Don’t Change The Show while Miles Kane is on...
MILES KANE Concorde 2, Brighton: May 11 Engine Rooms, Soton: May 12 mileskane.com/live
While there’s something (occasionally) to be said for the sprawling doublealbum, there is definitely a place for the album that gets to the point, doesn’t outstay its welcome and leaves the listener wanting more.
Miles Kane’s output is definitely in that latter camp, and his fourth album Change The Show is no different. Its 11 tracks see the Merseysider channelling Motown, soul and ’50s rock’n’roll – a time when the ideal length for a single was under three minutes.
The title track rattles by in barely two-and-a-half minutes, throwing a horn section and glam-rock into the mix as well. The song Change the Show sees Kane venting about the state of the world at the moment.
‘That was a song written one morning, the news was on, it was raining outside,’ he says. ‘I was sat on the sofa drinking my coffee, in my dressing gown and I just started spilling these lyrics:
‘We're too busy losing battles,
‘I get by, but I always get battered, ‘It's about time that we make things matter,
‘Tighten up you're belt, don't give me pitter-patter.
‘It was all the nonsense that was going on, everyone was banging heads, and it was written out of frustration, it was as simple as that.
‘I’m not a political person but there is so much injustice around right now, so much bad news and negativity. I was angry; I captured that moment.
‘When we took it into the studio it became this quite anthemic, Arcade Fire-y tune.’
Was he consciously chasing a different sound this time out?
‘Yeah, maybe. I guess the last record [Coup de Grace] was a bit more aggressive and a bit more rock and punk at times.
‘This is just another side of my personality. It doesn't mean that it's slow. It still has it, and it's still upbeat.
‘It's just another side of my songwriting and emotions.
‘I love concise songs. I definitely didn't want any fat on the tunes – old school.’
He also managed to rope in charttopping friend Corinne Bailey Rae for the duet Nothing’s Ever Gonna Be Good Enough.
‘She's an old friend of mine – she did some singing on my first album. We've been friends and hadn't spoken for a few years because life takes you off at different tangents. We rekindled our friendship a couple of years ago and started sending each other tunes and demos, and we talked about doing like a duet.
‘It turned out fantastic, and it's something I think we both want to do more of in the future.’
Now though, Kane just wants to hit the road again: ‘The fire's in the belly again – we're ready to do this.’
I love concise songs. I definitely didn't want any fat on the tunes