Latest news with #LukePritchard
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Cruz Beckham 'prepares to launch his music career' as star 'heads to the studio most days' - and girlfriend Jackie Apostel is his biggest supporter
Cruz Beckham is reportedly preparing to launch his music career and is visiting the studio most days. The youngest of the Beckham sons, 20, who kickstarted his career when he was just 11 years old, has been working on new material and has his sights set on an official release later this year. And the budding musician has the full support of his girlfriend Jackie Apostel, 29, who is said to often join him at the studio. The Sun revealed: 'Cruz is in the studio most days and Jackie loves to join him when she's around. They have a shared passion for music. 'This is a really exciting time for Cruz. He's got people supporting him and guiding him, including Luke Pritchard from The Kooks, and the tunes he's coming up with are sounding really great.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. However the star is keen to rush anything as they added: 'Cruz isn't rushing into releasing anything until what he has done is perfect.' Back in March it was revealed that Cruz was writing songs with British indie legends The Kooks. The band's frontman Luke told T he Sun how he was eager to help the youngster 'navigate' his future career in music. He told the publication: 'We started writing songs together and we've become mates. 'I'd just love to help him navigate [a career in music]. He's naturally going to come under criticism because of who his parents are - he's aware of that. Cruz reportedly signed with the top music management company C3, who worked with US indie group The Strokes, as well as Thirty Seconds To Mars. Meanwhile last month Cruz and Jackie performed a duet at David's 50th birthday party. Taking to the stage at London's esteemed restaurant Core, Jackie took to Instagram to share the heartwarming video as they belted out the song Victoria and David love for the crowds. The 1983 hit, by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, is well-known for being Victoria and David's favourite song and they danced to it at the end of the BECKHAM Netflix documentary. At the party, both Cruz and Jackie took on the vocals as they performed a melodic version of the popular song, while Cruz also played guitar. After finishing the song, Cruz leant in and gave Jackie a kiss on the neck while the crowds erupted into applause for the couple. Sharing the footage to Instagram, Jackie captioned the post: 'From 1 lova 2 anotha,' while Cruz added: 'Ah ahhhh,' both in reference to the song's famous lyrics. On the eve of David's 50th birthday, Victoria had also shared a video of her and her husband dancing along to the song. In the clip, they danced together to their favourite song Islands In The Stream, which has now become synonymous with the couple. She penned in the caption: 'Happy birthday eve @davidbeckham… my everything. My best friend, soul mate and dance partner for life. 'Like the song says. We start and end as one, In love forever, We can ride it together, ah ha I love you xxxxxxxxxx.'
Forbes
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Q&A: The Kooks Luke Pritchard On New Music, Fatherhood And More
MATLOCK, ENGLAND - AUGUST 02: Luke Pritchard of The Kooks performs on Day Two of Y Not Festival 2024 ... More Pikehall on August 02, 2024 in Matlock, England. (Photo by) U.K. indie rock favorites The Kooks are a classic example of the phrase, 'If you know, you know.' They have a dedicated U.S. following, their shows are always a great time made of loyal, hardcore fans who've been with the band, oftentimes, a decade or more. Kooks frontman Luke Pritchard does not take that for granted at all. 'The idea that people care that we're making a seventh album is so cool,' he says. They just released Never/Know, the seventh record, this month and began a North American tour this week. I spoke with Pritchard about the album, losing his father when he was a child and more. Steve Baltin: It's been a long minute since you toured the U.S. Luke Pritchard: We did a couple of years ago, but I don't think anyone knew we were there. It was sort of under the radar in some ways, but it broke everything up a bit. We're coming back in May and excited to get back into it, man. Baltin: Let's talk for a second about family life. How old are the kids? Pritchard: Yeah, it's definitely changed things up. One and three. So, we jumped straight in it's in the trenches as they say, but yeah, it's wonderful. They're just these perfect beings that brought magic into our lives. It has changed like the whole process and everything. It's kind of funny; I thought it would be different. I knew it'd be hard and easy and all those things but nothing quite prepares you for it. Baltin: Serj Tankian, who's a friend, put it best, he said, "Whatever you thought you ever knew about being in love, just forget it. What you feel for your kids is totally different." Pritchard: Yeah, exactly. It's indescribable and it also, in some ways, I think it's exactly what I needed in my life at that right time. There's a release as well because all of a sudden you get the purpose, which sounds all cheesy and everything, but you've got this purpose. But also you don't have time to overthink and at the same time I was getting into meditation and