Miles Kane Knocked Back John Lennon Film Offer

In order to celebrate the release of his second solo album Don't Forget Who You Are, Miles Kane – the English musician better known by many as The Last Shadow Puppets' co-frontman alongside his bestie Alex Turner – claims, “I cracked open a bottle of bubbly last night.” Cristal, was it? “Yes, I had 20 bottles of that,” he chuckles. And 20 strippers as well? “Yeah, 20 bottles of Cristal and 25 hookers,” he laughs cheekily.

Following the release of his debut solo album Colour Of The Trap, Kane toured Down Under for the first time as part of Falls Festival's 2011/2012 line-up. Punters who arrived early to the Arctic Monkeys sideshows scored the chance to bask in Kane's undeniable star quality in the support slot. And we were fortunate enough to lure the svelte Birkenhead native into Inpress HQ to record an acoustic session for theMusic.com.au. Kane performed his own Rearrange and a cover: Play With Fire by The Rolling Stones. “I remember,” Kane admits of the filming. “I was standin' up, yeah? Did I have, like, a flowery shirt on?” Affirmative, but surely he owns walk-in wardrobes full of similar items. “You know what? I used to have more, but then I got bored with them and had a clear-out. But then the other day I was thinkin', 'Shit!' You know when you fancy puttin' one on? But – rash decision.”

Colour Of The Trap's liner notes were littered with Turner co-writing credits. On his new set, the debonair Paul Weller co-pens a couple of tracks: You're Gonna Get It and Fire In My Heart. “Well, we just met and we got on,” Kane casually informs of how he came to work with one of his idols. “We haven't really looked back, and he's such a good guy and a nice fella, you know wha' I mean? And he's a mate now.” It has to be said that the pair are a perfect match, sartorially speaking, and when asked whether it feels bizarre to count the Modfather among his friends, he considers, “Yeah it did do at first, for sure, you know, and especially, like, when you're working together and [hiccups] excuse me. I was pretty nervous and stuff… Nervous in meself in terms of: I wanted it to work and I didn't wanna, like, let meself down or let 'im down. 'Cause we could've worked together and, well, we could've both been like, 'Oh, mate, this is horrific,' and, 'What's goin' on?' But thank god it didn't [turn out that way] and we done a handful of tunes together and, you know, I definitely would like to do more.”

The twosome holed up in Weller's Black Barn Recording Studios in Surrey, about which Kane enthuses: “It's beautiful. There's a little house next door that we stay in and it's quite a homely studio, I guess. It's really easy just to walk in and play.” Don't try to imagine these stylish collaborators kicking about in their trakkies, mind. “No tracksuit pants,” Kane stresses. “Not allowed. He's a very sharply dressed man.” So obviously Kane had the foresight to pack his finest suits for Black Barn. “Just like every day of my life, you know wha' I mean?” Does he travel with garment bags? “No, just a big old case 'cause I have to take so many clothes away with me,” he shares. Kane must be quite the ironer, then. “Yeah, I am an ironer. [Pauses] It depends if the hooker's still 'ere to iron.” A case of the old, 'Make me a cup of tea and then iron my suit before you leave, will ya?'

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