The multi-platinum selling band who are known for hits like "Naive" and "Bad Habit" have been described as the quintessential British band and are back to prove exactly that.
Speaking from his home in London, drummer Alexis Nunez said that the band started working on the album last year. “We started on the album in mid-2017 and I must say that is has been fun putting it together. The last time we released a new album with new music was in 2014 so it has been a bit of a break in terms of music making but we were still very busy. We toured and promoted Listen because we were really passionate about that album. We also performed at festivals across Europe,” he said.
Once the band was done promoting their previous offerings, Nunez said that they decided to focus on a new album. “We all got into a room and we all agreed on what the new album should be like. We wanted the bands dynamics to be heard in that we all bring different elements to the band and we all wanted to be represented, from the singing to the drumming”.
Lead singer Luke Pritchard said that the creative process was an easy one. “This album was about defining who we are, we were asking the questions. It was a fractured start, we went into the studio in 2015 continuing down the path we set out on our last studio album Listen and discovered it wasn’t what we wanted to make and wasn’t really The Kooks. So we scrapped it and started again. I really went on a mission to write the best songs I’d ever written before bringing them to the band, I stewed over every word. It had to be our rubber soul and have proper British lineage,” he said.
Pritchard also said that he came from a dark place at the start of creating this album, “I had a lot of heartbreak because of a break-up and then falling in love in the middle of the album happened and the lyrics reflect that. From ‘Fractured and Dazed’ to ‘No Pressure’. This has got to be our most exciting album, and it should get you dancing.”
Nunez said that the journey the band has been on since 2014 when they released their first album, Inside In/Inside Out was one of growth and now they are settled. “As a band we are settled, we know our sound, we know what works for us and what does not, we are mature now and we want that to come across in our music,” he said.
Speaking on the sound of Let’s Go Sunshine, Nunez described it as a fusion of genres. “There are a mixture of genres on this album but there is a distinct British feel to it even within the mix of all the different sounds. We were influenced by different era’s as well, from punk to rock and pop of course. What’s really great is that some of the songs on the album were also recorded live,” he said.
The band recorded the album in Los Angeles, a city Nunez said influenced its name. “We didn’t want a heavy name and Lets Go Sunshine was thrown around while we were recording and then we stuck with it not only because of the beautiful sunshine's in Los Angeles but also because we just experienced our hottest summer in London. It is also an indication of where we are as individuals and as a band, we are very happy and content, we love what we do and we have realigned our priorities to what's important to us,” he said.
The band plan on going on tour to promote their new album and although South Africa has not been confirmed yet, Nunez said, “We love South Africa and have been there before so there is no way that we will not come there for our upcoming tour, even if South Africa isn’t on our schedule I will personally make sure it is,” he said.