coming into a wholesome time in my life anyway and it just frees up that energy in your brain where all of a sudden, you're not even number one or number two, you're like fourth down on the list in a way. I think that's cool, man, it touches something spiritual. Baltin: A lot of people have talked about the fact that when you have a kid, too, all that music s**t doesn't matter anymore in a weird way because who cares what someone thinks about your song, as long as your kids are healthy and cool. Pritchard: Yeah, exactly. It levels everything out in that way, doesn't it? And the things that used to get under the skin don't touch the side anymore. But I think even deeper than that, it's just on a musical level as well. I found the joy of it definitely opened me up. And I think you're right. I think the new album, particularly for me, is a real expression of being very fed up of always being told that everything's doom and gloom and this sort of swirl of negativity every day. I feel very lucky and grateful to have this young family and I can't afford to be like that. I've got to feel the joy, I've got to be positive and optimistic for them. And I think that that really helped with the music creation in every aspect. There are so many challenges, but when you're able to put food on the table, to be healthy when that's the main goal, that's a beautiful thing. Baltin: Tell me about the writing of the new album. Pritchard: I'll start at the beginning with the new album. We've done a lot of different albums where we went different, especially sonically, I was on stage, and I was playing our old song ''Ula' and I just had this epiphany moment on stage. I was just seeing everyone still connecting to this tune. I was just thinking about what I was hitting on and I thought it's been a long time since I really wrote a bunch of songs on my own like I used to do, especially on the first day. I would be in my family home bedroom and I used to write the song and then if I remembered it in the morning I would be like, 'That's a good song.' I work with a lot of producers and that is then the modern way it's very collaborative. I said to my wife, look, I'm going to be around, we're going to be hanging out with kids. But I just need five days where I can go into my studio room and just really start some new music. And it just flowed, I all of a sudden found my identity again a bit. A lot of people told me it reminds them of the same energy of the first album, and I think that's maybe why. I sprouted all these songs, I wrote pretty much the whole album, in terms, of the lyrics and melody all in this very short period of time. Baltin: Did you find fatherhood come into the writing of this album? Pritchard: 'If They Could Only Know,' for example, is a sweet story in the song. It's a simple, cool concept I think a lot of people relate to, which is just about how in my life I've had a lot of turbulence, and I have been quite unhappy and really happy and a bit crazy and torn and maybe having quite a chaotic life and then figuring it out and finding wholesome and having a family but wishing the people that didn't ever see me get to that point, could see it. So, I put some comedy in, I was trying to channel a bit of Ray Davies and British humor, and I put missing my granny's cooking and mentioned my dad, who, passed away when I was a kid. I had this amazing moment with my first born, cause Wesley, our second kid, he hadn't been born at this point when I was writing the song. My dad died when I was three. And I always thought, he never knew me, he never knew anything about me. And my one connection with him was music. I think that's the only reason why I ever did this and why I had such belief in myself was I had to do this because of my dad. All I had left was a Les Paul deluxe and a bunch of records and I this was my connection, my only real sort of ambition was because of my dad. Anyway, once I had Julian, I when he got to three I realized, 'Oh my god my dad knew so well.' I was like, 'If I died today the connection I have with my son are the memories. That's like a universe.' It was a very powerful feeling and I think that feeling runs through quite a few of the songs; 'Never Know,' it's that and I named the album after that song because it's all about that gratitude for what you've had and what you have. For me that the most traumatic thing in my life was my dad dying when I was a kid. And I think that there's finding the joy of the time I have with him. Baltin: When you look back now at songs you wrote 15, 20 years ago do you find your dad in there in ways that you didn't recognize at the time? Because so much of writing is subconscious. So, now that you realize now your relationship with him, my gut is that probably was always in there. You just were not able to see it yet. Pritchard: Yeah, I think that's really insightful and giving me goosebumps in a way because I think you're right. I think psychologically when starting a family a lot of that stuff got brought up and I think, especially in my first couple of records, there's a lot of angst, even if it's like you're talking about a girl, and then all of a sudden this angst comes out. It's like the primal scream kind of thing. And I think that's quite clear to me now. There are specific songs like "See Me Now," for example, which is on our fourth record, which is literally a letter to my dad.
