Luke Pritchard from Britpoppers The Kooks tells Noise11 their ersatz feud with Arctic Monkeys is all sorted.
The Kooks, Luke Pritchard- Photo By Ros O'Gorman
The UK music media reported a barney brewing between the two British rock bands, stemming from a 2008 onstage altercation between Pritchard and Arctic Monkeys singer Alex Turner and the ensuing war of words.
Over the 2011/2012 New Year, both acts performed on Australia’s Falls Festival, which takes place in both Lorne in Victoria and Marion Bay in Tasmania.
During our interview with Pritchard, we asked whether he and Alex had settled their differences enough to appear on the same stage.
Pritchard first winced “Not really, not really,” but quickly laughed it off, “There’s no problem.”
“There’s not ever been any real animosity between us,” he said, “People relate us because we’re the same age and we’re in bands. The British press like to do some things. But it’s fine.”
The Kooks have seemed to be convenient whipping boys for the British press in the past. “Yeah, I think we still are a bit,” Pritchard laughed.
“That’s the thing: The difference between The Kooks and the Arctic Monkeys in England is the press. It’s quite opposite, really. It could be a blessing for us, really. If you have too much press support it can dilute what you do and you become too reliant on that.”
“With Arctic Monkeys we’re totally cool,” he concluded. “I thought it was a brilliant line-up for us and for two British bands to come over, it was good.”
He also discusses the strange romance of America, ditching Adele’s producer, recording their third album Junk Of The Heart, making a new record “soon” and heaps more. Check out the full interview below.
