British indie stalwarts The Kooks return with their latest single, ‘Compass Will Fracture’, offering fans a dreamy, psychedelic taste of what’s to come from their highly anticipated new album, Never/Know, due out 9th May.
Built on a driving rhythm and washed in reverb-drenched guitars, ‘Compass Will Fracture’ is a meditation on confusion and disorientation in today’s world. Frontman Luke Pritchard describes the track as a reflection of modern chaos. “It’s about the times we live in now,” he explains. “There’s so much confusion circling around… like a compass that’s pointing all over the place.”
Lyrically, the song blends philosophical musings with emotional vulnerability, as Pritchard sings, “Where did I find my mind this time? It was written in the books I read, that no one really knows what love is.” The tension between the grounded, gritty verses and the celestial hook captures the uncertainty of a generation navigating ever-shifting moral ground. “No one knows what’s right or wrong; what’s moral, what’s not,” Pritchard adds. “The kids can get so caught up in that.”
Recorded live, the band leaned into a raw, almost haunted energy. “There was something spooky about it,” says Pritchard of the session, hinting at the album’s more atmospheric and instinctive feel.
The new single follows ‘Sunny Baby’, released in March, which earned a spot in The Times’ Best New Songs roundup. With early singles already gaining support from BBC Radio 1, 6Music, and Radio 2, anticipation for Never/Know continues to build.
Fans won’t have long to wait to catch The Kooks live. This week, the band announced a UK arena tour for October, including a milestone headline show at London’s O2 Arena — their biggest yet.
From nostalgic club nights to arena stages, The Kooks prove they remain a vital force in the UK’s indie scene.
