MILES KANE TALKS STRAIGHT TO MISS FOXY ON GOING IT ALONE
Miss Foxy was lucky enough to interview the one and only Mr Miles Kane recently at Zanzibar in the depths of Liverpool. Thanks to Art Rocker magazine she was put up in a sweet hotel and given Jack Daniels all night long! Hear what Miles had to say on his upcoming material and why he thinks going solo was the best decision he ever made!
Miss Foxy: So Miles lovely to finally sit and down and meet! So Miles, your new release ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’, how do you feel this compares to your debut album?
Miles Kane: You know a lot of effort goes in to making records. But I think this one, it feels really me. It’s very exciting, and a lot more upbeat. And it’s very exciting to play live. Not that the other one wasn’t! But it’s just one of those records I’ve been dying to make all my life really. But to make a record, you’ve got to have a bit of confidence, and I couldn’t have made this record a few years ago. From doing what I did off the first album, the energy of playing live, that’s what was the blue print for this album, to make it really upbeat and a record for a Saturday night to listen to with your friends before you go out on the town.
Miss Foxy: Awesome! So I understand you started your solo career back in 2009. How did you feel venturing away from The Rascals, and still continuing to play with The Last Shadow Puppets. Do you feel your time with your previous bands helped you for your solo career?
Miles Kane: Yeah I think everything I’ve done has helped. Even when I started out with this band called The Little Flames when I was eighteen as a guitarist. But you know everything I’ve done has got me to this point. It’s been a long old slog, to find your tact. And that’s what I found on the first record, I found it. And now that I’ve found that I’m just running down it.
Miss Foxy: Definitely! So I’ve heard, I don’t know if this is true but on one of your first sets with Alex Turner from The Last Shadow Puppets, a secret gig at Glastonbury you lent you Ipod to Jack White to help him perform a solo in your set? What was that like to play, was that one of your first gigs with the band?
Miles Kane: Yeah it was one of the first gigs, but it was just an acoustic gig really, it wasn’t really a proper set. I mean we just expected it to be in a little tent, but it was on a big old stage! It was good though.
Miss Foxy: Sounds like a fun festival. So I understand with your previous album you recorded with the likes of Dan Carey and Dan the Automator, who has produced this particular release?
Miles Kane: Ian Broudie produced the album, he’s from Liverpool actually, and is coming to the show tonight! He’s a great producer, and he really helped me fine tune all the songs, and get rid of any bullshit that was in there. He helped pick out the best bits, enhance them, and make them as compact as possible. He helped to make every song very instant, short and snappy, and ultimately catchy. You know together it was a good partnership. He’s got a great ear for a hook, and is a good director.
Miss Foxy: What’s it like being back in your home town of Liverpool? Do you find your home town fans very receptive of your sound?
Miles Kane: Yeah I mean this tour that we’re doing now, we’ve been going places off the beaten track a bit. And I haven’t played Liverpool for a while, and obviously tonight is gonna be really nostalgic since the Zanzibar is one of the first places I ever did a gig. So I don’t know what to expect, it could be bonkers! I’m hoping it is!
Miss Foxy: Yeah I’m really looking forward to tonight! With your previous debut you had features from the likes of Noel Gallagher and other artists. Are there collaborations to look out for on your current album?
Miles Kane: No there isn’t. Put I wrote a couple of songs from the album with Paul Weller and Andy Partridge, so I’ve collaborated in that sense, but there’s no featured duet.
Miss Foxy: So besides the JD roots gig this evening, what do you have lined up for this summer in terms of gigs and festivals? Obviously I know you’ve toured with some massive names like the Arctic Monkeys and Beady Eye.
Miles Kane: Well we’re just gonna go right through now until Christmas I think. It’s a busy old couple of months, with festivals in Europe.
Miss Foxy: I know your playing Benicassim this year, I’ve got my ticket and can’t wait!
Miles Kane: Oh your going! Yeah we did that last year, it’s my favourite festival! It’s amazing over there.
