British indie rock heroes The Kooks welcome in Spring with infectious new single Sunny Baby, the next step in the ramp up to their forthcoming album, ‘Never/Know’.
An ode to frontman Luke Pritchard’s two children and family life as a whole, the nostalgia-drenched track puts the very best of the band’s pop sensibilities on show. Pritchard’s heartfelt, crooning vocal is supported by wide-screen, lush harmonies – a new sound for the band, but one that nods to their classic rock and soul influences.
A picturesque music video by director Dylan Nicholson accompanies the release and features hazy shots of Pritchard on the golden beaches of Sydney, captured through an Instamatic lens, matching the dreamy, reflective sentiment of the song’s lyrics: ‘Remember when you met me, I could never hold my tongue/ And people would have told you not to go with a guy like me. They might have been right but you could see the future.” Watch the video HERE.
Speaking about the track, Pritchard said “We’re told how bad everything is at the moment. I said ‘I’m just going to refuse to not let these be the best years of my life’; I have a young family.
“The song is about me getting to a balanced life. It’s a love song about someone making me fall back in love with myself.”
The single follows news of The Kooks’ forthcoming album ‘Never/Know’ out on 9th May 2025.
The band announced news of the album with their throwback Indie Club Night at Notting Hill Arts Club in January. Fans who packed out the London venue were treated to an intimate set of material from the forthcoming album (SEE HERE). The band kicked off the album campaign in style with ‘Never Know’ being selected as Radio X’s ‘Record of the Week’. The single also received rotation on BBC Radio 1, 6Music, and Jo Whiley’s show on BBC Radio 2.
NME referred to single welcoming in a “The new era of The Kooks”.
Mail Online said, “The Kooks wowed fans at [their] Indie Club Night… [unveiling] a new hit, ‘Never Know’.
1883 said, “The Kooks have cemented themselves as a key part of the UK musical landscape”.
The album started as a solo endeavour by Pritchard who began by creating a series of demos, before inviting the rest of the band to join him in the studio. He and guitarist Hugh Harris rekindled the collaborative spirit that defined the band’s early, most spontaneous work. Harris said, “At the heart of it, we both want the same thing, and that’s very powerful.”
Never/Know is out 9th May via Virgin Music Group, the band’s new global distribution partner.
Full tracklist for Never/Know
1. Never Know
2. Sunny Baby
3. All Over The World
4. If They Could Only Know
5. China Town
6. Compass Will Fracture
7. Tough At The Top
8. Arrow Through Me
9. Echo Chamber
10. Let You Go
11. Talk About It
*All tracks produced by Luke Pritchard except track 9 which was produced by J Lloyd.
