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The Last Shadow Puppets interview for Foxes Magazine | June 2016

Written by Julian de la Celle Photography by Zackery Michael Scans by alexsbandguy @ arcticmonkeysus

Transcript under the cut

“Rare as is true love, true friendship is rarer.” — Jean de La Fontaine

If there's one duo that has consistently been talked about in the UK music scene for the past few years, it's Alex Turner and Miles Kane. If not for their impeccable style, then for the hope that they would once again come together to make the next Shadow Puppets album. After an 8-year break of sorts, the two announced their follow-up, Everything You've Come to Expect, which ironically is quite the opposite. When compared to their debut album, The Age of the Understatement, this one, for the most part, takes it down a few notches and puts a real emphasis on the word “ballad,” with a couple of tracks — namely “She Does the Woods” and “Used To Be My Girl” — reminiscent of a Humbug-era Arctic Monkeys. Nonetheless, it was worth the wait and with string arrangement's by Owen Pallett, the album comes together beautifully.

We're sitting at a table on a rooftop, taking in the warm sunshine on a beautiful day in Los Angeles. I turn my head to see Miles Kane coming around the corner, dressed to impress in a white button-up and dark green slacks. After greeting us with a handshake and a genuine smile, we chat a little about their show the night before. “We were just in Santa Cruz and it was gorgeous,” says Miles. There's a definite charm about Miles Kane — a sweetheart and bad boy all wrapped up in one. Just as we were beginning to wonder if Mr. Turner would show up, he too appears from around the corner, hair grown out a bit, not exactly clean-shaven, but really rather attractive. We're greeted with a “How do you do?” and a smile — and just like that, the shoot began.

When asked about his relationship with fellow Shadow Puppets frontman Miles Kane, Turner simply replies that it was “As instant as Nescafé.” Musically, and fashionably brilliant, the two first met when they were 19. “I was in a band called The Little Flames and he was in The [Arctic] Monkeys,” recalls Miles. “We did this tour together and The Little Flames had this video that Alex had seen and I think the guys at our labels knew each other and said 'You know, you guys should do some gigs together.' At that time all our bands got on — I think it was that we shared a sense of humor over anything first, really. Even when we started hanging out, people around us would go 'You two have got a thing,' and then I went down and did a bit of guitar on [The Arctic Monkey's] second record on a song called “505” which was the first kind of musical thing that we shared.”

FOXES Magazine: So, Miles, what made you decide to shave your head, you've always had such great hair!

Miles Kane: I just like to always change it up. I've always had different variations [laughs] and I always wanted to shave it, did it about a year ago, I'm kind of feeling it now, what're you thinking?

FOXES: Yeah, I really like it. You guys are both musically brilliant, but also you have great style, has fashion always been important to you?

Miles: I reckon we've always liked whatever, even when we were younger, when we started; whether you're wearing a Lacoste polo or, you know, leather. There's always probably been an interest in it, even if it's something as basic as that. I guess it kind of develops and the older you get, the more you find out about yourself and what you want to dress like.

Alex Turner: Yeah, I think even in, perhaps, older photos of us where it seems like it's less thought out, it probably is.

Miles: Yeah, whether it's a red Lacoste or a black, do you know what I mean? [laughs]

Alex: It's another bit of expression, isn't it?

FOXES: I wanted to give you some gifts, but you'll have to decide who gets what.

Miles: Ooo!

FOXES: A 45 of Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg singing “Je T'aime Moi Non Plus” and a 45 of Scott Engel, who would later go by Scott Walker.

Alex: Oh, wow.

Miles: Wow, look at you.

Alex: Look at [Scott] there.

Miles: He's got a baby face.

Alex: “The Golden Rule.” [laughs]

Miles: I've never heard that song, is it good?

FOXES: Yeah, I like it, it's interesting to hear the difference.

Miles: Do you wanna take Jane, or…?

FOXES: You probably share a great record collection, right? Listening to the first album, I always feel like I'm sitting in a lounge in Paris in the 60s waiting to have a drink with Serge Gainsbourg and with this album it gives a bit of a warmer, beach feeling to me, do you have a certain vibe that you feel when you listen to it or an image?

Miles: Lots of different ones.

Alex: There are certainly some softer edges on this one that I imagine could be synonymous with the coast, perhaps. None of it was written by the beach, necessarily, but I'd be lying if there weren't moments when we were recording that certain parts seem to make sense to perform by the sea.

FOXES: I love the song “She Does the Woods” on this album.

Alex: Yeah, probably the least beach-y end of the spectrum. [laughs]

FOXES: Where did that song come from?

