Dave Davies confirms that the Kinks are working on new material. In fact, sessions for the band's first LP since 1994's To the Bone has “been going on for a couple of years,” the guitarist tells Rolling Stone.

The process has included going through the archives to revisit songs that were never released. "We keep going backwards and listening to a lot of old stuff. Some of that is very good, and some of it needs a bit of work," Davies said. “Some we recorded but never used. Others don’t have finished vocals or they need other embellishments.”

In addition to revisiting older tracks, the Kinks have been working on brand-new compositions penned by lead singer Ray Davies. “The songs are really just in demo form now – but good demos,” Dave said. “Ray is still dissecting various other material we might use. The intention is to get the work out, but it’s not a done deal.”

Mick Avory, the long-time drummer who departed in 1984, appears on several of the new tracks. His replacement, Bob Henrit, is featured on others. The band has not yet determined who will play bass on the record. Original member Pete Quaife died in 2010; Jim Rodford, who played with the group from 1978-96, passed away last year.

Dave's newest comments are just the latest in a long line of teases regarding a Kinks reunion. In 2018, Ray revealed that the band was "toying with the idea" of working together again. Months later, Dave announced his hope for a new Kinks album by the end of 2019.

While fans await concrete confirmation of new material, the Kinks have also turned their attention to a 50th anniversary edition of the landmark Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) LP. “That’s virtually done,” Dave Davies noted, pointing to a likely release date in October. “It’s a really, really interesting package that’s going to have other songs from that time period like [Dave's solo song] ‘Hold My Hand.’”

As for whether the Kinks will tour together again, Davies seemed non-committal. “I really don’t know. I think it's possible. It’s not out of the question," Dave said. "But at this stage, it’s far too early to say. It would be fun though, wouldn’t it?”

 

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