Scottish Sun
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
The Kooks singer Luke Pritchard reveals Noughties band will release newly-discovered material amid 20th anniversary
Luke also reveals how the band want to celebrate the track that changed their lives 20TH ON WAY The Kooks singer Luke Pritchard reveals Noughties band will release newly-discovered material amid 20th anniversary THE KOOKS will kick off their 16-date US tour tomorrow before heading back here for gigs to celebrate new album Never/Know. But talk within the band has already turned to next year, which will mark the 20th anniversary of their debut record Inside In/Inside Out. Advertisement The album, which soundtracked my teenage years, contains hits including Naive, Ooh La and She Moves In Her Own Way - and singer Luke Pritchard says he and his bandmate Hugh Harris want to do something special. 'I think it's a huge moment to circle back too,' Luke said. 'It's still gathering new fans, young fans on TikTok and social media. 'Being around 20 years later and going through a lot of amazing times and a lot of really bad times, it's going to be a really big celebration. Advertisement "That's of the band in its entirety, not just one album. 'For us, we'll be going through some archive that hasn't come out yet and, of course, we'll celebrate it. "It would be rude not to. 'And to celebrate Naive – how that song changed our lives. Advertisement "It's a crazy thing. 'To have one song like that, you've got to be absolutely blown away that it's still doing it's thing.' Indie group The Kooks are back with new single Never Know, from their seventh album Never/Know 7 The Kooks frontman Luke Pritchard (right) and his bandmate Hugh Harris (left) Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Cowboy Bey's in top gear 7 Texas Hold 'Em singer Beyonce doing an Elvis lip curl impression Credit: Instagram Advertisement 7 Beyonce showed off fresh looks including a huge coat with an eagle on the back Credit: Instagram WE'RE on the ten-day countdown to Beyonce's arrival in London, where she will play the first night of her Cowboy Carter tour in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 5. And I'm told the Texas Hold 'Em singer, who did an Elvis lip curl impression, will have a new wardrobe of outfits to wear on stage. Bey showed off fresh looks including a huge coat with an eagle on the back when started her five-night residency at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Advertisement She does have a helping hand when it comes to making time for fittings, though. My insiders told me she worked with designer Robert Wun for her Cowboy Carter outfits. He has a body stand-in for the superstar to make sure everything is perfectly tailored to her. The source said: 'Beyonce does the final fittings but there is also a model with the same measurements who is there for the in-between stuff. It's the same for hats, so her hair will be styled like Beyonce's. Advertisement They can make sure the hats fit like a glove when it comes to the real thing.' Faye Steps into role as dancer 7 Fay Tozer has landed a role in new show Diamonds And Dust Credit: Chris Davis FAYE TOZER is still turning up the sex appeal as she approached her 50th birthday – with a role in racy new show Diamonds And Dust opposite Dita Von Teese. My exclusive photos show the Steps singer in character as Wild West gambler and dancer Miss Kitty LeRoy, who she will play when the production opens in London's at the Emerald Theatre on June 16. Advertisement Burlesque dancer and model Dita is also a producer on the show and will star as Lady Luck for select performances. The theatrical spectacle will follow Faye as the notorious 19th century card dealer. Faye, who performed on Britain's Got Talent at the weekend to promote Steps' own musical Here & Now's UK tour, is now a go-to star in the theatre. Last year she had rave reviews for her turn as Cruella De Vil in a touring production of 101 Dalmatians. Advertisement And it sounds like she has yet another hit on her hands. 182 Mark: My regret over not kissing Cure's Robert 7 Mark Hoppus with The Cure's Robert Smith at 2004 gig Credit: Instagram/blink182tv BLINK 182 rocker Mark Hoppus says he was gutted at turning down a kiss with The Cure's Robert Smith on stage at Wembley Stadium in 2004. Robert, whose albums include Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, joined the band at the show to sing All Of This and Boys Don't Cry. Advertisement Recalling being joined by his music idol on stage, Mark said: 'It was so surreal, such a rad moment. 