Miles Kane promising to 'blow your socks off' as he makes Roadmender return

His forthcoming new album is called Coup de Grace, but this is far from any kind of end game for Miles Kane, who plays the Roadmender in Northampton on Friday night.
Miles Kane plays the Roadmender on June 1 (Picture: Lauren Dukoff)Miles Kane plays the Roadmender on June 1 (Picture: Lauren Dukoff)
Miles Kane plays the Roadmender on June 1 (Picture: Lauren Dukoff)

Indeed, you get the feeling he is only just getting started.

Kane is now 32 and already has a career and discography to look back on with pride, having played guitar in The Little Flames, fronted The Rascals, and been one half of The Last Shadow Puppets, along with Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys.

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LSP have released two UK number one albums called The Age Of The Understatement and Everything You've Come To Expect, and have brought Kane fame and success.

But now it is back to the day job for the Birkenhead singer-songwriter.

Kane has already released two excellent solo albums, with 2010 debut The Colour Of The Trap followed by the brilliant Don't Forget Who You Are in 2013.

Later this year he will release Coup De Grace, which he claims is '100 per cent' his best solo offering to date.

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Two songs, the title track and lead single Loaded, are already out there and available, and Kane is about to undertake a UK tour to promote the LP, and will be returning to Northampton's Roadmender on Friday, June 1.

Miles Kane plays the Roadmender on June 1 (Picture: Lauren Dukoff)Miles Kane plays the Roadmender on June 1 (Picture: Lauren Dukoff)
Miles Kane plays the Roadmender on June 1 (Picture: Lauren Dukoff)

He says he is delighted to be heading out on his own again, and admits he is, for the next few months at least, putting everything into his solo career.

"This is all I have got planned for now, so we will continue doing this," said Kane, taking a break from rehearsals with his band to talk to the Chron.

"I want to enjoy this record, and then think about another one, and I just want to keep going now, I don't want to have a long break again."

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Kane last played the Lady's Lane venue five years ago following the release of Don't Forget Who You Are, and produced a blistering set of rock-pop. He is vowing to repeat the dose on his return.

Miles Kane at the Roadmender in 2013 (Picture: David Jackson)Miles Kane at the Roadmender in 2013 (Picture: David Jackson)
Miles Kane at the Roadmender in 2013 (Picture: David Jackson)

Kane is never happier than when he is out on stage and he is promising those who turn out for the gig a great night, adding he won't be flooding the set with new material the audience won't be familiar with.

"I think we'll play four new ones maximum and then I will mainly play the old tunes, as I don't want to overwhelm it," he said.

"I will give people a taste of the new stuff, but I am excited to play those old tunes as well.

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"It has been a long time since I have played them, so it will be good to see how they stand up."

An exciting live performer, Kane is desperate to get back out on stage again, and is promising those who go to the Roadmender he'll be doing his best 'to blow their socks off'.

"Even playing in the rehearsal room, I love it, I just love playing," he said. "I really miss it when I don't play live, so I am really excited to get back out there.

"I will play anywhere really, I don't care, I would play in the pub if I could, so it should be vibing.

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"We are still working everything out, but the set will probably be about an hour.

"I want it to be a great, solid set and it will be upbeat, high energy, sweaty and hopefully it will blow your socks off. That's the plan.

"I am really looking forward to it."

As it is five years since his most recent solo offering, Kane has put together a new band for this tour, and it will now be a four-piece, compared to the five-piece he toured with last time.

He is excited at the prospect and explained the reason and how it all came about saying: "We are just in rehearsals now for the tour, and there is a lot of work to be done.

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"It's a whole new thing, a whole new vibe, and it is great. It is fresh and new, and something different.

"It's the first time I've changed the band, but it just felt the right thing to do, as it is always good to push yourself I think and try new things - hopefully it works.

"Somebody helped me put it together, but I had actually met all of the band before briefly and I know they are all great musicians. Touch wood, it feels good.

"The last band was a five, but this time there is me and three others because I just wanted to keep it a bit more concise, and I think it should work."

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Kane now lives in America and a lot of Coup De Grace, which has been produced by John Congleton, was mainly written along with fellow Brit musician Jamie T, with the pair immediately hitting it off after getting together.

"We wrote a hell of a lot of tunes together last year," said Kane of his alliance with Jamie T.

"We got into this amazing groove, where we just blocked time out every day and went at it like a nine-to-five job in a way.

"We would go in and we had so much fun and just released these ideas and emotions and produced these sort of upbeat, punky songs, and it was such an enjoyable experience.

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"We would pretty much do a song a day and I love working like that. Me and Jamie really got into a groove, and I couldn't have done it without him.

"It was an amazing partnership and it really made the songs the best they can be.

"I 100 per cent think it's my best solo album to date, I really do. There is no fat on there and I am really proud of it."

And he added: "The writing started when I finished touring my second record, Don't Forget Who You Are, and there has been a lot of songs written.

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"I had about an album's worth of songs written before we did the second Puppets record, and then all of those songs got put on hold.

"By the time I came back round to those songs, they got binned, so there was a lot of writing went into this record, but the majority of what made it was written last year.

"Looking back on it now, I am glad it happened that way because it is a really strong 10-track album."

But what happens to all those 'binned' songs?

"Who knows what will happen? Those songs are always there, and sometimes you go back and you listen and you may rework a couple," revealed Kane.

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"I was listening to some of them the other day actually, so never say never with them, but you always get turned on by doing new tunes, or new things.

"Sometimes I will take bits from those songs, and rework it or something, but they are always there."

So, what sort of sound can his fans expect from the new LP.

"I love all sort of music. I love punk, I love soul, Motown and I like some glam stuff, so I do try and always incorporate my influences in my music," explains Kane.

"But I think we are now showing a bit more of an aggressive side, a punky side, and that started when we were doing the Puppets tour and we were covering Totally Wired by The Fall.

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"I have always loved that style of music since I was really young and when we were covering that song and playing it live with the Puppets, it sort of sparked something in me.

"I thought 'wow, I would love to do a record that has a few tunes like this on it', because it would be so much fun to play live. It just felt good, and it felt right at that time."

Kane has spent the past two years living in America - although he is still a regular visitor to the UK - recording both the second Last Shadow Puppets album and his new offering out there, and he feels it has been a real benefit for the overall sound of those records.

"It has been good over there. I have written two good records, and I loved working with the producer I did this record with, John Congleton," said Kane, whose previous solo LP was produced by Lightning Seeds frontman Iain Broudie.

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"I have played with American musicians and it maybe just puts a little bit of a different spin on it.

"I like to experience new things and I think for this record it really helped it being out there.

"It all fell into place, it was quick recording, the musicians were great, John was cool, and when it happens like that you have to go with it.

"There are plenty of times you try a producer and it takes ages or days to get a sound. This was one of them where we had all done our homework.

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"The songs were written, we knew they were good, and we captured them in a great way that wasn't sort of draining, doing like 25 takes, or spending three weeks getting a drum sound.

"We got in there, plugged in and it happened, and it all sounded good which was great and thank God for that."

Miles Kane plays the Roadmender in Northampton on Friday, June 1.

Tickets still available, priced £22 including booking fee. Visit theroadmender.com for more details