Miss Foxy: It’s my first time going, so I’m really looking forward to it.
Miles Kane: I’ll see you there! Yeah that’s the one I’m really excited for. I love that place.
Miss Foxy: Yeah it’s got a great lineup this year. So your current release, Don’t Forget Who You Are, may I ask what’s the story behind the album, what’s inspired the release?
Miles Kane: Well I guess this record is the most honest record i’ve ever done in terms of lyrics. I’m talking about falling in love, or falling out of love, or about being angry, pissed off or even happy! I just wanted the lyrics to be really direct, I didn’t want to hide behind anything. Whatever I was feeling at the time, I just wanted to get across in the song. And now I’ve done that, it’s such a relief to write tunes like that. I have touched on that before in the past, but maybe you sort of cover it up with mystical meaning. But I wanted this album to be really straight down the line.
Miss Foxy: Well I love the tracks released off the album so far, especially Give Up, an awesome tune! One of my favourite songs by you is Inhaler, I love that track! May I ask what’s the story behind that particular song?
Miles Kane: Well I do actually have asthma. And I didn’t have a lyric for the chorus, and we were in the studio and my inhaler was in my bag, and I was just joking around singing ‘Inhaler’ for a laugh. And then I was like ‘wow that’s kinda cool’ and it’s stuck ever since! It was only meant to be a laugh, but it ended up being the fucking thing!
Miss Foxy: Wow love the story! So obviously your performing in your home town this evening, but I was wondering if you had a particular gig that’s been a highlight so far concerning your solo career and time with the previous acts you’ve performed with?
Miles Kane: There’s loads of little moments i find, especially when your tour at festivals. I love playing the big gigs. I mean as a solo artist I’m still growing, it’s a gradual process but hopefully we will continue to keep building up. Like last year and the year before when we’ve done festivals the crowds get bigger, and then you do a tour in the winter, and its always bigger than the tour before the summer. So I’m hoping that that can continue really. I just want to keep climbing the ladder.
Miss Foxy: Great stuff. So I am I right in saying you won Best Artist of the Year again with NME this year.
Miles Kane: Nah I was nominated. Fucking Florence and the fucking Machine won!
Miss Foxy: Well I think you should have won!
Miles Kane: Well definitely next year! I mean Florence is a nice girl but I mean for fucks sake!
Miss Foxy: She seems to have around for a long old time! Longer than I expected!
Miles Kane: Yeah she’s already won it loads.
Miss Foxy: Haha move over rover!
Miles Kane: Yeah 2014 that will be my year!
Miss Foxy: When you were in The Last Shadow Puppets did you see yourself going solo?
Miles Kane: Nah I mean when I was touring with the Rascals it just wasn’t happening. It was hard, and we split up and had to go back to square one. From having success with the band to having a blank canvas. So I had to start again and build it back up. And when I was in The Last Shadow Puppets I just thought I’d try it on my own. And touch wood its ok, and going well!
Miss Foxy: I was also wondering if you knew Dom from The Swanton Bombs since I know they were supporting you on tour, and he invited me to a few of their gigs but I never got round to it. How are they doing?
Miles Kane: The Swanton Bombs, yeah I know Dom. We used to have this lad in the band called Eugene McGuinness, and their his backing band as well. Well yeah, they supported us. Their meant to be good.
Miss Foxy: Yeah I’ve been to a couple of their gigs back in the early days. But yeah are their any acts currently that you feel are ones to watch out for?
Miles Kane: I like Peace.
Miss Foxy: Aw I love Peace, I saw them last year at The Great Escape Festival.
Miles Kane: Yeah they’ve got a great sound, and album. I also like this new band called The Strypes, who are little mods and really cool.
Miss Foxy: Well thanks so much Miles for hanging out in Heebee Jeebees and giving me the lo down on your material. Good luck for your gig tonight at Zanzibar and for your acoustic session here at Heebee’s later!
Miles Kane: No worries, I hope you really enjoy it!
Click on Miles Kane to get more information regarding his upcoming tour and release of his album ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’.
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