UNSURPRISINGLY, Arctic Monkey Alex Turner grabbed most of the attention when the Last Shadow Puppets released their debut album in 2008.
Despite being part of a trio with Miles Kane and producer/drummer James Ford, he was the one credited for carrying the project with his deft wordplay and ear for a tune.
Yet, if truth be known, Hoylake-born Kane, at the time a relative unknown away from his then band, The Rascals, more than pulled his weight in the collaboration.
“I’m not soft, though,” he reflects in his Paris hotel room where we’ve met to discuss his imminent solo album, The Colour Of The Trap.
“Alex, with Arctic Monkeys, had sold millions of records when that came out, and I hadn’t.
“Of course people were thinking, ‘Who’s this guy?’ There will be people who don’t think I’m talented, so I guess I want to prove something to them.”
That’s not empty bluster either. Despite spending plenty of time with Liam Gallagher recently, supporting Beady Eye on tour, Kane has definitely not picked up the ex-Oasis man’s penchant for self-promotional hyperbole.
The Colour Of The Trap is an excellent album. Refreshing in its brevity, none of the 12 songs pass the 3½-minute mark and each sound like a single.
Especially strong are the rugged Inhaler, released earlier this year, Come Closer, Quicksand and the Marc Bolan-esque My Fantasy, which features Noel Gallagher on backing vocals.
“It’s been blown up out of proportion,” says Kane, who is playing at St George’s Hall as part of Liverpool’s Sound City music festival later this month. “But, yeah, Noel’s on there. He came over to the studio one afternoon to see what I was up to and I was just about to record some more backing vocals because I thought the song was a bit flat.
“He ended up going in and singing instead. It was one of those great afternoons – having a coffee and a Kit-Kat with Noel before he went and sang on my album.”
For all his starry friends, Kane is a resolutely down-to-earth soul, old-fashioned even. Sharp Sixties suits, expensive knitwear and Chelsea boots are the order of the day. There’s also something pleasingly traditional about the way he and his band have relentlessly played live since the start of the year, honing their craft ahead of the album’s early May release, leading to the point where Kane now feels relaxed.
“To an extent, I feel more responsible for this album than I have done in the past, but I also feel more comfortable than ever,” says Kane who, prior to The Rascals, was frontman of hotly-tipped Hoylake quintet The Little Flames. “I took my time with this record, to get everything right and in its place. I know that I couldn’t put any more effort into this, singing, writing, playing, everything, so knowing that, and then going out to play gigs and do interviews, gives you a lot of confidence.
“I know this album is as good as it can be, so if the album’s going to do well, it’s up to other people now.”
MILES KANE plays St George’s Hall, as part of Sound City, on May 20. Further details on the festival, which runs from May 19-21, at www.liverpoolsoundcity.co.uk
