Miles Kane

So Miles Kane’s solo project is finally here! In case you’ve never heard of him, Miles was formerly frontman of the Liverpool band Little Flames, then went on to front The Rascals, and then moved on to forming The Last Shadow Puppets with friend Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys. The Puppets achieved fair success on the release of their album “Age of the Understatement”, probably due to Turner’s Arctics fame, however they proved to be quite a different project. The album included an array of instruments and definite 60s influence which created something fitting for a James Bond soundtrack. Miles’ solo project seems to have taken some inspiration from his previous work and blended it together to create a distinct sound. First single “Inhaler” was an upbeat, catchy homage to the 60s complete with a riff McCartney or Ray Davies would be proud of. The single was put on the playlist of BBC 6Music, a digital radio station dedicated to showcase new talent and music not for the commercial and mainstream audience, a perfect platform for Miles. Second single “Come Closer” is achieving more radio play and is generating quite a hype around him. The way he effortlessly blends the laid-back 60s inspired groove with the typical Mersey quirk which seems to radiate from Liverpool artists is really exciting and refreshing. Being a fellow Liverpudlian, I have seen Miles perform with former band the Rascals, and also seen Miles around Liverpool. His attitude is not what you would expect from an up and coming “rock star”, but he has more of a friendly, casual and approachable aura making him a crowd favourite when performing. Friend Alex Turner also seems to have kept his roots which has maybe rubbed off on Miles. His forthcoming album should be one of my favourites of 2011, and I look forward to its release in April this year.

Video for “Come Closer” captures the song’s vibe perfectly, plus he managed to rope in ultra cool model Daisy Lowe – a job well done Miles!: