Congratulations are in order to one Mr. Luke Pritchard, for a few reasons. Obviously he has a successful band, the Kooks, but I'd personally like to congratulate Pritchard for simply having the guts to believe in himself. For years he insisted that his band was going to be huge, and regardless of who scoffed at him, he just kept doing his thing. And look at him now: two super successful albums under his belt and he did it his way -- no gimmicks, no clever marketing ploys -- just good music. He believed in himself and made it happen. Besides that, he's cool as shit. We chatted like old friends, laughed our asses off, and as you can tell by reading this interview, had a damn good time. So, cheers to you Mr. Pritchard, you gnarly bastard.
The Kooks highly anticipated sophomore album, Konk, is out now.
Garrett Faber: What was your childhood like?
Luke Pritchard: When I was a kid I didn't have many friends so I spent a lot of time alone. I had no brothers or sisters, either. I was never an outcast, though. I just ended up on my own.
GF: What did you do to pass the time on your own?
LP: I used to read all the time, and I learned to play guitar. I also watched a lot of movies.
GF: Do you write anything besides songs, like stories or scripts?
LP: I've wanted to write like a short stories novel, but right now we're so busy its kind of impossible. I have loads of ideas but for me to sit down and write it all, it's kind of difficult. I'm really into science fiction; I'm into Phillip K. Dick and Kurt Vonnegut, stuff like that.
GF: What did you think of the Scanner Darkly movie?
LP: I've actually read the book. I didn't get that into the film, really. I liked how it was shot. The movie didn't really connect with me.
GF: Yeah, it felt detached. How do you feel about your own fame? You guys have really blown up. Are you comfortable with your place in this realm?
LP: Yeah, sometimes its weird. Sometimes you have trouble settling in, but we always knew we were going to be a big band.
GF: How did you feel about Lily Allen's cover of Nave?
LP: It's alright. It's not really our kind of music but she's an old friend, so it's all good.
GF: How do you know her?
LP: Years and years ago we went to school together.
GF: What was she like back then?
LP: She'd always leave school early. Her dad would send black cabs to come get her and she'd be like, "I can't handle this" and then leave. She got out all the time. [Laughs]
GF: Do you believe that luck had anything to do with your current success?
LP: Luck was meeting the right people. It's cool that we've gotten to hang out and write songs together. I don't know if luck had anything to do with our success, maybe it was just the luck of the draw.
GF: How much input do you have on your music videos?
LP: We have our input; we have the things that we'd like to happen in the video, and usually theres a director who writes things for us. Like the Always Where I Need To Be video in New York, we just chilled out and had a good time. With a great director, all the cool shit seems to happen. Like the Ooh La video, we just hung out; it was great. I like when they're artistic too.
GF: Have you seen the dark side of fame yet? Do people slide you heroin?
LP: No, people haven't slid me smack yet. [Laughs] On the road, wild shit can happen but you've got to stay above it. Sometimes people start to slide towards drugs and it's not cool, you've got to get em out.
GF: How is the tour?
LP: The other day some crazy shit happened where we were threatened by security. We were trying to get our friends into this club after we played there and they were giving us shit and I'm like, "We just played here, let our friends in." The bouncers started threatening us.
GF: Have you gotten into any fights lately?
LP: I'm not really a scrapper, but in New York this guy came up and punched me!
GF: Whats up with that?
LP: Some people are fucking insane. This dude started shouting in my face with his friends and then just sucker punched me.
GF: Okay, so you know how when you're a teenager and you're bored with life and feel like somethings missing?
LP: Yes.
GF: Do you still feel that now? How do you deal with that once you're famous?
LP: That's the thing about life; you can't have everything. The minute you get that thing you've been chasing after, you just want another thing. It's like keeping all these pebbles in your hand eventually you're going to have your hands full. Sometimes you just have to enjoy what you have and not worry about the things that are missing.
GF: That's pretty wise, dude.
LP: Thanks.
GF: Since you're famous now, are there any famous chicks you want to go scam on?
LP: Yeah, of course man. When you're famous you get a lot of grief for doing what you do. I'll tell you something though, she didn't show up but I heard Carmen Electra was coming to our show. Can you imagine fucking Carmen Electra? How cool would that be?
GF: Would you have tried to hook up with Carmen Electra?
LP: Of course man! We all would of! Anyone would of!
GF: Did you get to meet David Bowie yet?
LP: No. I'd fuckin love to meet David Bowie, though.
GF: I'm sure it'll happen.
LP: These things just sort of pop up, random. I would like to know what he thinks about certain things, ya know, whatever.
GF: How do you unwind on a tour?
LP: Reading books. That's total escapism, isn't it? I'll read anything, really. I like science fiction, and philosophy stuff. Whatever comes by.
GF: Since youve been making money with your music, have you bought anything gnarly, like a tiger?
LP: [Laughs] I fuckin wish man, a liger!
GF: They're huge like 10 feet long.
LP: I haven't got a tiger, but I've bought some pretty extravagant things. I've bought some pretty expensive paintings.
GF: What kind? Any Warhols?
LP: [Laughs] Not that expensive.
GF: How does being famous and on tour stress your relationships? Have any close friends betrayed you or anything like that?
LP: Not really. I have real close-knit, old friends. There are a few things, like reading shit about yourself in the newspapers, someone had to tell them something. It's kinda weird when you're on tour for a year and you come home and you settle in. It's hard to keep a girlfriend when you're on the road. I had a girl for eight months in New York; it was a fucking nightmare, man.
GF: Whats your biggest dream right now?
