© AP Photo/Lisa Poole  |
Hey all you animal-loving Pretenders fans! Do I have a treat for you! As you probably know, Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders is not only a complete rock star in every sense of the word, she's also an incredible animal rights activist. We've reported many of Chrissie's actions on the PETA Files—such as leading protests in NYC against horse-drawn carriages, helping draw much-needed attention to the Australian wool boycott, and voicing her anti-leather stance when a company tried to name a leather bag after her (gross! I know, right?)—but that's really just a small sample of what this great woman has done in the name of animal rights.
Chrissie is front and center again with the upcoming release of the new Pretenders album, Break Up the Concrete, due out October 7, and in the middle of a whirlwind of press, she made sure to give PETA an exclusive Q&A and an early release of two of her new tracks (which can be found here). Without further ado ... I give you Chrissie Hynde:
Dan Mathews: Tell us about some of the highlights of your life as an animal activist.
Chrissie Hynde: I like the way that question is worded because I consider myself an animal activist first and my music as more of a hobby that gives me a platform to fight for animals. The big highlight was when I first walked into the PETA headquarters and looked at all the files of cases you've won and all the activity and campaigns planning. Having been a fairly dour vegetarian since 1969 when nobody really gave a shit about animals, it was the first time I ever felt optimistic about the movement really succeeding.
I also loved getting up at 4 a.m. after the first big PETA gala in Washington D.C. in the early 90s to go on a hunt sabotage. I like being on the front lines, though I'm not really on the front lines as I've never personally busted into a slaughterhouse. Those I admire most are the PETA investigators who infiltrate. At another PETA gala I was changed forever by James Cromwell's speech in which he said "You can't call yourself a true environmentalist unless you're vegan." That attitude is finally sinking in and people are realizing what they eat determines how responsible a citizen they are. I recently saw him in L.A. and jumped up and thanked and hugged him and made a huge fuss … but I don't think he knew who I was!
The thing I'm most proud of is going after the Gap and getting them to stop buying leather from the horrible black market in India. I love all animals but my main focus has always been cows, so it was a joy to go to jail with Ingrid after the Gap protest and have it succeed. I love Ingrid and always urge her to take a break once in a while; I even made her come over to my house in London to chill out and watch a movie.
Dan Mathews: What are your observations about PETA's often provocative way of doing things?
Chrissie Hynde: PETA is my favorite organization because there is such a great spirit of adventure in all the campaigns. We're all in this because of the horror stories out there but PETA manages to tackle the issues with such a winning spirit, even when all odds are against us.
Dan Mathews: You opened a vegan restaurant, Vegiterranean, in your hometown of Akron, Ohio, which has been a runaway success. Any plans to expand?
Chrissie Hynde: Yes! If a small Midwestern town can have a line out the door at a vegan restaurant, it can work anywhere. Times are definitely changing all over. I'd like to expand to Las Vegas so tourists from all over the world can see how great vegan food can be, and of course in L.A. I've read that Freedom Tower in New York City, the new development where the World Trade Center once stood, is looking for a notable restaurateur. I'd like to throw my hat into the ring. There's been so much horrific blood and guts and violence there that it'd be fitting to open a cool restaurant where no mangled, burnt bodies are on the menu.
Posted by Christine Doré
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