The Pretenders follow starry Glastonbury set with new song A Love

The Pretenders have followed up their star-studded Glastonbury set with the new single, ‘A Love’.

The new tune about love being addictive is taken from their upcoming LP ‘Relentless’ – which is out on September 15 – and follows their Worthy Farm set last month that featured Foo Fighters Dave Grohl and former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr.

Frontwoman Chrissie Hynde, 71, said of the track in a statement: “I suppose that’s the most traditionally Pretenders-sounding song on the album, in the vein of ‘Kid’ or ‘Talk of the Town’ or any of the mid-tempo ones over the years. I often see love/relationships almost in the same vein as drug addiction. Although, having said that, I know I am jaded, and cynical… ‘The Buzz’ on ‘Hate for Sale’ visited the same theme.”

At Glasto, Nirvana legend Dave, 54, played drums and Johnny, 59, guitar on ‘Tattooed Love Boys’.

Singer Chrissie Hynde had first brought Johnny – who had briefly joined the band in 1987 – onto the Park Stage to perform a string of hits including ‘Back on the Chain Gang’ and ‘Don’t Get Me Wrong’.

She told the crowd: “My favourite thing about Glastonbury over the years is seeing my guitar heroes.”

Chrissie joked as she introduced Dave to the stage: “Apparently there’s a drunk guy backstage…he insists on playing.”

June also saw the group team up with Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood on the collaboration ‘I Think About You Daily’.

The musician composed a stunning string arrangement on the brooding ballad, for which he also conducted the 12 Ensemble.

The song is the closing track on ‘Relentless’.

Chrissie said of working with Radiohead’s lead guitarist: “I met Jonny a couple of times, and we’re obviously big fans of him because he’s done some incredible music over the years. I saw him at the Phantom Thread premiere where the film was running on screen with a live orchestra playing. And we spoke afterward and he expressed an interest in doing something one day. I was thrilled and very surprised. He also came down to see a Valve Bone Woe show we were doing in the basement of a Pizza Express. So when the idea of getting strings on ‘I Think About You Daily’, he was first choice. Legend!”

Jonny added: “It was a genuine honour to score strings for Chrissie. The arrangement wrote itself because of THAT voice. She’s one of the greatest singers in popular music, and her continuing passion for creation was an inspiring experience from first the email to the last note of the recording.”

The album will be the follow-up to 2020’s ‘Hate for Sale’.

Speaking about the album title, Chrissie said: “I enjoy seeing the various meanings and origins of a word. And I liked the definition: “showing no abatement of intensity”. It’s the life of the artist. You never retire. You become relentless.”

The rock legend has co-written all the tracks with guitarist James Walbourne for the second time consecutively.

The album features The Pretenders Collective, also including Kris Sonne (drums), Chris Hill (double bass), Dave Page (bass) and Carwyn Ellis (keyboards and guitars).

Meanwhile, the band are supporting Guns N’ Roses in the UK and Europe.

Head to thepretenders.com to pre-order the album and see the band’s full tour schedule.