HTF were lucky enough to be invited along to meet Miles Kane for an interview prior to his performance at The Electric Ballroom, Camden for the last leg of his headline tour showcasing his debut solo album ‘Colour of the Trap’.
We met the man himself upstairs in the venue, we are asked not to film. Was this possibly due to the over indulgence at the Q Awards attended to by Miles the night before? He enters the room not showing any tale-tale signs of the reckless hedonism beheld that night. “I feel rough? Do I look rough?” This coming for a man who, with his sharp style, would not look out of place fronting Italian Vogue rather than a band.
At the tender age of 25 he has had a cracking background with two former bands and his on-going collaboration with Alex Turner with ‘The Last Shadow Puppets’ and developed a self-following that most would give there soul for including the Gallagher brothers, Paul Weller, Gruff Rhys to name but a few. Noel Gallagher has even provided backing vocals to the track ‘My Fantasy’ which features on Miles’ debut solo album, after just ‘popping’ into the studio.
We set to find out more about the smooth talking and all round charmer of a man, whom could quite possibly be the off spring of Paul McCartney:
HTF: You had a great start with your early ventures… record label at the age of 18 with The Little Flames then moved on to form The Rascals, what did you learn from the highs and lows of that era?
MK: Everything really, there’s been ups and downs and it hasn’t been plain sailing. You go through different things, things that work out, things that didn’t happen that you thought did and your confidence gets knocked and then you get more confident, it’s just like a rollercoaster. When you come up to this record, there’s a blank canvas and it was just wanting to put everything you felt and everything you have been through over the past two years into this album and make it as good as it can be. So when you give in the album to your label or you go off and do your interviews and gigs you know that at that time you couldn’t have tried any harder or to the best of your ability at that point and that’s what I have got. I feel great and it’s been a great year so far.
HTF: You supported Arctic Monkeys with both bands is that how your relationship and subsequent collaboration with Alex Turner came about with The Last Shadow Puppets?
MK: When I was in that band The Little Flames, I was the guitarist and we did these pub gigs with them (Arctic Monkeys) when they were first starting out and we were both 18. Both the whole bands, The Little Flames and the (Arctic) Monkeys were all mates and that’s how it started. On days off I’d go up to Sheffield and he’d come to my mums and we became best mates you know over a couple of years.
HTF: You seem to have come into your own now and formed a tight bond with your band?
MK: Yeah I think it’s important that, especially for me as well cause when we made this record I hadn’t played any of the songs live or even jammed or been in a practise room or rehearsing it was all done in a studio. I’ve known Jay (Sharrock) for a while and Phil (Anderson) through an old flatmate and I remember there was just three of us and we first got in a room and jammed it just sounded great. We then got Eugene (McGuinness) in and it’s a great band and live it’s so exciting. I think you will enjoy it tonight.
HTF: Are you moving forward with the band in the future?
MK: Well hopefully, I know Eugene has a record himself so I think he’s going to go and do that, so I need to get a replacement for him next year but you know apart from that definitely.
HTF: You have famous relations amongst you, you (Miles) have cousins in The Coral and your Drummer Jay Sharrock’s Dad (Chris Sharrock) is ex La’s, Oasis and current Beady Eye drummer. Do you think they have helped you musically along the way?
MK: I guess you know with my cousins as I was growing up, I’m an only child and when you’re a kid and they were older they’d give me records to listen to and get youinto tunes and teach you chords on guitar.
HTF: You have described your music as modern day Motown?
MK: Yes… hmm, well it’s just like great rock and roll.
HTF: Currently who are your influences?
MK: It’s this French singer called Jacques Dutroncs. He’s from late sixties, early seventies and he was sort of a bit like (Serge) Gainsbourg but more of a mod and more rock and roll, he’s got a big influence on me and we are doing a cover of one of his songs tonight called ‘The Responsible.’
HTF: You seem to have a connection with France, more so Paris. You have even collaborated with the beautiful French actress Clémence Poésy in your song ‘Happenstance’.
MK: It’s been great over there, I’ve been at least once or a couple of times a month doing TV gigs and press and you know I love it there.
HTF: Another beauty Daisy Lowe appeared in your video ‘Come Closer’, you lucky man, do you get to personally hand pick whoever you choose?
MK: That just came about through a guy from the label. Two days before the shoot we were getting sent all these models and I felt weird picking. You know we needed a model, and this guy (from the label) knew her, phoned her up and sent her the track. I hadn’t even met her before that. I met her once before she came down and did it; good on her, we had a laugh.
HTF: You have had an amazing year!! Debut album ‘Colour of the Trap’ released earlier this year European tour off the back of it… several festival slots, current own Headline tour? How’s that all going?
MK: This tour, you know playing these sorts of venues and sounding them out you can feel it. I’m still learning and still relatively new in terms of going up the ladder but it feels great where it is now you’re booking bigger gigs again for next year and it feels great to be growing and keep working hard and keep writing. We’ve got this new song called ‘Woman’s Touch’ it’s going to be the next single I think. I’m going to record that hopefully by the end of the year get that out next year and just keep going.
HTF: You have just been asked to join Kasabian on their Winter Arena Tour?
MK: Yeah that’s great news and I think it will be great for us you know to play those bigger venues.
HTF: Finally, what new for Miles in 2012?
MK: Just to get this new single out and look at maybe another record and just to keep working really. I’ve got stuff up my sleeve, I don’t really want to take time off and take ages doing a record, I’ll have days off here and there and try to get into the studio.
For more information vist www.mileskane.com
Interviewer: Zoe Holmes Ellis