Alex: Well, with the lyrics, it's pretty obvious that it's about shagging in the woods, so there's that. It comes directly from that. [laughs]

Alex: Musically, I think it's one of the most interesting string arrangements. It was one of those ones we weren't perhaps that excited about until Owen Pallett got his hands on it.

Miles: And live it's been good! It's found a new light, it's cool.

Alex: Miles came up with a chord pattern one day and then yadda yadda. [laughs]

FOXES: If you could spend 24 hours with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be?

Miles: Hmm… Lana del Rey.

Alex: [laughs] James Gandolfini, me favorite actor, so great.

Miles: Oh, wait, Al Pacino!

Alex: You had it already.

Miles: Yeah, I'll go Lana, man, yeah. Beach day with Lana.

Alex: Sandcastles.

Miles: Yeah.

FOXES: When you aren't playing music, what are you doing?

Miles: I watch a lot of wrestling.

FOXES: Oh yeah? Do you get your moves from that?

Miles: Maybe, yeah. A lot of inspiration comes from wrestling. [grins]

Alex: I think it actually does. [To Miles] Last night you were like fucking Triple H.

FOXES: What happened last night?

Alex: [laughs] No, sorry, in the show I mean. I couldn't look at him!

Miles: Yeah, I was like in a title fight in Wrestle Mania last night.

Alex: Like, imaginary pyrotechnics going on around him.

Miles: Yeah, yeah. [laughs]

FOXES: What was the first concert you remember going to?

Alex: [To Miles] Yours was Super Furry Animals.

Miles: Yeah, when I was about 15 or 16 when you discover it on your own. It kind of blew me mind at the time. That was the start.

Alex: I can't remember what mine was… near the start I do remember traveling to Manchester to see that band, The Vines.

FOXES: Oh, we love The Vines.

Alex: So did I, like, really loved them. Do you know a band around that time called the D4?

FOXES: No, I don't actually.

Alex: Well, they did this free concert in Sheffield and that was probably one of the first shows I went to as well. Last time we were in New Zealand, this guy picked us up from the airport and we were driving and talking about the radio station that was in the car and he goes 'Oh yeah, I used to play in a band a few years ago.' We're all looking at the rear view mirror like 'Oh what was it?' and he says 'It was this thing called the D4.' And all the four of us were like 'Oh fuck!' and freaking out.

FOXES: I know you aren't wearing them right now, but do you still wear the Death Ramps rings?

Alex: Funny you should say that, yeah, but I fucking can't find mine, I lost it yesterday.

Miles: Fuck, is that what you lost at the bank?

Alex: It's somewhere. We're leaving a trail.

Miles: Yeah, fucking lost my passport too.

FOXES: Did you?

Miles: Yeah, chaos.

Alex: Hate us.

FOXES: For those that don't know, what's the story behind those rings?

Alex: So, that's a thing with The [Arctic] Monkeys on the B-sides. It started off with a cover we did with Richard Hawley and on the backside of the record we made it look like an old 45 and called it The Death Ramps. It's this area near the woods near where I grew up, all the kids would ride down it on their mountain bikes, but it was just these hills, they weren't death defying by any means, but to a kid it was pretty big. I just always thought it would be a good band name, I'm not sure whether it is or not. Then our friend does this shop in London called The Great Frog and he made us all rings, then we had Miles come and sing one, they're little souvenirs. We haven't really cultivated it much recently.

FOXES: What song on this record do you feel most proud of?

Miles: I think the title track, it's probably the most unique one, something different to anything the both of us have ever done, I reckon.

FOXES: What was the idea behind the videos for Aviation and Everything You've Come To Expect?

Miles: We've got to give the credit to the guy Saam [Farahmand], who did it. It was his idea, really, wasn't it?

Alex: Yeah, we've wanted to work with him for a long time. I've always liked his mind.

FOXES: It was interesting to have different versions of it too.

Alex: I don't think they were counting on that getting sort of… rumbled quite so quickly.

Miles: The kids are on it, man.

Alex: There you go.

FOXES: Do you have a spirit animal?

Alex: [To Miles] Triple H is yours. [laughs]

Miles: There you go, that's mine. Actually, I'd probably be a turtle. I look like a turtle quite a bit.

Alex: Leonard the Turtle.

Miles: Yeah! [laughs] I got a face like a turtle.

Alex: When you're tired.

Miles: Yeah, when I'm tired me face looks like a turtle, it's weird.

Alex: I would be some kind of woodland creature, some rare woodland creature. [laughs]

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