Max Rafferty (The Kooks)

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Max Rafferty is the bass guitarist for popular British indie band, The Kooks. Prior to joining the Kooks, he lived in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England. He attended Bridgnorth Endowed School. He's a Leo.

Biography- Max Rafferty

Max Rafferty is the bassist for Sussex, Brighton band, The Kooks, with best friend, 22 year old Luke Pritchard, (lead singer and guitarist), guitarist Hugh Harris, known for being the youngest man in rock in 2005, now 19 years old, and drummer Paul Garred. Prior to joining The Kooks, he lived in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England, where he went to Bridgnorth Endowed School. The guys met at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music in the mid-2000, & got together in 2003. Each shared a liking for the Police, the Strokes, David Bowie, The Kinks, The Everly Brothers, and Funkadelic,thus forming 'the sweet and precocious sound of The Kooks' in 2005. Max was the last member in the band, & the first song their played together was 'Reptilia' by The Strokes. Their debut song-Eddie's gun (Luke-"We robbed the riff from 'Summertime Blues' by Eddie Cochran-that's why it's Eddie's Gun.") Was released on the 11th of July 2005, but it was their 3rd single 'You don't love me' that gave them their first Top 20 hit, reaching number 12. Their 4th single 'Naïve', which was their first major hit, which got to number 5 in the charts. The Kooks have the reputation of being one of Britain's youngest, hottest, live groups to date. The bands name derives from a song on David Bowie's album 'Hunky Dory', an album whose 'pure imagination' Pritchard has long admired. They also possess record collections which date back to the dawn of time, while Luke and Max have fantasies of an artistic retreat in Paris. They were snapped up by Virgin records in 2005 after a four-song debut gig at the Brighton Free Butt. The Kooks song writing has said to stretch 'from Supergrass via (early) blur to the Kinks and beyond', & their songs crammed full of incidents on buses, & stinging teenage putdown, but they're also blessed with a cheerful irreverence. A joyous indie rock eclectic sound, with nods to ska, reggae-even jazz.

Inside in/Inside out "I want the album to include all types of music, all genres excluded", comments young Luke about what he wanted the album to sound like back in 2005. Bands tend to do one thing & then stick to it. With The Kooks we plan to do the opposite. When there's so much to explore, why limit you?" "From Bobby Womack to The Clash!" agreed Max. "We all write songs & all love loads of different music so we argue a lot about how & what to play," continues Luke. "That's what rehearsing is about for us. But because of the way Max & Hugh play there's more of a soul & reggae feel to what we do which is vital." "the album's warm sound," Luke explains, "is largely down to the fact that it was recorded on good old-fashioned tape,"-the band nailed their record at Konk studios in Crouch End, north London, which is owned by Ray Davies of The Kinks. The Kooks’ first album 'Inside in/Inside out' was released on the 23rd of January 2006, (The U.S. version of the album arrived on Astralwerks in October 2006.), and & entered the charts at No. 9. The albums 14 songs are said to be 'A zesty work packing melodious chutzpah à la Supergrass and the kind of ska-punk popularised by The Clash, it also takes pleasing detours into Britpop territory. You might argue that there's something of The Libertines in there, too, albit in less shambolic form.' Luke that their next record is pretty much written, more rootsy, it's material being a mix of heartfelt songs & more quirky outings.