The Kooks have released ‘See Me Now (Live At The O2 Arena, London)’. Listen Here.
Captured during their sold-out, career-defining show at London’s O2 Arena in 2025, the powerful live rendition sees The Kooks breathe new life into a long-cherished hidden gem from their 2014 album Listen. The release marks the start of a milestone year for the British indie heroes, who will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their pivotal debut album, Inside In/Inside Out, with a series of massive outdoor summer concerts including performances at Delamere Forest, Open Air Theatre in Scarborough, Sky Presents the Isle of Wight Festival, The Piece Hall in Halifax and more.
On ‘See Me Now (Live At The O2 Arena, London)’, frontman Luke Pritchard communes with his father, who passed away when Luke was just three years old. He reflects on the years that have gone by (“Well I’ve been a lot of places / I learned to tie my own tie too”), before asking the aching question: “Would you be proud?” Heart-wrenching and deeply personal, the ballad has found a renewed audience through social media and the band’s live resurgence.
The single is accompanied by an evocative music video directed by Julien Temple. After hearing the track’s live version, Temple (who had originally created a short reel for the band’s social media and live performance backdrop) was inspired to develop the concept into a full music video. The video weaves together existing home footage of Luke as a child with his father, the track’s original 2014 video, and clips from the O2 Arena performance. The result is a seamless narrative that traces three distinct stages of Luke’s life, merging them into a single, continuous story. Reflecting on the project, Temple said, “I was keen to work with Luke and bring his deeply moving relationship with his father to life for the video.”
The track’s release comes off the back of a monumental year for the band. Following a viral groundswell on social media, ‘See Me Now’ became the emotional centrepiece of their biggest-ever UK headline tour in 2025. During The O2 performance, Luke sat alone at the piano, illuminated by tens of thousands of phone lights, creating a moment of collective catharsis that solidified the track’s new life. A new generation of young fans have propelled The Kooks’ new era and they have taken this song to their hearts.
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