Chrissie Hynde is something of a living legend. Born in Ohio but currently a resident of the U.K., the rock musician has made a name for herself as the tough-as-nails leader of the new wave outfit The Pretenders.
Her new musical project, JP, Chrissie & The Fairground Boys, released its first album, Fidelity, earlier this year. Hynde and Welsh musician JP Jones met over drinks at a party thrown by the wife of artist Damien Hirst. They tossed around some drunken ideas, and soon Jones was sending her MP3s of his latest work. Hynde said she was "seduced" by the folk-rocker's music, and right after Hynde returned from her latest Pretenders tour, the two headed to Havana, Cuba, to commence writing their album.
"It's very truthful and it's very heart-wrenching," Hynde says of the album. "And, in fact, it's quite heartbreaking. It hasn't been an easy album to get through."
Jones and Hynde share lead vocal duties throughout the album, giving it a feel akin to the recent Alison Krauss and Robert Plant collaboration, with a bit more roughness around the edges. The band has been touring the U.S. since the release of Fidelity, and stopped by the World Cafe studios for an interview with host David Dye.
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