The Kooks Interview

Luke Pritchard of The Kooks spoke with Music-News.com Editor Marco Gandolfi at The Kooks Indie Club Night album launch show, held at Notting Hill Arts Club on Friday, 30 January 2025.

Beloved British indie-rock band The Kooks have returned with what they consider their most accomplished album yet.

Never/Know will be released on 9 May through Virgin Music Group, the band’s new global distribution partner. The record blends a return to the group’s signature anthemic songwriting with a celebration of their love for timeless, classic albums.

The first single from the album, Never Know, is out today alongside a brand-new lyric video. Infectious, groove-driven, and effortlessly catchy, the track sets the tone for the record and highlights the band’s continued strength as one of the genre’s most reliable songwriters.

Lyrically, the song speaks to a universal feeling. The innocence behind the chorus’ refrain, “you never know, never know, never know,” captures the spark and excitement of a new romance.

Speaking about the single, frontman and songwriter Luke Pritchard explained, “It’s a love song about a cute meet with someone unpredictable. I like the idea of it being played in a convertible on a road trip somewhere ridiculous. Because really, you never know.”

Footage was also shared from the Never/Know album launch party at Notting Hill Arts Club.

The 11-track collection, self-produced by Pritchard*, was driven by a desire to reconnect with The Kooks’ original creative spirit. On the inspiration behind the album, Pritchard said, “It’s not about going back to the first album’s sound, but to the roots of our influences and asking, ‘What is the identity of this band?’

“The whole thing was to just forget that the past had happened,” he reflected. But to truly move forward, the band also had to look back: “What kind of music do we want to make, and how do we make it feel natural?”

The result is an album that captures the magic of their culturally significant debut while boldly stepping into fresh territory. From the lush female harmonies on Sunny Baby to the title track’s Motown-inspired four-to-the-floor rhythm, the record is full of unexpected touches. At its heart, though, it remains a celebration of finely crafted pop-rock songwriting.

With a sound that helped define indie music in the 2000s, The Kooks have continued to adapt and remain relevant, connecting with an entirely new generation of listeners. Today, 45% of their core audience is aged 18 to 24, and with more than seven million monthly listeners on Spotify, their songwriting clearly still resonates widely.

Never/Know features some of Pritchard’s most straightforward yet heartfelt lyrics to date. Many songs are laced with clever one-liners and affectionate nicknames for his children and loved ones—words that work on the surface but carry a much deeper emotional meaning.

Musically, their intoxicating cover of Paul McCartney and Wings’ Arrow Through Me is perhaps the clearest nod to their influences, while the album closer, the soulful and brooding Talk About It, reveals their appreciation for classic soul.

The album began as a solo project for Pritchard, who started by creating a series of demos before bringing the rest of the band into the studio. His creative partnership with guitarist Hugh Harris was reignited, echoing the spontaneity and spirit of the band’s early days. Harris commented, “At the heart of it, we both want the same thing, and that’s very powerful.”

Full tracklist for Never/Know
1. Never Know
2. Sunny Baby
3. All Over The World
4. If They Could Only Know
5. China Town
6. Compass Will Fracture
7. Tough At The Top
8. Arrow Through Me
9. Echo Chamber
10. Let You Go
11. Talk About It

*All tracks produced by Luke Pritchard except track 9 which was produced by J Lloyd.