The Kooks tell us about “positive” and “romantic” new album ‘Never/Know’: “It’s such a guitar record, but it’s also got a modernity to it”

nme.com:

The Kooks have announced details of their seventh album ‘Never/Know’. Check out the title track below along with our interview with frontman Luke Pritchard.Due for release on May 9, ‘Never/Know’ follows 2022’s ‘10 Tracks To Echo In The Dark’ was was produced entirely by Pritchard – who told NME how the majority of the album came together in under five days.“I spent so little time writing.

I was still going about life, doing the dishes!” he explained. “I didn’t overthink it. It wasn’t necessarily strictly a stream of consciousness, but there was this vibe I was getting when I played it to my wife or my friends.

It felt there was maybe a debut-ism to it… trying to get into flow state and let it ride – let it roll.”The summery lead single ‘Never Know’ carries a much more minimalistic energy than their classic indie-rock anthem; its whistled intro and organ melody easing us into the new era of The Kooks.

Capturing the excitement of unpredictability upon meeting his wife for the first time, Pritchard explained how the song is about “living in the moment.”“You never know when you’re going to meet the love of your life, but also when it’s all going to end,” he told NME. “In that sense, it’s positive, but also about grabbing hold of the moment.