LP: I pretty much want to be the best band in the world. [Laughs] I want to make a proper genius album. I'm searching for all the right words and all the right inspiration to make a classic. We want to become a world band that can play anywhere. When you're in a big band, you can go anywhere and do whatever you want. I'd like to fuck Carmen Electra!
The Kooks are on tour now and play New York City June 10th and 11th. For more information go to www.thekooks.co.uk and www.myspace.com/thekooks.
The Kooks highly anticipated sophomore album, Konk, is out now.
Garrett Faber: What was your childhood like?
Luke Pritchard: When I was a kid I didn't have many friends so I spent a lot of time alone. I had no brothers or sisters, either. I was never an outcast, though. I just ended up on my own.
GF: What did you do to pass the time on your own?
LP: I used to read all the time, and I learned to play guitar. I also watched a lot of movies.
GF: Do you write anything besides songs, like stories or scripts?
LP: I've wanted to write like a short stories novel, but right now we're so busy its kind of impossible. I have loads of ideas but for me to sit down and write it all, it's kind of difficult. I'm really into science fiction; I'm into Phillip K. Dick and Kurt Vonnegut, stuff like that.
GF: What did you think of the Scanner Darkly movie?
LP: I've actually read the book. I didn't get that into the film, really. I liked how it was shot. The movie didn't really connect with me.
GF: Yeah, it felt detached. How do you feel about your own fame? You guys have really blown up. Are you comfortable with your place in this realm?
LP: Yeah, sometimes its weird. Sometimes you have trouble settling in, but we always knew we were going to be a big band.
GF: How did you feel about Lily Allen's cover of Nave?
LP: It's alright. It's not really our kind of music but she's an old friend, so it's all good.
GF: How do you know her?
LP: Years and years ago we went to school together.
GF: What was she like back then?
LP: She'd always leave school early. Her dad would send black cabs to come get her and she'd be like, "I can't handle this" and then leave. She got out all the time. [Laughs]
GF: Do you believe that luck had anything to do with your current success?
LP: Luck was meeting the right people. It's cool that we've gotten to hang out and write songs together. I don't know if luck had anything to do with our success, maybe it was just the luck of the draw.
GF: How much input do you have on your music videos?
LP: We have our input; we have the things that we'd like to happen in the video, and usually theres a director who writes things for us. Like the Always Where I Need To Be video in New York, we just chilled out and had a good time. With a great director, all the cool shit seems to happen. Like the Ooh La video, we just hung out; it was great. I like when they're artistic too.
GF: Have you seen the dark side of fame yet? Do people slide you heroin?
LP: No, people haven't slid me smack yet. [Laughs] On the road, wild shit can happen but you've got to stay above it. Sometimes people start to slide towards drugs and it's not cool, you've got to get em out.
GF: How is the tour?
LP: The other day some crazy shit happened where we were threatened by security. We were trying to get our friends into this club after we played there and they were giving us shit and I'm like, "We just played here, let our friends in." The bouncers started threatening us.
GF: Have you gotten into any fights lately?
LP: I'm not really a scrapper, but in New York this guy came up and punched me!
GF: Whats up with that?
LP: Some people are fucking insane. This dude started shouting in my face with his friends and then just sucker punched me.
GF: Okay, so you know how when you're a teenager and you're bored with life and feel like somethings missing?
LP: Yes.
GF: Do you still feel that now? How do you deal with that once you're famous?
LP: That's the thing about life; you can't have everything. The minute you get that thing you've been chasing after, you just want another thing. It's like keeping all these pebbles in your hand eventually you're going to have your hands full. Sometimes you just have to enjoy what you have and not worry about the things that are missing.
GF: That's pretty wise, dude.
LP: Thanks.
GF: Since you're famous now, are there any famous chicks you want to go scam on?
LP: Yeah, of course man. When you're famous you get a lot of grief for doing what you do. I'll tell you something though, she didn't show up but I heard Carmen Electra was coming to our show. Can you imagine fucking Carmen Electra? How cool would that be?
GF: Would you have tried to hook up with Carmen Electra?
LP: Of course man! We all would of! Anyone would of!
GF: Did you get to meet David Bowie yet?
LP: No. I'd fuckin love to meet David Bowie, though.
GF: I'm sure it'll happen.
LP: These things just sort of pop up, random. I would like to know what he thinks about certain things, ya know, whatever.
GF: How do you unwind on a tour?
LP: Reading books. That's total escapism, isn't it? I'll read anything, really. I like science fiction, and philosophy stuff. Whatever comes by.
GF: Since youve been making money with your music, have you bought anything gnarly, like a tiger?
LP: [Laughs] I fuckin wish man, a liger!
GF: They're huge like 10 feet long.
LP: I haven't got a tiger, but I've bought some pretty extravagant things. I've bought some pretty expensive paintings.
GF: What kind? Any Warhols?
LP: [Laughs] Not that expensive.
GF: How does being famous and on tour stress your relationships? Have any close friends betrayed you or anything like that?
LP: Not really. I have real close-knit, old friends. There are a few things, like reading shit about yourself in the newspapers, someone had to tell them something. It's kinda weird when you're on tour for a year and you come home and you settle in. It's hard to keep a girlfriend when you're on the road. I had a girl for eight months in New York; it was a fucking nightmare, man.
GF: Whats your biggest dream right now?
LP: I pretty much want to be the best band in the world. [Laughs] I want to make a proper genius album. I'm searching for all the right words and all the right inspiration to make a classic. We want to become a world band that can play anywhere. When you're in a big band, you can go anywhere and do whatever you want. I'd like to fuck Carmen Electra!
The Kooks are on tour now and play New York City June 10th and 11th. For more information go to www.thekooks.co.uk and www.myspace.com/thekooks.
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
I listened to the first album, and that was enough to make me vomit up my own liver.