Luke Pritchard claims The Kooks “weren’t really meant to be as big as we were”
The Kooks frontman Luke Pritchard has admitted that the band “weren’t really meant to be as big as we were”, as they celebrate their 20th anniversary.
Pritchard sat down with Radio X in a recent interview, in which he discussed the two decades which have now passed since the band released their debut album, Inside In/Inside Out in January 2006.
Within this also came a massive coincidence of the indie sleaze revolution, as the Arctic Monkeys also released their iconic debut Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not on the very same day as The Kooks.
When asked about the comparison between the two bands, Pritchard said: “I didn’t really think too much about it because The Kooks weren’t really meant to be as big as we were.”
He added: “Like, we had a very small record deal. Everyone was talking about the Arctic Monkeys – no one really was talking about us, so we didn’t really feel particularly in competition.”
Speaking of their support and connection for each other, Pritchard recalled: “They’d come to our gigs and we’d go to their gigs. We kind of knew them.”
Looking back on the scene now, 20 years on from when it first exploded, Pritchard said: “It’s funny now with the lens, you see it. It’s quite a similar scene, but I felt like we were so different. Like, at the time we were in such a different kind of space.”
He continued: “To me, it was almost like they were doing, like, rap music. It was like rock and roll rap, and it was very tough and almost industrial. The record was really mixed, so industrial, that first one… and we were more warm.”
With both bands celebrating the major milestone in recent days, the Arctic Monkeys have had a comeback with their new song ‘Opening Night’ on the War Child Help (2) album.
Meanwhile, The Kooks are set to head back on the summer circuit this year with a variety of major festival slots, including at the Isle of Wight Festival and Margate Dreamland.
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