he now?
He’s one and a half.
Still a baby! I’ve got my cat here making noise – that’s my son.
Awh hello! He’s a ginger! Do you want to see my son? A little interjection.
Oh my goodness, he’s so cute! I love kids. I’m actually a nanny too — side hustle.
Oh are you? Kids give you so much back. It’s amazing, isn’t it? Hard work sometimes, but wow.
Yeah, definitely a lot to learn. With the album release coming up, what are you most excited about for the future of The Kooks? Any particular goals or dreams you’re hoping to achieve with this new chapter?
I’m just taking it as it comes. We’ve had this amazing influx of new, younger fans finding our music. I’m excited to see where that goes. I want to stay in the moment and be grateful. It’s not easy, but we’ve worked really hard over the past 20 years. Recently, it’s felt fresh again. That’s my goal — to wake up and still feel like I want to make music, I want to get in with the guys and create something new. We just fucking love it, and that’s brilliant. That’s my goal: just keep loving it.
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