Interview: Miles Kane

In the world of rock 'n' roll, the word “rebirth” gets bandied about with alarming regularity, but for Scouse singer-songwriter Miles Kane, that label fits as well as one of his immaculately-tailored jackets. Drawing inspiration from ’70s British glam rock (in particular the late, great T-Rex frontman Marc Bolan) you’d be forgiven for thinking his soon to be released second solo album Don’t Forget Who You Are was actually his first bite of the cherry. It's a record that burns with ambition and it's something of a sonic statement of intent from the tunesmith.

“It feels so honest and real and it does, in a mad way feel like it’s my first record,” he addirms. “I definitely want to take things to the next level and I wouldn’t lie about those ambitions for this album.”
Produced by celebrated knob-twiddler and Lightning Seeds mainman Ian Broudie, Don't Forget Who You Are sounds like the record that Kane was born to make and the singer reveals that it didn't take too long for the fellow Liverpudlians to come up with something special.
“Ian asked me what kind of record I wanted to make and I said I wanted something a bit glammy and we kept listening to that tune, (sings) ‘going up to the spirit in the sky’ by Norman Greenbaum. We put on the Sweet’s ‘Ballroom Blitz’ and these classic, uplifting, stomping songs and that afternoon we wrote ‘Taking Over’, which opens the record and has that real Slade-y (sings again) ‘coz I loooove you’ vibe. It’s stomping music that you can ‘ave it to. That was the eye-opener really. We knew we’d found our path and went down it. Basically I wanted to make an album you can stick on on Saturday night with your friends and have a few drinks before you go out.”
In some ways, Miles Kane's career thus far has had a very old-school sensibility. Having cut his teeth in The Little Flames, he then made a record with The Rascals before departing to go solo. He also serves as a member of the currently on hiatus Last Shadow Puppets alongside Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner. “There’ll be another record at some stage,” replies the musician when asked if a follow-up to the much-loved The Age Of The Understatement is in the works. Does the performer see himself as a sort of modern day Rod Stewart-type figure, who's been slowly serving his apprenticeship over the last few years?
“I’ve just finished reading Rod Stewart’s book actually and, not that I’m comparing us, but weirdly his career is similar to mine,” says Miles. “He was in a lot of bands too and also had a little bit of a vibe going. I see it all as learning my craft. I wouldn’t have been able to make the record I’ve just made if I hadn’t done all that stuff and had those ups, downs and knock-backs.”
And is the title Don't Forget Who You Are directed at anyone he's met along the way?
“It’s a little reminder to myself and it’s also about certain people,” he reveals. “I’ve come across people who get caught up in that world and go searching for the fame thing and it’s a little reminder to myself to never forget your soul. It’s all well and good enjoying the world you’ve fallen in to, but at the end of the day I want to write great tunes and be a rock star and that’s something I’ll fight for.”
Speaking of fighting (*tenuous link klaxon*), some of you might know that Miles is a massive fan of pro-wrestling and WWE. With the Manic Street Preachers recently offering to write a song for brawler Wade Barrett, Hot Press thought it was only right to ask him if he'd be up for penning an entrance tune for one of the other grapplers.
“I’d love to do Sheamus’ intro music,” enthuses Miles, referring to the first ever Irish-born WWE World Champion. “I’d be well up for writing his music or he could just use my song ‘Inhaler.’ I bet you love Sheamus in Ireland. He’s boss isn’t he? I’m a massive Sheamus fan and I quite like Ryback as well and if the WWE ever want to use my music, I’m game.”

Don't Forget Who You Are is released on May 31 on Columbia Records. He performs at One Big Weekend in Derry on May 26 and Electric Picnic