“Every single time we go out onstage it’s such a buzz and such a profound feeling, every single time.”
Backstage at Truck Festival, The K’s drummer Nathan Peers is already looking ahead to what promises to be another energetic performance on the Truck Stage.
“Really excited,” he says. “I think we’re in a good spot today so it should be a really good one.”
It comes after another busy festival weekend for the Warrington indie-rockers, who had already taken their anthemic live show to Tramlines in Sheffield.
“We did Tramlines in Sheffield, we love going up there,” Peers explains. “They’re always mad in Sheffield.”
That festival circuit has become a familiar part of life for The K’s, whose debut album Pretty on the Internet celebrated its first anniversary the day before. Released in 2025, the record has since taken the band around the country and beyond, with last autumn and winter largely dedicated to touring it.
“It’s been really good,” Peers reflects on the album’s reception. “We just toured that album to absolute death for the rest of 2025, and it’s been really well received. We were super happy with how it came out, and the number 1 was just the cherry on top.”
The album marked the band’s first UK Number One, adding another major achievement to a journey that has seen them progress from playing smaller venues to some of the biggest stages in the country.
One of the standout experiences of making the record was working alongside producer Jim Lowe, whose impressive catalogue includes records by artists such as Stereophonics, Foo Fighters and Taylor Swift.
“Probably getting to work with Jim Lowe the producer,” Peers says when asked about his favourite part of the process. “He’s done so many great records before that we all love, and being able to pull from his vast array of knowledge was really valuable.”
With an album full of songs to choose from, deciding which tracks work best onstage is naturally a difficult task. For Peers, though, there is one particularly reliable favourite.
“It changes, but a firm favourite of mine is always Glass Towns, because it’s so fast,” he says. “I just love playing the fast ones on the drums.”
That love of performing is at the heart of The K’s’ identity, but so too is the relationship they’ve built with their audience. Peers believes the band’s fanbase has been instrumental in helping them reach the stages they are now playing.
“It’s massively helped us,” he says. “There’s a couple of ways you can do it these days, like social media; you can really find a niche on there and take that as far as it’ll take you, or you can get out and gig.”
The K’s have done both, but Peers believes there is still no substitute for playing live and building genuine relationships with people in the room. “We’ve done a bit of both but found that the main thing that works for us is getting out and doing the shows, and obviously that’s where we’ve made that connection with people in real life.”
“That’s a massive part of how it helps us. Our fanbase is always there to support us; we’re really lucky.”
That connection has taken The K’s to some huge stages, but one festival experience continues to stand out above the rest.
“Probably Glastonbury, every day,” Peers says when asked which venue still gives him goosebumps. “We played the Woodsies Stage, and that was just a massive thing for us, as I’m sure it is for most artists. Glastonbury felt like a massive cornerstone for us.”
The journey to those stages hasn’t always been glamorous, however, and Peers was keen to remind emerging artists that even the difficult gigs can play an important role in developing a band.
“You’d probably get it from everyone, but just keep going with it,” he advises. “The amount of sh*t gigs you’re gonna do, they all amount to you as an artist, but I think do as much of it as you can, even if it feels like it’s not worth it, just keep going.”
For The K’s, life on the road also comes with its fair share of less conventional activities. When asked what fans don’t see behind the scenes, Peers reveals one particular obsession that has become a staple of their touring routine.
“So much, but probably our intense love for Magic: The Gathering, trading card game,” he laughs. “We play that game to death, and we love it.”
Away from the card tables, however, Peers says there is one thing that never gets old: walking onto a stage in front of their fans. “Every single time we go out onstage it’s such a buzz and such a profound feeling, every single time.”
Although the band are fully focused on delivering another memorable performance at Truck, Peers jokes that there is one thing fans can perhaps expect to go wrong. “During our set, I predict Dexter Baker will mess up his bit at some point on the bass guitar,” he laughs.
Once festival season comes to an end, The K’s won’t be slowing down. With new music on the horizon, the band are preparing to head back into the studio before returning to the road. “We’ve got a lot of writing, a lot of recording, and we’ve got another tour in Europe with Razorlight this year coming up too, so that’ll be great.”
From Pretty on the Internet and its marathon touring cycle to Glastonbury, Truck and another European tour on the horizon, The K’s momentum shows little sign of slowing. And if Nathan Peers is right, the best way to understand the band’s appeal remains the simplest one: get in the crowd and experience it for yourself.
