The Kooks have released a live rendition of their 2014 song 'See Me Now', recorded at London's O2 Arena in 2025. The track, a personal reflection by frontman Luke Pritchard on his late father, arrives as the band gears up for their 20th anniversary celebrations. Accompanied by a poignant music video, it highlights the song's renewed popularity among fans.
The Kooks' new single, 'See Me Now (Live At The O2 Arena, London)', captures a powerful performance from the band's sold-out 2025 show at the venue. Originally from their 2014 album Listen, the ballad sees Pritchard addressing his father, who died when he was three years old. Lyrics include lines like “Well I’ve been a lot of places / I learned to tie my own tie too” and the question “Would you be proud?”
The release coincides with a milestone year for the British indie band, marking the 20th anniversary of their debut album Inside In/Inside Out. This will be celebrated with a series of outdoor summer concerts in 2026, including dates at Delamere Forest on June 17, Open Air Theatre in Scarborough on June 18, The Piece Hall in Halifax on June 19, Isle of Wight Festival on June 21, and others. Additionally, The Kooks have been announced as headliners for the Labyrinth on the Thames festival on July 31 at London's Old Royal Naval College, curated around their timeless hits.
Directed by Julien Temple, known for films like The Filth and the Fury, the music video blends home footage of young Luke with his father, the original 2014 video, and O2 clips to trace stages of his life. Temple said, “I was keen to work with Luke and bring his deeply moving relationship with his father to life for the video.”
Pritchard shared the song's deeper meaning post-fatherhood: “There’s been a new meaning in that song for me since having kids. I realised that music was the connection to my dad. And the fan reaction has been humbling… sometimes a song just has its time.” The track gained traction via social media and became a tour centerpiece, with Pritchard noting a personal spark from unearthed family tapes: “My mum basically dropped off a load of tapes of me and my dad that I’d never seen. It was like a time capsule experience.”
This follows the band's seventh album Never/Know, released in May 2025, which charted at number 5 on the UK Albums Chart—their highest since 2008. The Kooks are now producing a new psychedelic rock album with Tony Berg.