'I went to give him a hug and he leaned in and said, 'Give me a kiss'. I wish I had done it. It would've made such a better story than it almost happened.' In an chat to promote autobiography Fahrenheit-182, Mark said the group weren't as rock 'n' roll as their fans thought. He said: 'People weren't getting hammered all the time, and there weren't chicks backstage. Advertisement 'People would literally come back, take a look around and be like, 'This is f***ing boring'.' Olly vow to keep touring 7 Troublemaker singer Olly Murs outside London's O2 Credit: ollymurs/Instagram I WAS gutted to see Olly Murs have to cancel three gigs after getting ill last week. He was down in the dumps after a respiratory infection, which caused issues with his voice while touring. Advertisement So it put a smile on my face to see a snap of the Troublemaker singer outside London's O2 while I was scrolling through Instagram yesterday. He stood excitedly alongside a promo poster of himself, and told his fans: 'It's. Not. Over. Yet!' He was forced off stage just six songs into a performance at Glasgow's Ovo Hydro arena last Thursday. Olly said afterwards: 'What happened last night has never happened to me before and I'm truly gutted and upset.' He then had to scrap shows in Manchester and Birmingham so he could rest his vocal chords for 48 hours. Advertisement ED SHEERAN's top-secret appearance at Radio 1's Big Weekend was kept on a need-to-know basis – with the singer given the alias John Smith to keep his performance a surprise. Insiders said only ten people knew Ed, below, was on site in Liverpool, including Breakfast Show host Greg James. He said after Ed's slot on Saturday: 'I was sworn to secrecy. He wanted to do it as a surprise. He wanted to build that excitement. 'I saw him an hour before in his dressing room and he said, 'I'm worried because no one knows I'm here, no one's going to turn up and the tent's going to be empty'. 'I said, 'You're Ed Sheehan mate, the tent's not going to be empty'. Big Weekend throws up those surprises. The tent was full, people got turned away.' Advertisement Holly: I'll go for Callum 7 Frankie Goes To Hollywood singer says he's keen to see It's A Sin actor Callum Scott Howells take on his part Credit: AFP THERE is much chatter about a new film telling the story of Holly Johnson's life. But the Frankie Goes To Hollywood singer says he's keen to see It's A Sin actor Callum Scott Howells take on his part, if they can get it off the ground. 'I thought that was a great idea,' Holly, below, said. 'I think he's a good actor. I did meet him when he was doing Cabaret. Advertisement 'His agent asked me not to talk about it because he keeps getting involved in it but I don't care. There might be a documentary, there might be a film. They can never make up their minds or get funding. 'I have an option to make a film from my book. They keep sending me scripts every year or so, and I don't know if it's ever going to happen. 'They had the option, it might have lapsed now. I don't want to ring up my lawyer because it will cost me a thousand quid to find out.' LIAM GALLAGHER confirmed my tale that Joey Waronker is on drums for Oasis' reunion tour. Advertisement Replying on X to a fan who asked about Joey joining them, he wrote: 'It's a different thing but he's the right man right now.' The band will kick off their mammoth run of sold-out shows on July 4.
The Sun
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
The Kooks singer Luke Pritchard reveals Noughties band will release newly-discovered material amid 20th anniversary
THE KOOKS will kick off their 16-date US tour tomorrow before heading back here for gigs to celebrate new album Never/Know. But talk within the band has already turned to next year, which will mark the 20th anniversary of their debut record Inside In/Inside Out. The album, which soundtracked my teenage years, contains hits including Naive, Ooh La and She Moves In Her Own Way - and singer Luke Pritchard says he and his bandmate Hugh Harris want to do something special. 'I think it's a huge moment to circle back too,' Luke said. 'It's still gathering new fans, young fans on TikTok and social media. 'Being around 20 years later and going through a lot of amazing times and a lot of really bad times, it's going to be a really big celebration. "That's of the band in its entirety, not just one album. 'For us, we'll be going through some archive that hasn't come out yet and, of course, we'll celebrate it. "It would be rude not to. 'And to celebrate Naive – how that song changed our lives. "It's a crazy thing. 'To have one song like that, you've got to be absolutely blown away that it's still doing it's thing.' Indie group The Kooks are back with new single Never Know, from their seventh album Never/Know 7 Cowboy Bey's in top gear 7 7 WE'RE on the ten-day countdown to Beyonce 's arrival in London, where she will play the first night of her Cowboy Carter tour in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 5. And I'm told the Texas Hold 'Em singer, who did an Elvis lip curl impression, will have a new wardrobe of outfits to wear on stage. Bey showed off fresh looks including a huge coat with an eagle on the back when started her five-night residency at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. She does have a helping hand when it comes to making time for fittings, though. My insiders told me she worked with designer Robert Wun for her Cowboy Carter outfits. He has a body stand-in for the superstar to make sure everything is perfectly tailored to her. The source said: 'Beyonce does the final fittings but there is also a model with the same measurements who is there for the in-between stuff. It's the same for hats, so her hair will be styled like Beyonce's. They can make sure the hats fit like a glove when it comes to the real thing.' Faye