Miles Kane Interview

Miles Kane was in danger of always being known as Alex Turner’s mate after they got together to form The Last Shadow Puppets when Kane’s two previous bands had collapsed.

He fought back and his debut album showed the music industry that he was an artist in his own right. After a successful tour he is back with a new EP and writing his second album. We chatted to him to find out how his life has changed in the last few years and how he lost confidence after his second band broke up.

What’s the feel of the new single?
It’s called First Of My Kind and it’s going to be out in April for when we do this tour, it was written at the back end of last year on tour and when we got back from Australia we went into the studio and recorded it. It was a toss up between this song and another one called Woman’s Touch but we went for this one and I am glad we did as it turned out great. It was a track where we could try things and we got brass on it and a gospel choir. It was a bit of an experiment really but it turned out okay.

It feels like you’re not holding anything back on this track?
Yeah, not at all, that was something that I wanted to get across because lyrically it’s a bit of a statement. I think all the songs that are coming through are like that at the minute. I don’t want to hold back at all, I really want to let it go and be full-on, that’s just because it’s the way I’m feeling.

Did you feel like you had a point to prove with the first album?
I definitely did feel that and the people around you believe it but some people didn’t. I think it’s turned a lot of heads and that feels great, but you’re only as good as your last record. We have come to the end with that one now and I’m thinking ahead to the second record. I want the second one to beat the first one.

How far along are you with the second album?
Just writing it at the moment and gathering all the ideas, I want it all written and mapped out so when we go in the studio it’s just a case of putting it down really and having some fun in there. Get all the hard work done before and then go in and bash it out, if that doesn’t sound too strange.

You worked with dubstep producer Skream on your new EP, why did you decide to work with him?

I met him about a year-and-a-half ago and he did a remix of one of my tracks. We stayed mates and we hung out a few times, we were both in Australia in January and I got a text from him so we went down the bar, three vodka tonics later we decided that when we get back we should do something. A couple of days after being home we went into a studio and put it down in two or three days. It was great, it was a lot of fun. It’s one of those nice easy things.

Was it hard after The Rascals broke up to get back into music?

Yeah, that was dark at the end because you are left with nothing, just a blank canvas. It took me a while to figure it out really. I found my confidence had gone as well and it took me a while to get that back. The guy that was sort of helping me do that really was Gruff (Rhys of the Super Furry Animals) he’s become a sort of mentor. I did my first recordings with him early on, just him and me, he was that first one to push it along.

What reception did you get in France and Australia?

Australia is a new territory for us and it’s the first time we have been there, it was good. It’s something you have to go back a couple of times to really build it but we are looking at doing it at the back end of this year or again early next year. France has been amazing, there’s been a lot of love there. We have done quite a few tours in France now and I love it there.

What qualities do you have as a frontman?

I think you find who you want to be and who you are, I just think on stage I feel so at home. I’m not really touring at the minute, just doing an odd gig here and there because I am getting the second record done, but I miss it so much. Being on that stage every night, it’s home to me, I can’t really explain it.

You are known for being very stylish, would you do a fashion line in the future?

I love clothes, I always have done, it’s just a part of me. I like to feel good, it’s all from me. I don’t have a stylist, I know what I like. As for doing a range whatever, maybe, one day, just because I’m bang into it.

How has your life changed in the last few years?

I think feelings wise I am probably the happiest I have ever been and I feel that I know my direction, my vision. That vision has always been there, it just feels a bit clearer now, I just want to go down that path.



Published in Yorkshire Evening Post