Were The Kooks responsible for the UK’s hottest, sunniest summer on record? It certainly could be argued given the title of their fifth studio album, Let’s Go Sunshine, which launched in early May ahead of the hottest British summer on record. Prior to the launch of the record, the team at AWAL delved into the band’s audience and streaming data and discovered that the Kooks had some very distinctive and different audience groups.

Their core and committed fanbase had stuck with them over the course of their career and the band’s music had soundtracked pivotal moments in their lives. The band developed a new, young, global fanbase through streaming discovery, who were hungry for content. The team at AWAL set about making Let’s Go Sunshine the indie soundtrack to the summer.

Weather Website

To capitalise on the gorgeous summer climate being enjoyed by the UK, AWAL partnered with Pretty Good Digital to develop a campaign website which rewarded fans whenever it was sunny in their area. Once fans registered and allowed the website to access their location, an API was called to determine the weather at that time. Fans who came back eight. times and registered a sunny day were entered into a sweepstakes to meet the band and stand on the side of stage as they played the main stage at Reading.

It’s Always Sunny In Margate

Playing on the nostalgia of Great British Summertime activities, the band worked with short-film director Tom Ewbank on a video series entitled It’s Always Sunny In Margate. Shot in a quirky, kitsch, and quintessentially British style the series saw the band serving themselves from a Mr Whippy ice cream van, getting lost in a psychedelic cornfield maze, and dressed in their summer whites for a tennis match.

The Moth Club/UNILAD Webcast

Throughout release week, The Kooks played shows in tiny venues across the UK. In London, The Moth Club was home to a raucous sold-out live show broadcast globally via UNILAD and UNILAD Sound. According to UNILAD, livestream had the highest reach and view count for any of their music webcasts to date