Steps into role as dancer 7 FAYE TOZER is still turning up the sex appeal as she approached her 50th birthday – with a role in racy new show Diamonds And Dust opposite Dita Von Teese. My exclusive photos show the Steps singer in character as Wild West gambler and dancer Miss Kitty LeRoy, who she will play when the production opens in London's at the Emerald Theatre on June 16. Burlesque dancer and model Dita is also a producer on the show and will star as Lady Luck for select performances. The theatrical spectacle will follow Faye as the notorious 19th century card dealer. Faye, who performed on Britain's Got Talent at the weekend to promote Steps' own musical Here & Now's UK tour, is now a go-to star in the theatre. Last year she had rave reviews for her turn as Cruella De Vil in a touring production of 101 Dalmatians. And it sounds like she has yet another hit on her hands. 182 Mark: My regret over not kissing Cure's Robert 7 BLINK 182 rocker Mark Hoppus says he was gutted at turning down a kiss with The Cure's Robert Smith on stage at Wembley Stadium in 2004. Robert, whose albums include Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, joined the band at the show to sing All Of This and Boys Don't Cry. Recalling being joined by his music idol on stage, Mark said: 'It was so surreal, such a rad moment. 'I went to give him a hug and he leaned in and said, 'Give me a kiss'. I wish I had done it. It would've made such a better story than it almost happened.' In an chat to promote autobiography Fahrenheit-182, Mark said the group weren't as rock 'n' roll as their fans thought. He said: 'People weren't getting hammered all the time, and there weren't chicks backstage. 'People would literally come back, take a look around and be like, 'This is f***ing boring'.' Olly vow to keep touring 7 I WAS gutted to see Olly Murs have to cancel three gigs after getting ill last week. He was down in the dumps after a respiratory infection, which caused issues with his voice while touring. So it put a smile on my face to see a snap of the Troublemaker singer outside London's O2 while I was scrolling through Instagram yesterday. He stood excitedly alongside a promo poster of himself, and told his fans: 'It's. Not. Over. Yet!' He was forced off stage just six songs into a performance at Glasgow's Ovo Hydro arena last Thursday. Olly said afterwards: 'What happened last night has never happened to me before and I'm truly gutted and upset.' He then had to scrap shows in Manchester and Birmingham so he could rest his vocal chords for 48 hours. ED SHEERAN's top-secret appearance at Radio 1's Big Weekend was kept on a need-to-know basis – with the singer given the alias John Smith to keep his performance a surprise. Insiders said only ten people knew Ed, below, was on site in Liver p ool, including Breakfast Show host Greg James. He said after Ed's slot on Saturday: 'I was sworn to secrecy. He wanted to do it as a surprise. He wanted to build that excitement. 'I saw him an hour before in his dressing room and he said, 'I'm worried because no one knows I'm here, no one's going to turn up and the tent's going to be empty'. 'I said, 'You're Ed Sheehan mate, the tent's not going to be empty'. Big Weekend throws up those surprises. The tent was full, people got turned away.' Holly: I'll go for Callum THERE is much chatter about a new film telling the story of Holly Johnson's life. But the Frankie Goes To Hollywood singer says he's keen to see It's A Sin actor Callum Scott Howells take on his part, if they can get it off the ground. 'I thought that was a great idea,' Holly, below, said. 'I think he's a good actor. I did meet him when he was doing Cabaret. 'His agent asked me not to talk about it because he keeps getting involved in it but I don't care. There might be a documentary, there might be a film. They can never make up their minds or get funding. 'I have an option to make a film from my book. They keep sending me scripts every year or so, and I don't know if it's ever going to happen. 'They had the option, it might have lapsed now. I don't want to ring up my lawyer because it will cost me a thousand quid to find out.' LIAM GALLAGHER confirmed my tale that Joey Waronker is on drums for Oasis' reunion tour. Replying on X to a fan who asked about Joey joining them, he wrote: 'It's a different thing but he's the right man right now.' The band will kick off their mammoth run of sold-out shows on July 4. The week in Bizness MONDAY: JENNIFER LOPEZ hosts the American Music Awards in Las Vegas where Benson Boone and Janet Jackson, who will get the Icon Award, are among the performers. TUESDAY: ABBA Voyage will celebrate its third anniversary at the ABBA Arena in East London, with a party attended by a series of celebrities and maybe even a member or two of the group. WEDNESDAY: Karate Kid: Legends, starring Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan, hits cinemas as a sequel to the TV series Cobra Kai. It is the sixth movie in the franchise, 41 years after the original film. SATURDAY: The capital's biggest pop festival, Mighty Hoopla, will kick off in South London's Brockwell Park with Ciara, Jade and Una Healy, followed by Kesha, Loreen and Heidi Montag on Sunday.
