Plugged Magazine October/ November 2025
Translated from Google Translate:
TEXT BY ANTOINE SERRURIER
Could a simple encounter be enough to ward off a midlife crisis? Two years after glancing back with One Man Band, Miles Kane got back on track by crossing paths with Dan Auerbach. Arm in arm with one half of The Black Keys and his studio wizards, the enfant terrible of Merseyside rearmed himself with confidence, skill, and bite, captured without flinching in Nashville on the audacious Sunlight in the Shadows. Cigarette in mouth and whiskey and coke in hand, the new star of the Easy Eye Sound roster received us backstage at London's intimate Moth Club, a few hours before a boisterous return to the stage. A reunion.
Hello Miles, great to see you again, especially on this side of the Channel...
Miles Kane: This time, we're switching roles! [He lights a cigarette, Ed.] I'm really looking forward to tonight... It promises to be a good little gig, doesn't it? It'll be sort of the second show of this new tour, after the one in Sheffield last Friday, a farewell concert for the venue, which unfortunately had to close. In any case, we had as much fun as we could have hoped!
Your latest album, One Man Band, marked a return to your roots, between its creation in Liverpool and its more direct approach, true to your indie rock roots. Looking back, do you feel that this return to your origins allowed you to reset your career?
Mr. K.: That's a very important point you raise there. To be perfectly honest with you, I'd even go so far as to say that One Man Band did me a favor. Not just through its creative process, but also thanks to the tour that followed. I had a very busy year, and in a way, I experienced it as a liberation. I was itching to get back to playing all over Europe! Luckily, the tour was a success, which helped me regain my confidence. And then, I finally crossed paths with Dan [Auerbach, singer-guitarist of The Black Keys and Les Arcs, Ed.], and I felt like I was taking another big step.
Tell us about how you met...
Mr. K.: It was last summer in Nashville. Believe it or not, we'd never met before! Dan and I had planned a two-day writing session at his label's studio, Easy Eye Sound. When you plan something like that, you never block out two weeks, just in case things go wrong! [laughs] Luckily, from the very first second, I knew it was going to work. We sat down at the kitchen table, chatted for a bit, and then started writing together, very quickly. It was really old school: two acoustic guitars and a small notebook. No demos, just chords and a few ideas jotted down. It took me back to my early days, when Alex [Turner, singer-guitarist of the Arctic Monkeys and one half of Last Shadow Puppets, Ed.] and I were writing songs for the first Puppets album [The Age of the Understatement, 2008, Ed.] in my mom's bedroom. I hadn't felt that way in a long time.
Two kids in a candy store
What was your relationship with Dan's world before you connected?
Mr. K.: I was obviously very familiar with The Black Keys and The Arcs, but I also loved his solo records. Not to mention all those great bands he brought to Easy Eye! When he offered me to sign me to his label, I was incredibly honored. Let me tell you, I didn't beat around the bush for long [laughs]. I found it all the more beautiful because nothing was planned. Sometimes opportunities just appear out of the blue. It's like the universe is guiding you in a very specific direction, far from your comfort zone. Which can be quite unsettling, especially when you're caught up in that dynamic. But, in the end, you realize it's the best decision to make. Meeting Dan opened doors I never imagined I'd walk through. His enthusiasm also encouraged me to let go. You know, I'm naturally a worrier. I worry about everything! [laughs] Since we started working together, I've been trying to live a little more in the moment, going with the flow. When you do things naturally, it often yields good results
You say you developed an almost "frightening" closeness with him. What brought you so close?
M. K. I think beyond our shared love of Motown or rock 'n' roll in general, it was our sense of humor that brought us together. That and our work ethic. Dan is definitely not one to shy away from a joke, but when it comes to getting down to work, he takes it very seriously. He loves this job at least as much as I do. I think there's nothing more exhilarating in the world than getting up in the morning to go to the studio. So when the person you're working with gives you that same excitement, it's like seeing two kids running together in a candy store! [laughs] In the past, I've done quite a few writing sessions with other artists, but I've rarely felt such chemistry. We'd go to the studio from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and we'd come home with three superb songs. It's beautiful when it flows so easily. I hope to be able to make my next album under these conditions. I'm sure this environment still holds a lot of room for me to grow.
After this short stay in Tennessee, you went back on tour in the UK, before crossing the Atlantic again six months later to record the album in just three days. What was the atmosphere like in the studio?
M. K.: We had so much fun! Honestly, Easy Eye is the best studio I've ever had the chance to record in. There was vintage gear everywhere, hence the very particular tone you can hear on the record. All the guitars were equipped with Bigsby vibratos (a mechanical system that allows you to slightly modify the pitch of the notes by playing with the string tension). I was in heaven! I also want to tip my hat to the Datt team. As a big fan of psychobilly and surf rock à la Link Wray they loved our instruments, and it sounded amazing right away. No frills! Everything was ready for us to play eight of us in the same room. We played!
As you just mentioned, you recorded the album with a real dream team, including Patrick Carney (The Black Keys), Daniel Tashian (The Silver Seas), Nick Bockrath (Cage the Elephant), Barrie Cadogan (Litt le Barrie), Pat McLaughlin, and Tom Bukovac. Were they all Dan's choices?
