Wiktor Fejkiel, Interia Muzyka: Your latest album “Sunlight In The Shadows” premiered in October. From the perspective of these few months, are you satisfied with the way it has been received?
Miles Kane: Oh, definitely. Additionally, I have the impression that this year, with such intense touring, these songs came to life. In our set we play as many as nine songs from the new album, which is quite a large number. Usually there are half as many of them – but it’s a really cool feeling to play them live. Additionally, I love that they reflect exactly where I am currently in life and music.
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How do you remember working on it?
– I have amazing memories. It was the most free-flowing creative process of my life – there were no obstacles, just pure joy.
In the studio you had the pleasure of creating “Sunlight In The Shadows” with Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys. Did you know from the very beginning that you wanted this material to be created with him?
– No, totally not. We met for the first time to do such an introductory writing session. We immediately found common ground and he said he wanted to produce my album and contract me to his label. For me it was an opportunity I couldn’t refuse. Ultimately, this collaboration was unique because it is rare for me to have such a good professional relationship with someone. I’m also happy because I think our cooperation will not end with this album.
Do you see any significant changes in your approach to creating and composing compared to your previous albums?
– I think the foundation is always the same. The only thing is that Dan managed to strengthen and highlight it a bit, because we are quite similar in the way we work and what we want to achieve through it.
Did you have a guiding thought that guided you in creating this album? This theme of consistency of all numbers with each other…
– Lyrically, it always looks like this: I write about various feelings I feel in my life – I talk about love, addictions, temptations. All these things that everyone also experiences are something worth talking about to me. I just try to capture what my intuition tells me. And I add my rock and roll, song-like way of singing.
Would you agree that this album combines rock’n’roll with a lot of psychedelic influences?
– I wanted to keep the balance between rock’n’roll and psychedelia at the right level. That’s why it contains slightly simpler songs like “Electric Flower” and “Sunlight In The Shadows”. But there are also heavier ones that lean much more towards the psychedelic vibes of the 1960s – like “Sing a Song to Love”.
How has this material been working for you live, played at concerts, so far?
– Knock on wood is really good (laughter). It’s as if they took on a new life. And since we play everything live with the band, without any backing track, we can afford to extend both guitar solos and moments of singing together with the audience. You just feel freedom in these songs and I think that’s the most valuable thing.
I would like to say a few words about the song “Don’t Forget Who You Are”, which I got to know quite well while playing a lot of FIFA 14. How do you remember this collaboration after all these years?
– To be honest, I don’t remember it much (laughter). The only thing that remains in my memory is the fact of cooperation, because I buy FIFA every year and I love playing it. We play it on the bus every night on the road. However, I hope that in the next editions it will also be possible to have one of my songs appear on this official playlist. I think there would be a few of those from the new album that would fit well (laughter).
Of course, in your case there is no question of being a one-hit wonder artist, but do you often hear from fans saying that they discovered you thanks to this song?
– “Don’t Forget Who You Are” and “Come Closer” are my two songs through which I most often manage to establish contact with my fans. After all, they are the most popular, so it’s no wonder this happens. So yes, there are also people who say that thanks to FIFA they got to know my work better, which doesn’t bother me, I’m actually happy.