ABC News
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
The Kooks — Never/Know
Has it really been almost 20 years since The Kooks' iconic song 'Naïve'? Their biggest hit may be long in the rearview mirror, but the band have done well for themselves since their 2000s indie rock heyday, releasing six albums in that time. Their latest, Never/Know , consciously nods to 2006 debut Inside/Out (if the forward slash in the title didn't tip you off). But rather than merely repeating past glories, chief Kook Luke Pritchard was looking to reconnect with what made the group special in the first place. "I'm just really fascinated by debutism," the frontman told Zan Rowe for Take 5. "Why are so many debut albums so instantly nostalgic or amazing? They're obviously a bit rough around the edges but there's a certain 'naivety' — excuse the pun." Never/Know manages to successfully function as a welcome reminder of the group's strengths — summery, easy-to-enjoy guitar pop — while capitalising on the attention of a younger generation of fans that have flocked to the band via TikTok and on tour. Lead single and opening title track 'Never Know' eases us in with a whistled intro, laidback guitars, warm organ and the kind of affable melody that's always been a Kooks staple. Inspired by the thrill of first meeting his wife, Pritchard sings about blowing money ' like we're movie stars,' and cruising top-down through the south of France - all backed by suitably balmy music. 'Sunny Baby' maintains that energy, its laidback yet snappy guitars managing to sell lyrical cliches like ' Baby when you kiss me I feel ten feet tall' as charming sentiments. Elsewhere, the pleasingly direct 'If They Could Only Know' could have come straight from The Kooks' earliest albums. Another frontloaded highlight is 'All Over The World,' which establishes an understated swagger with bouncing bass, piano flourishes and cooing backing vocals. Squint (really hard) and it's almost got the debonair feel of recent Arctic Monkeys albums. Not least with the kind of lyrical mouthful Alex Turner is so fond of: 'Cocaine, marzipan, oh how times have changed I'm just a paperclip hanging out underneath your lip Shake your hips for me, baby, to the bar you're gonna save me.' It's probably a coincidence because the bigger influence on the track is The Police. It's right there in the guitar tone and reggae-leaning drums, which reappear on 'Let You Go' and 'Tough At The Top', which makes the inspiration explicit with its Sting-ready topline. Another touchstone is The Beatles. 'Echo Chamber' has a subtle Lennon-esque quality, albeit with a beachy atmosphere, courtesy of vibraphone and congas, while 'Arrow Through Me 'is a faithful cover of Paul McCartney and Wings, whose '70s smoothness sounds good on The Kooks. There's a lightness of touch throughout Never/Know , which was self-produced by Pritchard (save one track); it's lean enough to allow you to really hear the playing more so than the band's bigger-sounding recent albums. You could imagine a younger or less experienced act wanting to inflate the arrangements and sticky melodies to extreme size and volume. But the relaxed confidence to these pared-back tracks allows you to appreciate the details, particularly guitarist Hugh Harris' many tasteful contributions. One of his smooth guitar solos closes 'Talk About It', which ends the album on a relaxed note, like sauntering out the door rather than a dramatic farewell. In approaching what The Kooks should be in 2025, Pritchard remarked: "The whole thing was to just forget that the past had happened. What kind of music do we want to make, and how do we make it feel natural?"