Mr. K.: Absolutely! You couldn't ask for anything better for a rock 'n' roll band, could you? I admire them all, far beyond what we've done together. I know their backgrounds, their different projects... Playing alongside them, I had to raise my game. It was like I'd suddenly been promoted to the big leagues, you know what I mean? [laughs] Dan knew how much I respected them, because we'd already talked about it. I still remember his phone call, shortly before I went back to Nashville: "Man, I'm going to get them all." I couldn't believe it! Those guys have remarkable finesse and precision. Rather than overdoing it, they prefer to cultivate elegance and good taste. Together, we were perfectly in sync.
Do you plan to invite them on stage as well?
M. K.: One day, no doubt, and it'll be really great! But, for the moment, I have my own backing band, who are doing a fantastic job. The other day, after seeing some clips from my live show in Sheffield, Dan even texted me to say how good they were. He said, "Your band scares the hell out of me!" [laughs]
You've described Sunlight in the Shadows as a mix of "T. Rex, Motown, and The Easybeats." Did you initially intend to connect the heritage of Anglo-Saxon white music with that of Black American music?
M. K.: I don't know if it was intentional, but from our very first conversation with Dan, we immediately brought up these shared influences. Like him, I grew up listening to Motown's African-American soul, from the Four Tops to the Temptations, by way of Diana Ross. For many rock 'n' rollers like us, it's the foundation of everything, along with the blues. The Stones worshipped Muddy Waters, and so on... Sunlight in the Shadows simply sits at the crossroads of the deepest influences that Dan and I share.
Among these are the Flamin' Groovies, whose infamous "Slow Death" you covered. Where did the idea come from?
M. K.: It was the last day in the studio. We'd already recorded about fifteen tracks, so we thought, "Why not try a cover?" To be honest, I didn't know the song before Dan and Barrie played it for me. The guys started rehearsing, and then I changed the melody a bit to make it more... "catchy." I'm going to sound like a jerk saying this, but I wanted to make it a real pop song. The Flamin' Groovies' version is a bit crazier, with lots of different parts. I thought it would be fun to add my own touch. And besides, it's a song about drugs, so anything goes, right? [smiles]
Did you try any other covers?
M. K.: We had loads in mind, but we preferred to focus on this relatively unknown song rather than classics. We wanted to be purists!
From Batman to Clint Eastwood
Beyond the influences, the album oozes a very organic energy, where the interactions between you and the musicians are almost palpable...
M. K.: That's because we recorded everything live! Including my vocals, which has become quite rare these days. To tell you the truth, I can't even remember the last time I recorded an album this way. On some tracks, you can even hear me giving instructions to the others, because they had just learned their parts a few hours earlier. That's the case, for example, with "Sunlight in the Shadows," where I shout "riff!" before it even comes in! [laughs] When we first played it live in Sheffield, I couldn't stop thinking about it, because that moment is now inseparable from the song. Initially, I definitely wanted to smooth out all those little "accidents," but Dan convinced me not to He told me, "Imagine a kid listening to this with his parents in the car. He'll be just as fascinated as you were when you heard Mick Jagger belting out a rockin' Stones record!" I couldn't disagree with him. Having grown so used to everything being so structured, I'd almost forgotten that you could create music with so much freedom.
This freedom also comes through in your lyrics, often brimming with imagery and humor. We're thinking in particular of "Coming Down The Road," where you sing: "I can't tell if I'm eggs or bacon / I'm all greased up and my legs are shaking / I'm looking for a fight cos my heart is breaking"...
M. K.: Quite the punchline, isn't it? One of my favorites, which Dan and I used to laugh about a lot, is this one from "Sunlight in the Shadows": "I'm a bad man / If you say I am / But I know nobody really gives a damn / I'm gonna stand tall / Show you all / You can mount my head / Up on the wall tonight." It's so silly, but it works! Dan really encouraged me to go in that direction. There's a kind of confidence tinged with humor, which reflects my state of mind quite well on this album. You can also find that dimension in the atmosphere of some of the tracks. "Coming Down The Road," for example, reminds me of the opening credits of the '60s Batman series. If I put on a costume, it could make a great music video! [laughs]
Speaking of atmosphere, the album's opening track, "Love Is Cruel," is reminiscent of a Western, with its epic percussion, piercing guitars, and wild groove...
M. K.: Clint Eastwood or Tarantino style! I love that kind of vibe, which we'd already explored a bit with Alex in the Puppets. Everyone on the team agreed that this track had to open the album. It brings breadth, a certain class, and perhaps even a touch of maturity to the whole thing. It's a departure from my usual, more in-your-face style, but it seemed appropriate. Like the album itself, it's a clear affirmation of the man I am today, at thirty-nine.
We assume you obviously haven't missed the Oasis reunion, whose tour kicks off in Cardiff in three days [interview conducted on July 1, 2025, Ed.]. The event has brought back an old photo of you and Alex Turner from one of their last concerts at Wembley in 2009. Do you plan to see them together again this summer?
M. K.: We haven't coordinated to go together, but I'm definitely going to see them in London. I've already got my ticket, I'm so excited! I recently re-listened to their latest album, Dig Out Your Soul. I'd completely forgotten how many gems it is.
Does this mean that a third Last Shadow Puppets album isn't in the works?
M. K.: At the moment, it's not in our plans. However, my door is always wide open...
Perhaps the excitement surrounding Oasis's return could bring you together again?
Mr. K.: OK, I concede... You got me! [laughs]
