INTERVIEW: THE KOOKS
WORDS: CAMERON COOK
IMAGE: PATRICK O'DELL

We had a chat with Hugh Harris, the mop-topped lead guitarist of the Kooks (easily one of last year’s biggest UK exports). We wrestled five little-known facts about the group out of him while enjoying cold cuts in his publicist’s office. Here they are…

1. They Love America, And Therefore Freedom
The States are amazing. We’ve had a really warm welcome. I had come to expect a bit more [apprehension], but the gigs in New York have been great, really enthusiastic. It seems like the people coming to the gigs have known our album for a really long time, like hardcore fans. Not people who think they should be there because we’re the next cool thing.

2. They Were the last band to go in CBGB’s
We stumbled across CBGB’s randomly, we didn’t know where we were going, and suddenly we saw CBGB’s and went, ‘Oh my fucking God.’ It said ‘Save CBGB’s’ at the front because it was being closed down. We went in and asked the guy there if we could have a look around. We said we were playing up the road and said we’d put him on the guest list. He said sure. No one else was in it, it was like a museum - absolutely amazing. He said that it was being demolished the next day, so we were the last band to ever see CBGB’s.

3. They’ll Never Re-Release Their Singles
We wanted to make an album full of singles, so why not release them? People forget that we only got big three singles in. Instead of re-releasing them, covering old ground, which so many bands do these days and it’s fucking boring, they chart higher because you’re better known, why not release something new? We wanted to have an album full of singles and get it all out there, to continue the story, and give people new tastes and flavors. It’s not like there are two singles on the album and the rest of the tracks all sound the same. I think a lot more songs deserve be on the radio. Even a song like “Jackie Big Tits” could be a hit, it’s such a catchy song.

4. …Though They Couldn’t Release Everything on the Album
Could we release every track off the album? No. “Time Awaits” isn’t a single, though I would love to hear it on the radio. A lot of what people play on the radio these days is quite formulaic and one-dimensional. I think that’s why we released “Ooh La” because it wasn’t an obvious choice. We just wanted to get it out because lyrically it’s quite poignant. Being a star, wanting stuff you don’t need.

5. I Should Have Brought Notes To This Interview
You should have brought notes, man!