Exclusive Video Premiere & Interview: JP, Chrissie & The Fairground Boys “If You Let Me”

Star-crossed lovers Chrissie Hynde and JP Jones discuss their music video homage to vampire flick "Let the Right One In," and how it mirrors them.

This video for “If You Let Me,” takes a lot from the genius film “Let the Right One In,” all snow and bloody kisses, down to the Rubik’s Cube…

CH: Yeah JP and I just fell in love with that film and watched it quite a few times. When I like a film, or a book, I’ll read it or watch it over and over. So much goes into a film and if it’s a worthy film I enjoy studying them. In fact, I see a lot more films than anyone I’ve met in the film business. It’s like people who work in shoe stores probably listen to more records than I do, when you’re in it you know… but it’s maddening to me that [in the US] you know it’s all Hollywood box office and 90% of it is unwatchable. My heart bleeds for children because the films they put out for them are disgusting.

But “Let The Right One In” is such a beautiful love story. I went with Nicolas Roeg, the director and Miranda Richardson when it first came out. Then JP and I watched it and I think we saw a kind of metaphor in our relationship. You know the girl’s 12, she needs someone who can look after her but as that person grows old she’s going to have to replace him.

I was going to say this (video and song) seems as much about that film, as it does about the two of you, though the age difference between Oskar and Eli is more insurmountable.

CH: Well the difference is hundreds of years, but they’re also both 12 in the film. But, she’s going to stay 12 and he’s going to get too old to look after her just like the pedophile. One thing I have to say about rock videos, I think they usually distract from the song. But I thought, fuck it, you know let’s pay tribute to this film.

JP: Yeah we just wanted to pay homage to that awesome film.

You do that while making it personal, and it’s evermore clear to me that great rock and roll is personal.

JP: Absolutely.

CH: Yeah. And there’s so many aspects to this so called music industry. It’s not all rock and roll. All that pop culture. Obviously pop music, when it’s great, it’s great. But, I don’t know, I’m feeling more rock and roll then ever because I’m so anti to the rest of the music scene which seems to be reliant on soft porn. It’s such a cheap shot. I wish these girls would just suck cock and get it over with, you know don’t see any reason to beat around the bush [laughter].

Like Lady Gaga?

CH: I’m just talking about all of ‘em! You know there are so many great bands out there and they’re not getting signed, the music industry’s collapsing, and all this good stuff falls through the cracks ’cause of these girls in their push-up bras. I wish they’d just fuck off.

[Laughter] Yeah. Well we can’t get started on this, we’ll be here all day!

CH: The good news is that when things get really bad then there will be a bunch of aspiring bands who think this is shit, I can do better than this. That inspires people. Well, the real inspiration is when there’s an interesting scene and you can relate to it, it’s not very nice to be totally isolated. It’s one of the reasons I like working with JP so much, it’s a lonely gig writing a song in a room alone with a guitar and a notebook. It’s great to have a muse. It’s such a big difference; it’s been a revelation to me.

JP, do you see another album on the horizon for JP & Chrissie?

JP: Totally, we’re gonna do so much, we’ve got ideas for a second album for sure. It won’t be the same subject matter of course, because people would just be like Jesus, put it away after that. But we started our own record label and I want to produce a Chrissie Hynde solo album.

CH: Yeah I’m not so sure about that but I definitely want to produce an album of his stuff. He was going solo when I met him and got waylaid by me. And we’re still writing songs together.

Nice, so you’ll be fighting over who’s getting the solo album first? You’ve never really done a solo album before Chrissie.

CH: Yeah, no, I’m not keen on doing a solo album.

JP: Well, I’m gonna make her do it.

CH: Well, we’ll see about that. We don’t really argue, we defer to each other.

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