CHRISSIE HYNDE ANNOUNCES NEW DUETS ALBUM
Chrissie Hynde has announced a new album under ‘Chrissie Hynde & Pals’, titled Duets Special, due for release this October via Parlophone. The album consists of 13 extraordinary duets featuring a host of world-class collaborators including k.d. lang, the late Mark Lanegan, Dave Gahan, Cat Power, Brandon Flowers, Debbie Harry, Shirley Manson, Alan Sparhawk and more. The first single ‘Always On My Mind’ featuring Rufus Wainwright is out now.
Speaking about the origins of the album and ‘Always On My Mind’, Chrissie says: “I never thought about doing a duets album before. I think the idea came about in 2023. I was talking to Jörn, Rufus Wainwright’s husband, on the phone. I think we were recommending novels to each other and for some reason I said hey, maybe Rufus and I should do something, and quickly scribbled out 10 songs off the top of my head. So Jörn asked Rufus, who was up for it, and that’s how it started. A spontaneous and what I thought would be a fun thing.”
Duets Special isn’t just Chrissie Hynde’s fourth studio album under her own name. The new record presents an exciting and unexpected left turn amidst one of the most creative chapters of Chrissie Hynde’s career. The new album closely follows The Pretenders’ latest studio album Relentless – described as “at their melodic best” by The Guardian. The world tour that followed also created a new live record, Kick ’em Where It Hurts. When Chrissie performed at the Mark Lanegan 60 Celebration Concert at the Roundhouse last year, The Times suggested Chrissie’s voice “should have Unesco world heritage status by now.”
Outside of the studio, painting has become an inseparable part of Hynde’s creative life. In the last seven years, her artwork has been exhibited to acclaim in London, New York and Massachusetts. It has also graced the sleeve of her 2019 album of cover versions Valve Bone Woe, as motifs on garments in Vivienne Westwood’s Spring-Summer 2021 collection, and most recently through a new exhibition of paintings titled Hynde Sight. The latest installment, Hynde Sight II is currently open at Harvey & Woodd, Edinburgh until 23 August www.chrissiehynde.art.
Duets Special Album Tracklist:
01. Me & Mrs Jones (feat. k.d. lang)
02. Can’t Help Falling In Love (feat. Mark Lanegan)
03. Sway (feat. Lucinda Williams)
04. Dolphins (feat. Dave Gahan)
05. First Of The Gang To Die (feat. Cat Power)
06. Always On My Mind (feat. Rufus Wainwright)
07. Every Little Bit Hurts (feat. Carleen Anderson)
08. I’m Not In Love (feat. Brandon Flowers)
09. It’s Only Love (feat. Julian Lennon)
10. Try To Sleep (feat. Debbie Harry)
11. County Line (feat. Alan Sparhawk)
12. Love Letters (feat. Shirley Manson)
13. (You’re My) Soul And Inspiration (feat. Dan Auerbach)
Duets Special will be available on black vinyl LP, CD and to download/stream from 17th October via Parlophone. Pre-order via https://chrissiehynde.lnk.to/duetsspecial
Photo credit: Ki Price