British indie-rock favourites The Kooks are back with their most accomplished album to date. Never/Know is out on 9th May via Virgin Music Group, the band’s new global distribution partner. Never/Know is both a return to the band’s trademark, anthemic songwriting, and a celebration of their taste in timeless, classic records. Pre-order here.
The band marked the album announcement with a throwback Indie Club Night at Notting Hill Arts Club last night, where fans and media enjoyed an intimate set featuring mostly new material
News of the album coincides with the release of the effortlessly infectious and groove-driven single, Never Know – listen here – alongside a brand new, lyric video. The single sets the tone for the album, showcasing the band’s reputation as one of the genre’s strongest songwriters. The track’s meaning is a universal one; the innocence behind the chorus’ mantra (“you never know, never know, never know”) captures the excitement of a newly discovered romance.
The 11-track offering, self-produced by Pritchard*, was born out of a mission to reconnect with The Kooks’ original creative drive. Speaking about the album’s impetus, 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 says. But to truly move forward, they had to reflect: “What kind of music do we want to make, and how do we make it feel natural?”
The result is an album that encapsulates the magic of the band’s culturally pivotal debut while venturing into fresh, uncharted territory for The Kooks. From the lush female backing vocals on ‘Sunny Baby’, to the title track’s Motown-inspired four-to-the-floor kick pattern, the record is full of surprises. At its core though, it’s an album dedicated to well-crafted pop-rock songwriting.
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