First Published In The Music & Sound Retailer’s August 2007 Issue.
The Kooks are not your typical rock band, and their lead singer and guitarist Luke Pritchard was not our normal Curtain Call interview. For starters, he chatted via cell phone from a Moroccan shisha bar (where you smoke flavored tobacco in shisha pipes). As the mellow sounds of Lionel Richie and Air Supply played in the background, he talked about the Kooks’ influences and early experiences, as well as his love for vintage instruments and some of his favorite retail stores. Even though they’re barely 20 years old, Pritchard and his bandmates have been making waves in the U.S., appearing on the most recent One Tree Hill soundtrack and performing at this year’s Coachella festival.
M&SR: What artists inspired you?
Pritchard: Loads. Going back years, the Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly and stuff like that. Real traditional, sort of sweet melodies. That kind of stuff. As I got older, I got into Dylan. But I think as a band we have so many different influences. All of us are different. Max [Rafferty, bassist] is into reggae and funk, I’m into folk, Paul [Garred, drummer] likes new wave…so as a band, we have tons of influences. I think it’s one of the things of our generation. There’s just so much music to get your hands on.
M&SR: How did you get started playing guitar?
Pritchard: I don’t know, I just always thought girls like guys who play guitar [Laughs]. No, I’m joking. I think the guitar is probably the easiest instrument to write on. For me, it is. You can literally take it anywhere and just pick it up and play it.
I actually smashed my first guitar. I was a rock and roll 8 year old [Laughs]. My mom bought me [a guitar] and I got really annoyed a few months into learning. I got really pissed off because I wanted to play “Yellow Submarine” and I couldn’t get my fingers right. So I just smashed it. I remember my mom came home and I was in tears. I remember it really vividly. She said, “OK, I’ll buy you one more but I’m not buying you another one. So either learn it properly or don’t at all.” It was a Cort or something. I can’t remember [what kind of guitar it was].
M&SR: At this point, have you come to prefer certain brands and gear over others?
Pritchard: I like Telecasters. I like Fenders. They make great guitars. I’ve got this really strange one I bought in a vintage guitar shop in Texas. In Austin, when we were doing South by Southwest. A handmade guitar. The body is completely metal. It’s a Telecaster and I use it all the time when we play live. It’s really cool, completely rare. It’s one of a kind. There’s not another one in the whole world like it, so it’s got a really kind of weird sound.
M&SR: Which guitar in your collection is most valuable to you?
Pritchard: Well I have a 1957 Gibson Les Paul. I hate Les Pauls, but it was my dad’s so that, I suppose…I’d be most reluctant to sell that one. Let’s put it that way.
M&SR: What other gear do you use?
Pritchard: I’m pretty simple. I only have one pedal, which is a Boss Blues Driver. I think we use Ernie Ball strings. Quite simple, really. I don’t really know much about guitars. I just like to write songs on them and play them.
M&SR: Has being in a band made you want to try new instruments?
Pritchard: Yeah, I love trying. I’m rubbish, but I love trying [Laughs]. Even just on the level that I’m not a very good guitar player but Hugh [Harris] is really good. So I always ask him to show me how to play things. I play drums a little bit. It’s quite fun to smack the [heck] out of something. For five minutes, just go mental.
M&SR: Do you shop at retail stores often?
Pritchard: I buy guitars all the time. I’m a bit of a guitar collector, so [I’m always in guitar stores] but I wish they’d send us more free ones. [Laughs] I really like vintage stuff, so I often go to a few on Denmark Street in London, which is where all the guitar shops are. I just bought a really nice Dobro, actually. It’s a beautiful Dobro Resonator from 1934.
There’s a company called Kato. They’re really, really cool. We kind of met them first when we were on tour. One of the people who works for them is a tour manager as well. So we got to know him. They’re not really retailers but they have gear—drums particularly—and they have rehearsal rooms. They have deals with Zildjian and Tama I think. So Paul gets a lot of his stuff from there. But they’re also a really nice bunch of people. They’ll sort you out with anything. I’ll talk to them and they’ll be like, “We got some new stuff in; do you want to try it out?” You know? So that’s really cool.
M&SR: What kinds of new things have they told you about, or are you looking for?
Pritchard: An example is Maton, this relatively new company from Australia. They make these acoustic guitars and they’re not the best acoustic guitars, but what they are is amazing through a PA. Their DIs are amazing. So they turned me on to them. Actually, the guy is getting me a little drum kit, funny enough, for my flat. Because I have jam nights all the time with my friends.