Artist Spotlight: Q&A with The Kooks

The Kooks are bringing their global tour to San Diego, performing live at House of Blues on Feb. 29th.

Formed by Luke Pritchard on vocals and guitar, the alternative lineup also features Hugh Harris on lead guitar, Paul Garred on drums and Peter Denton on bass guitar. The Kooks are on tour in promotion of their newest album, Junk of the Heart -- the band’s third project which showcases an evolved and cohesive sound from the English indie rockers. Think Lykke Li and LCD Soundsystem meet Bob Dylan and The Beatles.

From the best tracks off the new album, to fun tales from the road and why he hates the Gaslamp Strip Club, get the Insider scoop on all things Kooks in our DiscoverSD exclusive with Peter Denton.

DiscoverSD: How is Junk of the Heart different from your previous albums?

Peter: I think Junk of the Heart is a very different record to the first 2 in many ways.  The only thing that really remained the same is the Producer Tony Hoffer.  After trying out half a record in NY with Producer Jim Abbiss we soon realised that we may be jumping in a little quickly (even though it was nearly 3 years since Konk).  Songs were unfinished, Paul wasn't with us and the general feel just seemed a little unsettled. After returning to England, we seeked the help and guidance from Tony Hoffer (viewed as a 5th member these days) and this is where Junk Of The Heart really began to take shape.

The songs were written very close together it seemed like a matter of weeks before we were in pre production with Paul back on board and Tony in the room, unlike 'Inside In' which were a collection of tunes from a 4/5 year period.  Recording Junk at Tony’s little LA based studio, we really tried hard to move away from the generic Guitar, bass, drums way of working and with our backs to the wall and limited gear found that we were experimenting with different instrumentation which I think shows on the record. It was also great for the band (personally) to be trying new things, it kept it fresh and interesting on what sometimes can become pretty sterile. A lot of F***in' fun!  We are very much looking forward to making record number 4 very soon!

DSD: Favorite tracks off Junk of the Heart?

P: Favourite tracks from JOTH, that's a tough one we like 'em all (obviously) ha.. I guess songs like 'Runaway' which is a favourite of all of ours.  It was such a different recording process for us and was just a basic acoustic and vocal track when we took it to the studio. We just built and layered it up.  It was great to see a track develop like that... admittedly it was one of the more difficult and time consuming tracks on the record.  Mr. Nice Guy was a surprise track that we got together whilst in the studio.  It's always nice when that happens.

DSD: What are you most excited about for the 2012 US Tour?

P: We are so excited about returning to the US. We were there just before Xmas and had such an amazing time. The new songs were incredibly well received as were the oldies.  It's such a big place. It's amazing we have the opportunity to tour there and obviously helps that we love being there too. We are gonna be there a lot this year and can't wait.

DSD: What do you love about San Diego people and culture?

P: We always have great shows in San Diego, the fans are nuts! We were a bit confused when the strip club we went to was a Steak House. Some seriously false advertising there... silhouetted girls... frying beef hmmmm?

DSD: House of Blues is a great, intimate venue. What can fans expect to see and hear at your show?

P: The show will be as ever bangin'! We will be playing a mix of all 3 records so be ready!

DSD: What new projects are you working on this year?

P: This year is pretty busy, we have a lot of gigs and festivals and visiting some fantastic countries. We have all been writing and are going to continue writing on our travels so I guess we will be in process of writing record #4!

DSD: What are a few fun facts we don't know about you, the men behind the music?

P: A fun fact about us... Errrrrm, Hugh is an amazingly quick learner. He has scored string parts after a week of getting to grips with it and has recently shocked with being a very able Clarinetist.

DSD: What's on your personal playlist right now?

P: We have recently been touring with a band called 'Yawn'. They are a great band and a favourite of ours. You gotta' check them out!

The Kooks are heading to San Diego to perform live at House of Blues on Wednesday, Feb. 29th. Doors open at 7pm with an opening set by Yawn. General admission tickets start at $25 at houseofblues.com.

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