[Interview] The Kooks: confessions on their new album "Let's Go Sunshine"!

Last June, we had the chance to meet Luke Pritchard, singer and leader of The Kooks, during his visit to Paris. An interview during which we learned more about their new album Let's Go Sunshine.

The Kooks is an essential British band with its mythical Naive that closes all its setlists and that the public knows like the back of their hand. With already four albums to their credit and a best-of, the English Brighton unveiled their fifth album Let's Go Sunshine on August 31st. During an interview with Luke Pritchard, we learned more about the creation and inspirations of this new essay but also about the band's future projects.

• Since the release of The Best Of… So Far, it feels like you're still on tour: you've just finished touring across the United States, you've played in beautiful venues like Alexandra Palace or huge venues like Wembley Arena, how do you feel?

Luke Pritchard: It's really cool. Being on tour is a lot of travel and stuff like that, it's great.  The best of album, I didn't want to do it at first, it's really because we changed labels. When you change labels, they want to have money obviously so in return,  we did this best of. And in the end it worked very well, it's really cool to have such loyal fans. It was really an exciting tour with some really nice concert halls, and this tour proved to us that people listen to our music. 

• Your next big step is to open for the Rolling Stones in Germany! How did you get here?

Luke Pritchard: Yes yes, we're just good friends… They have been a real support in recent years and it's a good thing to open up for them. And then it's an opportunity to see them in concert. I really do it for the free tickets, I play a few songs and I see the concert for free. (laughs)

• And it's a good opportunity for you to play your new titles…

Luke Pritchard: Oh, yes! 

• Besides, you released two singles simultaneously, it was like Christmas before time for your fans! Why did you make this choice?

Luke Pritchard: Yes!It's cool I think, we could have unveiled the album all at once but we decided it was more fun to unveil it as we went along, and we have 14 songs. We didn't know which single to choose, it was really hard… Fractured and Dazed and No Pressure are songs that represent what we do best: a nice melody, a good atmosphere. But the other single is more different. All The Time eis more different from what people can expect. We were able to show both sides of the album! 

• You have the ability to make us smile when we listen to your latest singles, can we expect the same for the rest of the Let 's Go Sunshine titles?

Luke Pritchard: Yes, I think people expect a good album from us. It's a little different from before, more refreshing. We have songs where we have things to say and others more in the theme of love, being in love. But only good vibes: no negativity, no bitterness, it's just guys having fun and you can hear it. We had a lot of fun recording this album and I think you can feel it when you listen. 

• Did you register it in the United States?

Luke Pritchard: And in London, we did it between these two countries because the producer is from Los Angeles. I loved writing there.

• Why did you choose Let's Go Sunshine ?

Luke Pritchard: Let's Go Sunshine… I just thought about what the album looks like: it's an invitation to let go and give up luggage. It's like balloons, letting go, abandoning the world and its negativity to finally have a positive album. I really wanted to represent letting go, abandoning negative baggage, freedom, sun…

• Did you have any specific inspirations for this new album? 

Luke Pritchard: Musically, there are some spirit animals like Tom Petty, we really listened to Tom Petty a lot.But we also wanted to make a very British album that would be the modern version of Village Green, The Smiths or Oasis…Not because no one does it but because it's what we love the most and what we identify with the most.Long live British bands! 

• Are you the only one who wrote about this album where your acolytes helped you?

Luke Pritchard: Practically yes, I collaborated with Chris Seefried, we wrote Four Leaf Clover, Chicken Bone and Tesco Disco. In a way, I did a lot of demos and we worked on them together with the band but in the writing, it's mostly me.

• Speaking of Let's Go Sunshine, it was unexpected to see Dylan, the son of Pete (bassist of the band) on the cover of the album, why this choice?

Luke Pritchard: It was not planned, but we thought that the result worked really well, it was not an intentional thing. We worked with the balloons, and as I said: for me, the balloons represent the world and I wanted them on the cover. We had them during the photoshoot and when we saw the photo, we found this iconic image. It represents innocence and we're not going to lie, it's a very beautiful child! It was nice, this photo is really iconic.

• On your fourth album Listen released in 2014, we can find personal songs like See Me Now but also committed titles with It Was London. We can hope to find the same kind of songs on Let's Go Sunshine ? 

Luke Pritchard: Yes, we have a few. For example, Kids represents a suffocation in relation to society, it's definitely me in my room angry at the world, it feels good in faith. There are lots of personal songs, it's funny that you talk about See Me Now because on this album there is a song with my father. My sister sent me a demo that he recorded in the 70s, we started working on it and we had the idea to put our voices down. I'm not a producer so I didn't know if I was able to do it. It was intense and kind of creepy to sing with my dad but also great, there are a lot of feelings on this album. 

• On Let's Go Susnhine, what's your favorite track, the one you can't wait for fans to discover? 

Luke Pritchard: None of the singles! (laughs) The good thing about this album is that every song was really intentional. I don't want to be pretentious, it's not for me to say how good this album is, but I think each song has a purpose, a meaning, a real substance sought. In my opinion, and this is not a final choice, the best is Weight of The World, I think they are the best choirs we have ever done, there is a real emotion. It's a very cool and magical track at the same time: everything appears very organically and we have this trumpet solo that gives an extraordinary result. I think people don't expect it, it's a bit classy and it shows that we've grown.

• You will be playing in many festivals this summer such as Sziget but also on the Main Stage of Reading & Leeds Festival, it's huge! 

Luke Pritchard: Yes it's huge, I'm really excited about that one. Reading Festival is going to be great and so are the others. 

• You play in many festivals but none in France, why?

Luke Pritchard: They have to ask us first! (laughs). I think The Kooks has a complicated relationship with France: sometimes we're adored, sometimes we're not. We would like to play at Rock en Seine, I went there one year, it was really nice. I'm sure that with the release of the album, we will surely play in a festival in France. 

• The last time The Kooks came to Paris was at the Olympia…

Luke Pritchard: Oh yes, I love this room! 

• In fact, you said the concert would be recorded. What is the status of this project?

Luke Pritchard: Yes, we really recorded it and decided to wait to release the live album but we intend to do it! It's just that we want to focus on the new album and not release too many things at once. It will probably be released next year. Time is catching up with us! 

• Can we expect a European tour?

Luke Pritchard: I hope, we think in March next year! 

We warmly thank Luke Pritchard, singer and leader of The Kooks, for granting us this interview! While waiting for a possible concert in Paris, we advise you to listen to their new Let's Go Sunshine!