Formed in Brighton in 2004, The Kooks achieved mainstream commercial success almost immediately. Taking their name from the title of a David Bowie song, The Kooks signed to the Virgin Records label in 2005 and have not looked back since, enjoying Top 10 singles, No. 1 hit albums and a number of awards along the way.
Influenced by the music of artists such as The Police, The Strokes and The Rolling Stones, friends Luke Pritchard, Hugh Harris, Max Rafferty and Paul Garred formed The Kooks while at Brighton Music College. Just a few months after forming, the band was offered a recording contract with Virgin. The resulting debut album, Inside In/Inside Out, was an immediate smash hit in 2006, reaching number two in the UK album chart and achieving platinum status in both the UK and Ireland. A string of hit singles taken from the album ensured The Kooks would be one of the biggest bands of 2006. Naive and She Moves in Her Own Way both entered the Top 10, while You Don’t Love Me and Ooh La were both Top 20 hits.
In 2008, The Kooks hit the No. 1 spot in the album chart with Konk. Hitting the coveted top spot in its first week of release, the album contained the hits Shine On and Always Where I Need to Be, which reached number three in the singles chart. The Kooks embarked on an extensive tour to help promote the album. Konk, named after the studios where it was recorded, was also a hit in the United States and all across Europe. The third album from The Kooks, Junk of the Heart, was released in late 2011 and reached number 10 in the UK album chart.
The commercial success of The Kooks has been matched with critical plaudits from their peers and the music industry. The single She Moves in Her Own Way was nominated for a BRIT Award in 2007. In 2006, The Kooks were crowned Best UK and Ireland Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards. That same year the band also picked up the UK Festival Award for Best Breakthrough Act. In addition to these wins, The Kooks have also been nominated on a number of occasions for both Q Awards and NME Awards.
