LOVE IS CRUEL: INSIDE SUNLIGHT IN THE SHADOWS WITH MILES KANE |

INTERVIEW | MILES KANE by Rachel Brown

The day hadn’t exactly begun with rock‑and‑roll glamour. I’d spent an hour and a half meditating at the Buddhist Centre, trying to coax my mind into something resembling calm. Then my business partner, Anne, messaged that she couldn’t make her interview with Miles Kane. Half tempted to pass it to the team as I’d got a hectic day, I stepped in, still half‑floating from meditation, half‑frazzled from life and clicked into Zoom. Miles appeared on screen, instantly warm, instantly human.

Miles Kane performing at The Leadmill’s final night.
Photo: Rachel Brown

“Alright?” he grinned. “Alright,” I said. And just like that, the tone was set, relaxed, open, and genuine.

Miles is on the cusp of turning 40, and he talks about it with the kind of honesty most people reserve for therapy. There’s no ego to contend with, and that’s why it probably was so easy, we’re a similar age, and I am the exact same.

“There’s a point in your life where you get comfortable with who you are… then there’s a crossroads. And you decide which way you want to go. I feel like I’m in that now, becoming like a 40‑year‑old man or something, you know what I mean? Probably lyrically and emotionally.”

His new album, Sunlight in the Shadows, sits right in that crossroads, a record that’s less about reinvention and more about recognition. Vulnerability isn’t a pose for him, it’s the natural by‑product of being a man who’s lived, loved, messed up, and kept going.

“It feels like more than an album,” he said, laughing at himself. “Without sounding like an absolute twat.” But it didn’t come across like that at all. It sounded like someone who was telling the truth. Miles comes across as extremely genuine, which is rare these days.

“Since I hit 30, I’ve been more like that. I’ve always been open with people around me. Maybe now I’m more open in a wider context. I’m pretty comfortable with what I talk about. The way I talk to you is the same way I talk to my mates. It’s just… how much do you want to let out? But there’s not really anything to hide. You get comfortable in yourself, which can have a selfish angle too, another thing to navigate. I’m not one for holding grudges either. Even if someone’s a c*nt, and I’ve been a c*nt, you’ve just got to let it go. Psychology or whatever. You just take it day by day.”

I asked him about how he’s feeling with the tour only just over a week away, “It’s what I live for, you know. It’s what you’ve known for so long, and that feeling’s never gone away. You can do promo, podcasts, acoustic stuff, and I enjoy all that but there’s nothing like prepping for the tour. Getting in that headspace.”

“I’m itching to play the new songs live. Wondering what the reaction will be. We haven’t played them much, just a couple of gigs. So there’s a mix of worry, anxiety, but also… fuck it, I want to have it.”

Talking about the album title, Miles tells me that it came from that familiar human place, the dips, the spirals, the days when you lose yourself a bit.“It comes from the song ‘Sunlight in the Shadows‘. It’s about addictions, people’s opinions, losing yourself sometimes. It’s just a cooler way of saying ‘light in the dark,” he said. “Finding something good when you’re on a bit of a dark one.” He wasn’t romanticising the struggle, just acknowledging it.

When the topic turned to love, the discussion deepened, shaped by two people who’ve seen enough of life to understand its chaos. Is love cruel Miles? “Love is a fucking minefield,” Miles said, shaking his head. Replying “Tell me about it”, we both laughed.

The conversation turned to me explaining that on a personal level, love can swing from stress to softness in the space of a heartbeat. One minute I’m thinking nope – not for me – and next, I’m left wondering why something that can be so enjoyable always ends in me asking, “I thought this was meant to be fun?” Laughing in recognition, he responds, “Exactly. It’s beautiful… but fuck’s sake.” And we both cracked up.

It was one of those moments where the interview stopped being an interview and evolved into two humans comparing scars and laughing at the realities of life and love.

“Life’s not rosy every day. You don’t want to be moping around, but dips happen. That’s life. You just learn not to panic. Or at least try not to.”

Moving on to working with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, Miles described it as a turning point. Not because of the name, but because of the ease.

“So, my original plan was to make the album with James Skelly again. He’s my cousin. We did One Man Band together. Loved it. We were going to do this one, too. But we’re both fans of Dan Auerbach. Jay said, “Why don’t you see if he’d be up for a session?” So, my manager messaged his manager. He said yeah. I went over on my own to meet him and write. I’d never met him before. He made me feel so welcome. We hit it off work level and a human level. It was free‑flowing and exciting. At the end of the first day, he said, “I’d love to produce this record.”No overthinking. No bullshit. Just excitement.”

Dan pushed him, encouraged him, told him when a lyric was strong enough to stand.

“He’d go, ‘No man, you can pull that off.’ Little confidence boosts like that. It was refreshing.”

The whole album came together quickly, writing, recording, and trusting the process. “It all just happened. No faffing. No second‑guessing. I’d love to keep making records like that.”

Asking him about the Lambretta on the album cover, he laughed, saying, “I’m gonna sound like a dick here, but that one’s Weller’s mate’s scooter,” he said, “Proper rare. Those old ones are fucking hard to drive. The gears, the weight… I wanted to do it properly, though. I was going to call the album Midnight Scooter Ride, cool lyric, but too niche. Better in the song.”

For a moment, we were just laughing about nostalgia, fantasy, and the mythic romance of mod culture.

His leopard‑print era is no accident either. “I’m a big Cat Slater fan,” he joked. “I love clothes. I love leopard print. It just felt right.” The upcoming tour is going full leopard, stage design and all.“It’s ridiculous now. In a good way.”

What really lit Miles up was talking about the shows. Seeing how seriously Miles takes his lives shows and how professional he is on stage is a sight to see. “I want freedom,” he said.“No click tracks. No tracks at all. I want to go off on one, proper jams, proper chaos. Like The Verve used to do.” He wants the gigs to feel alive, unpredictable, electric. “More heat,” he said. “More of everything.”

He talked about wanting to bring back songs he hasn’t played in years. I requested “Adios Ta-ra Ta-ra” from Change the Show (2022) – or ‘Adidas Ta-ta Ta-ra’ as I said, fumbling my words. “I don’t play enough from that album. I want to fix that. That last track? That’s a tune.”

When I asked what advice he’d give his younger self, he didn’t hesitate as we laughed, throwing things back and forward.“Stay away from dickheads.” “Don’t fall in love.” But finally settling and admitting, “Do you know what? When you’re young, you don’t listen to anyone. And that’s cool too. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be talking like this now. You have to carve out your own path, and you have to learn yourself.”

Miles Kane (Hope Simmers/Northern Exposure)

By the time we reached the end, the whole thing had shifted. What began as a last‑minute stand‑in conversation became something far more fluid, thoughtful, funny, and unexpectedly candid. Miles wasn’t giving rehearsed answers, he was reflecting in real time, laughing at himself, and speaking with the kind of openness that only appears when someone feels genuinely at ease with themselves.

We covered ageing, crossroads, creativity, heartbreak, scooters, leopard print, the chaos of touring, and the strange comfort of knowing that everyone, even seasoned musicians, are still figuring life out, one transition at a time.

It was the kind of conversation that reminds you why interviews matter when they’re done right, not for the headlines, but for the humanity.

The album Sunshine In The Shadows is out now, and the imminent tour dates are below: