New album is Miles better

With a new album recorded live in Nashville and a tour built on instinct rather than safety nets, Miles Kane tells Simon Rushworth that he’s standing at a crossroads — and stepping forward.

Miles Kane is excited to take Sunlight In The Shadows on the road

Miles Kane isn’t short of momentum but right now it feels different. There is movement but also intention. At 39, with critically acclaimed album Sunlight In The Shadows newly released and a headline tour on the horizon, Kane sounds reflective without being hesitant and energised without chasing anything he’s already done.

His new record isn’t about reinvention so much as recalibration — understanding where he is, how he got here and how hard he still wants to push.

“This past year I feel like I’ve been at a crossroads in life,” he admits. “I’ll be 40 in March and I think this album introduces the next chapter and the next phase in my life.”

That sense of transition sits at the heart of Sunlight In The Shadows. It is present in the lyrics, in the way the album was recorded and in Kane’s approach to taking it on the road. There is comfort in experience but no desire to coast.

“I feel a change in myself,” he continues. “Not a drastic change but there’s a certain sense of ‘right, OK, this where we are now but are we going to continue to cruise in this zone or should we push it a bit further?’”

The decision to push on came early — starting with Nashville and a positive reunion with Sunlight In The Shadows producer Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) that immediately set the tone for everything that followed.

“It was incredible recording with Dan,” he adds. “We’ve got this amazing relationship. On the first day we’d ever met each other it was clear there was chemistry. By the end of that day he was like ‘I want to produce this record and sign you to my label’. I was all in!”

Working with Auerbach felt instinctive rather than strategic. There was no long courtship and no overthinking. “It felt exciting from day one,” adds Kane. “Touch wood, people will agree that we made a really fun record. Dan’s a cool dude.”

More importantly, the sessions delivered something Kane hadn’t felt in a long time. “It was just the most free-flowing experience I’ve had in years,” he beams. “Long may it continue. Hopefully we’ll work together again soon.”

That freedom came from the way the album was constructed. There was no endless layering and no obvious polishing of the edges. “We did 15 songs in a week and we recorded it all live,” explains Kane. “The band played the songs, I added the vocals and it all just fitted together perfectly.”

For an artist used to more segmented studio processes, it was a leap of faith — and one that demanded more from him. “After the third take we usually had it down and then I’d just double track the vocal. We were recording the vocals as we went along which was something I haven’t done in years! It was really refreshing and it raised my game. I felt really good for doing that and you can hear it in the record.”

That telling phrase — ‘raised my game’ — speaks to Kane’s mindset right now. He’s not proving himself to anyone but he’s refusing to settle for second best. Trust played a huge role in that shift of mindset and that determination to push the boundaries.

“I trust Dan with absolutely everything,” admits Kane. “Whether it’s the lyrics, the delivery of the vocals, everything. We could have an honest conversation — I’d ask him if the vocal was too much or not enough and we ironed it out together.”

The respect — like the trust — was mutual and it created a space where instinct could lead. That spontaneity, however, was built on discipline. Kane is quick to point out that freedom in the studio only works when the groundwork’s done.

“In the month before going out to record Sunlight In The Shadows, around this time last year, I just locked myself in my house and sang the songs every day — staying off the booze and all that — and just put myself in the zone.”

Preparation, for Kane, isn’t optional.

“I think it’s really important,” he adds. “It’s key to get that work done prior to walking into the studio. When you do reach that point there’ll always be room to adjust and to try new things but, by then, you know exactly what it is that you’re dealing with.”

As a rock and roll rebel, Kane laughs at how regimented that sounds but it’s clearly central to how he works. “I love the rehearsal before the rehearsal if that makes sense,” he smiles. “It’s quite old school, I suppose.”

That same mentality extends beyond the studio. “I love doing my job like a nine to five. It’s not very rock and roll — I know that — but it’s how I like to work.”

Lyrically, Sunlight In The Shadows is rooted in honesty rather than concept and sees Kane bare his fragile soul like never before. “You just write about your feelings,” he says. “I always have done but maybe the perspective’s shifted a bit now I’m nearing 40. Whether it’s the simple things that most people write about — love, addictions, worries, family — or some deeper stuff, I try to stay true to myself. I touch on all of that on the new album and maybe there’s some reminiscing and bits about growing up as well.”

There is reflection but not nostalgia for its own sake. “Songwriting’s almost like a therapy session. It helps me to navigate through life and maybe I can use that to my advantage.”

After months of promo, acoustic performances and interviews, Kane is champing at the bit to let a career-defining album breathe properly on stage. “I feel like I’m ready for the full band experience,” he says. The live shows are built on the same principles as the record. “There’ll be no backing tracks and there are no click tracks. It’s five of us on stage playing songs, simple as that. There’ll be that real freedom to let the new album develop and I can already hear these big wig outs on the solos where I want to extend them and almost get a bit Verve-esque, if that makes sense!”

Whether that vision fully materialises will depend on the room.

“If there’s that vibe between the audience and the band then we could go on a mad one,” teases Kane. “I just want these gigs to be the best I can do and absolutely have it every night whether there’s one person there or a thousand.”

Opening up for Kane at Newcastle’s NX next month [February] are fast-rising indie upstarts Villanelle — fronted by Gene Gallagher, son of Oasis star Liam. “Gene’s dad gave me a chance and now I’m giving his lad the same opportunity,” adds Kane. “It feels like there’s some good karma going around. I’m at an age and a stage in my career where I can help younger bands get a foot on the ladder. I can see a bit of myself in them at their age!”

Newcastle’s always been kind to Kane and he can’t wait to come back. “The Toon’s always been good for me,” he adds. “Touch wood, it’s always had my back. I don’t pretend to have my finger on the pulse when it comes to who the next big thing is up there but Newcastle and the North East are making a lot of noise these days. And about time — London isn’t the be all and end all of the music business. Northern cities need to be given their chance to shine and it’s Newcastle’s turn.”

Mile Kane plays Newcastle’s NX on February 3. Tickets available from the website.