one day: why surprise you, the established rock tube, your fans on the new album with jazz standards?
Chrissie Hynde: I am not sure if I would classify the record as a pure jazz album. The sound is something like jazz with strong psychedelic dub influences. I started by singing rock but got into jazz early on with my brother, Terry, who plays the saxophone. And I have a thing for cover songs. We started work seven years ago.
one day: Why did it take so long?
Hynde: Because there was always something in between, so many projects. During that time, I made three other albums, gave hundreds of concerts, painted 300 pictures and wrote a book, my autobiography "Reckless". So the work dragged on "Valve Bone Woe".
one day: The album title sounds extraordinary. What's it all about?
Hynde: When jazz musician Bob Brookmeyer died in 2011, I wrote to my brother: "RIP, Bob Brookmeyer". He answered: "Valve Bone Woe". This has to do with the Valve Trombone , Bob's trombone, Woe is grief. I thought that's a great title for my album, which also has a trombone on it.
One day: You also cover Frank Sinatra, with whom you even sang duets 25 years ago.
Hynde: Unfortunately, I never met him personally. At that time, everyone sang his duet part of "Luck Be A Lady" in the studio alone. Frank was one of the greatest singers of all time, it was an honor to be with him on a song.
One day: You are considered an unadapted, opinionated musician. Were you rebellious as a child?
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Musician Chrissie Hynde: "Punk was like a hole in the fence"Hynde: No, until 17 I did not know what rebellion is. Then I decided to become a vegetarian. It was unusual at the end of the sixties, I was in a minority, but that blew my mind away. I quickly realized that I was right with my decision and not everyone else. For over 40 years, I am now actively involved in the cause and will be addressed on every corner. Vegetarianism and veganism are very present in the media today, and that's a good thing.
One day: You were even arrested for some protests.
Hynde: I ended up in jail a few times, right. It was worth it: there has been a collective awareness of nutrition, livestock and the environment. Something is happening. You in Germany were way ahead of your time in terms of recycling and environmental protection. It took 30 years for the message to arrive around the world. 30 years! And that as a vegan I now get something to eat at airports is great. I feel like we're living in a new Age of Enlightenment. Feels good.
one day: How did you come to the music?
Hynde: Through the radio, in the early sixties. I sat in front of it for hours. Great music was playing, the Beatles, Stones and Kinks, I sucked in the sound. Soon my life was all about music, long before I did it myself. Especially the British bands had impressed me. That's also why I went to England when I was 22, 1973. Three years later, punk broke out there.
one day: You were married to Kinks singer Ray Davies in 1980. Was it the punk wave that encouraged you to start a band yourself?
Hynde: Yeah, punk was like a hole in the fence that you could slip through and get involved in the music business, even if you were not such a good musician yourself. There were no rules, everything was possible. I was already in my mid-20s, relatively old, I mean, the Beatles were already breaking up when they were in their late twenties. Anyway, no one on the scene was the same age as me, except Joe Strummer of The Clash. So I thought: Fuck it, I'm just trying this with a band.
one day: It was not that easy.
Hynde: It took me forever to get the right musicians together. In the flourishing music scene of Hereford in southwest England, I found two comrades, guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and bassist Pete Farndon, we set off as The Pretenders. Unfortunately, both died too early.
one day: Where did the band name come from?
Hynde: From the song "The Great Pretender" I had in my ear in the version of Sam Cooke. I just wanted to sing and write songs, not so much in the spotlight. To this day, I do not consider myself a solo artist, but it's normal to record a solo record and try new things. I would never call myself a great musician, but it's about rock'n'roll, you do not have to be an excellent musician.
"Do not cry about being a girl ..."
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one day: Was it difficult to assert yourself in the male domain Rock'n'Roll?
Hynde: On the contrary: Men wear my guitars, do not bother with emotional problems and are really easy going . I never planned to start a band with guys only. I play with anyone who wants to make music with me. But only a few women play the guitar. Girls would rather be a model than a guitarist. I never understood. Playing the guitar is much more fun.
one day: You are also a painter. Is the artwork of your new album by you?
Hynde: Yes. I try to paint a new picture every day. I started it a few years ago, almost as a hobby. As a kid, my big dream was to become a painter one day, but then rock'n'roll came ...
one day: ... and you made it to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.
Hynde: That does not mean anything to me. I play in a rock band because I do not want to be part of the establishment. And the people of the Hall of Fame are the establishment. The whole idea behind it is wrong in my opinion and has nothing to do with Rock'n'Roll. My parents thought that was great, it was important to them. You would have been deeply disappointed if I had refused this award. So I went.
one day: Do you see yourself as an artist that is heard in public, in a special responsibility?
Hynde: Anyone who wants to express himself politically has the right and should be aware that he will automatically become a representative of this matter. Generally, if you're a dumbbell, you better shut up. Unfortunately, not everyone is on the line (laughs) . I know about vegetarianism and animal welfare and can therefore comment on it. I do not care about the reactions of others. Ultimately, every person bears responsibility. We all have to be guardians of our environment, including the animal kingdom. People should not talk so much about it, rather do something.
one day: In the media, you are considered a "role model" for independent women, as a champion of women's rights. Do you agree?
Hynde: The newspapers are trying to sell their "fish", as they say. Is their job. I am a normal woman, I like normal people, go to normal restaurants and just want to be left alone. I know one thing for sure: I am not a celebrity and I find this celebrity culture grotesque. I do not lead a celebrity life, I travel by bus.
one day: How's the Pretenders?
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Chrissie Hynde
Valve Bone Woe
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(Warner)
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Hynde: Very good! We're going on tour next year, initially scheduled to have 60 concerts in the States. A new album is in the making and coming in May. The title is already fixed: "Hate for Sale".
one day: After all the exciting years in the rock business, do you sometimes think about quitting?
Hynde: No. I do not work in a job where you retire. I can sing as long as I want. And I'm fine. At 60, I stopped smoking, drinking and drugs. Now I feel like 15 again and I love it. I live in London alone in my apartment in the middle of the city, for 46 years, and do all that I dreamed at 15: make music, paint pictures, just hang out. My two kids are grown and out of the house - I have the best time of my life.
