But there's no stopping confident frontman Luke when it comes to extolling the virtues of his Brighton band's new album, out last week.

"The greatest records in the world can be put on in any situation: you can put them on at a party and they're going to sound great, you could put them on in a club and they're going to sound great, you could put them on on your headphones and listen in bed," he says. "That's when you get a great album. And that's how I like to think of this."

For those who thought topping 2006's Inside In/Inside Out debut – with its huge defining singles She Moves In Her Own Way, You Don't Love Me, Sofa Song, Eddie's Gun, Ooh La and Naïve – would be a struggle, Konk is confirmation it wasn't a fluke.

The relentless touring that followed low key debuts such as their early days Fuzz Club opener established The Kooks as a classic British band and the 22-year-old Luke as a writer with endurance – and hedonistic values.

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"If it doesn't make you feel good, then what's the point?" he says. "There's too much drab shoe-gazing around. I hate all that cack. You've to push through it. That's where you get great songs."

The singer/guitarist, lead guitarist Hugh Harris, bassist Max Rafferty and drummer Paul Garred have honed their live shows into something frantic and fun.

And Konk throws more fuel on the fire ahead of a 10-date tour taking them to Sheffield's Carling Academy on Monday.

"We give people a great night out. That's the whole point. And I probably buzz off the crowd more than they buzz off us. Music's about getting everyone together. How can you be cynical when you're at a festival and there's 20,000 people – all different kinds of people; young, old, black, white – and everyone's singing the same songs?"

Recorded over six weeks late last year in Ray Davies' Konk Studios in north London, plus a week at Los Angeles' Sound Factory, it reunited the band with producer Tony Hoffer (Beck/Air/The Fratellis).

While the debut had a freewheeling spirit, Konk has energy but is more considered and – in spite of the title – tones down the sometimes irritating nasally nature of Luke's voice, as confirmed by lead hit Always Where I Need To Be.

"It sounds big," he says of the overall result. "We thought a lot more about production. It's a second album and we'd done a lot more touring and recording. We tried to make a dynamic album where every song has its own little world. That was the philosophy."

But there's also an immediacy to the songs, some of which dates back to the first record – some penned during the recording sessions. Having helped lead the 'class of 2006' Luke is aware his gang have much to live up to. And something of a duty.

"We came through with some great acts – Arctic Monkeys, Amy Winehouse, Beirut," he adds ahead of shows as far afield as Dubai, Brazil, Hawaii and The Isle Of Wight Festival, "but, for me, last year was a really wishy-washy time for bands.


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