ChordStrike: Chrissie Hynde Breaks up the Chordstrike

Chrissie Hynde was kind enough to answer some Chordstrike questions, as the Pretenders wound down their North American tour in support of Break up the Concrete.

Chordstrike: Break up the Concrete is the highest-charting Pretenders album in 20 years. There’s no “story” there, no hit single, no movie soundtrack. It’s just a great Pretenders album. Clearly there are a lot of Pretenders fans that think so. Before it hit the streets last October, did you feel like you nailed this one?

Chrissie Hynde: Yes, I felt good that it was recorded live and we had a vibe. There is far too much over-production out there. Not on this baby.

Chordstrike: Break up the Concrete seems particularly wistful. It opens with a “Telstar” riff and closes with a Graham Parsons kind of country song with a train metaphor. There’s a fair dose of straightforward blues in there, alongside the classic feel of the early Pretenders. It’s far from mired in the past, but would you agree that this album is nostalgic?

Chrissie Hynde: No, I don't think it feels nostalgic. I think it feels quite "of the moment." I like things that feel timeless.

Chordstrike: What was the approach you took in the studio?

Chrissie Hynde: We spent less than two weeks in the studio. I had hardly any notes as I had been carrying the songs around in my head for a while. I explained how the song should feel and called out the arrangements as we went along. That "dak dak dak" stuff on "Break Up" was me calling out the drum fill to Keltner in an initial run-through. Everybody said we should leave it in. I thought they were crazy, but it was "all for one and one for all," so I let them have their way.

Chordstrike: “Roselee” is a Robert Kindney tune. He’s a somewhat legendary figure in Cleveland. Were you a Numbers band fan? Is there a story behind your choice to cover the song?

Chrissie Hynde: The Numbers band is the band my brother has played sax in since the '70s. He was always the musician of the family, not me. I used to see Bob Kidney perform solo in a hippy coffee bar I used to go to in 1969, The Berth, so I've known him a long time. I was in Akron just before we were due to go into the studio and saw them play and noticed they were doing a new song. I asked my brother Terry if he could get a demo of it off Bob. He did and when I played it to the guys they just loved it. The demo was great, just Bob singing and a haunting guitar. I think we did a good interpretation. James rips it up live.

Chordstrike: “Almost Perfect” has an archetypal vocal jazz feel, from its structure, feel, and tempo, to the sexy lyrics about bad boys. Did the song start out with that approach, or did it evolve in studio?

Chrissie Hynde: That was done with the guys trying to follow my rough performance. We laughed our asses off when we listened back to it.

Chordstrike: You clear your throat in the middle of it, which is something that a producer would normally edit out. What did you like about that?

Chrissie Hynde: We just thought it had a certain charm. I would have got rid of it, but the guys seemed to like it. I have no pride.

Chordstrike: Also, in “Almost Perfect” you refer to film director Don Siegel, director of The Beguiled, about a man that seduces and manipulates generations of women within the same family. Were you thinking of that film?

Chrissie Hynde: I was thinking more of Charley Varrick.

Chordstrike: Would you rather be beguiled or beloved?

Chrissie Hynde: I'll take what I get.

Chordstrike: “Love’s a Mystery” is a lovely, reflective, timeless pop song. As good as any you’ve written. Is love a theme that you approach with trepidation?

Chrissie Hynde: I just tell it like I see it.

Chordstrike: You’ve played a lot of large clubs and small theaters this time, some that you may have played in the early ‘80s. Do you have mixed feelings about that?

Chrissie Hynde: I love those venues, where you can see the whole audience. I've never wanted to go bigger. I don't want to do any more support slots. I can't control the catering then--the smell of meat throws me off my stride and makes me quite abusive--and it can't compare to playing to your own audience.

Chordstrike: What’s next? More touring? New record? Restaurant openings?

Chrissie Hynde: We still have to get the record out in the rest of the world. So far we only have a deal in the States. Then tour Europe. I'd love to get to South America. Mexico. South Africa. Israel. Russia. Everywhere. And get my vegan restaurant going in more cities. It's all about cow protection.

--Patrick

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