Sean Lennon - Don't Say Chip off the Old Block, for Pity's Sake!

The Skinny's first interview with the progeny of John and Yoko took a sharp nosedive when, halfway through, we asked him what he meant by his stated opinion that the U.S. Government was behind his father's assassination.

"That's definitely not the kind of thing I want to talk about. Why don't we talk about nice things? You're not winning any points here, now stop asking me that shit 'cos I don't enjoy it - it's a fucking pain in the neck. If you don't stop this bullshit, I'm just going to hang up."

Oops. Well, it seemed pertinent to ask. John Lennon and his tragic demise still makes for good copy, and in this cynical, sensation-seeking society of ours, it's been suggested we're more likely to subscribe to Murder Most Foul than look at our friends' holiday snaps - hoary old miserabilists that we are. Sean Ono Lennon's blunt response was perfectly understandable in light of his attempts to forge his own path away from the automatically generated glare of his upbringing.

'Friendly Fire' is Sean's first album since his critically acclaimed 1998 debut 'Into The Sun'. In the interim, though keeping busy, he claimed he wasn't ready to release a new record as the machinations of the music industry proved tiresome. "I inherently dislike promoting myself. It's a bit embarrassing, that process. I love playing gigs, and I like recording songs. All the other stuff makes me uncomfortable. For years I didn't want to do it, y'know. Now? I'm a musician, and I felt the music I was making had to be published eventually."

How does this work compare with your last, and will we have to wait so long for the next release?

"'Into The Sun' was more freeform and experimental, and on this one, it's a more limited palette I'm working with. You can't make the same painting every time. Less colours, that's basically the best way to describe it. I'm not sure what direction my music will take next, and I know I'm being difficult again but I don't want to talk about the future either. Hemmingway said, if you speak of it, you'll lose it. I do have a feeling of what I want to do but you can lose the mojo a little if you talk about it."

Bashful, though Lennon does consider his style out loud: "People keep saying I sound like Elliot Smith in this which is nice 'cos I do really dig his music. He didn't influence me though, which is strange, but I never knew his records terribly well. I definitely know he was great and when people say my stuff is like his, it's better than saying it's like Cliff Richard or something."

So, is a readymade spotlight a good or a bad thing? - you've been famous since you were born.

"To be honest, I'm a minor celebrity really. Most people who even know that I exist think I'm Julian! Basically, I'm not that successful yet, so I don't actually have a lot of people wanting me to come and play, but I feel that might change." And as for our earlier t'te-à-t'te: "Ah forget it man, I understand. But I do have to protect myself you know."