BIRKENHEAD indie singer and songwriter Miles Kane has graduated to the York Barbican after gigs at The Duchess in 2012 and 2013.

Not only is the Barbican’s capacity far bigger, by more than 1,000, but Kane’s songs have expanded too, as you can discover on March 19 at the only Yorkshire show of his 15 spring dates.

“By the end of last year we’d done so many gigs promoting the second album that lots of the songs had changed a lot,” says Miles. “Four of them had gone prog rock, jamming bits out and getting a vibe off the crowd.

“Some songs lasted ten minutes, like when we segued the Stones’ Sympathy For The Devil into the middle of Give Up.”

Kane enjoys extracting the full mileage from his songs. “I never want it to be the same every night on stage. That’s why I’m a big fan of [The White Stripes’] Jack White live as he changes it up each show.

“I like doing that too, changing it up, and it helps to have a great band, where if we want to extend a song or jam it, just one look from me can start that,” says Miles, who will be performing with drummer Jay Sharrock, keyboards player Ben Parsons, bassist Phill Anderson and rhythm guitarist George Moran.

Kane is working already on new material for the follow-up to his second album, 2013’s Don't Forget Who You Are, which arrived two years after his solo debut, Colour Of The Trap.

Ask the former frontman of The Rascals when he might release his next album, and his tongue starts pushing into his cheek. “No, I’m going to retire after this tour. I’ve had enough, but I’m going to go out with a bang,” he says.

The rascal; he is only joshing. “No, I’m trying to get as many tunes and ideas down as possible, and ideally I’d like to get some new music out for the summer, maybe a single and an EP. Even if the next album is still two years after the latest one, in that time I’d like to put out something for sure.”

In the meantime, Miles has those 15 dates to play, and as ever he will demand the highest standards of himself, his band and his crew. “Attention to detail is really important,” he says.

“Even in the small clubs, I like to know I’ve got a good lighting guy. We always want to create a scene, where it’s our world and you want to let people into that world,” he says.

What ‘scene’ awaits the York Barbican audience on March 19? “The rockets and lasers are getting built and I’ve got my catsuit for the show. They’re all getting made in Portugal right now,” says Miles, back in joshing mode, before he makes a more serious comment.

“I’ve probably played every type of venue you can play and you keep stuff in your head from your influences that you could use. Like I’ve always loved the look of an Echo And The Bunnymen show; back lit and sparse and kicking off with strobes.”

One last burning question for Miles: is there a chance he might work again with Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner, his partner in The Last Shadow Puppets?

“Well, after we’ve written our feature film! It’ll be like X-Men but set in the Sixties,” he says, tongue in cheek once more. “Maybe the soundtrack for that film could be the next TLSP release…but no, we’re just riding the waves at the moment and seeing where it goes. He’s my brother and I’m loving what I’m doing now – and I’m happy with that.”

 

Miles Kane plays York Barbican on March 19. Box office: 0844 854 2757, online at yorkbarbican.co.uk or in person from the box office, open Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm.