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UNBELIEVABLE: James walbourne - The Untold Story

“I took Gem Archer’s job when he joined Oasis. Brian Robertson from Thin Lizzy came in on Saturdays and we’d just play”: How a job in the “party guitar shop” gave Pretenders guitarist James Walbourne his start in the industry

Walbourne reminisces about the guitar store that started it all – and why music shops and venues are crucial for up-and-coming musicians

Guitar World

"We left mistakes in, we didn't clean it all up – which is a hard thing to do when you're a musician": How His Lordship hit the rock'n'roll bullseye with one of the best albums of 2025

Pretenders' sidemen James Walbourne and Kris Sonne's second album as His Lordship is a savage blast of high-octane, garage-rooted R&B

Louder

“A spontaneous and what I thought would be a fun thing”: Chrissie Hynde to release a new album of duets featuring Debbie Harry, Dave Gahan and Rufus Wainwright

Brandon Flowers, Shirley Manson and Julian Lennon have also joined her in the vocal booth

MusicRadar

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“I never thought his music would be my bag. But he never plays the same thing twice and your mind is blown”: The Pretenders’ James Walbourne on discovering Richard Thompson (who happens to be his father-in-law)

Walbourne details the folk-prog veteran’s Robert Johnson-like magic, and draws a comparison with Chrissie Hynde

Louder

“I hate guitar jams because they usually get competitive. You have to breathe, be true to yourself and think, ‘This has to be music’”: Folk icon Richard Thompson on tuning revelations, keeping his chops up, and why you won't find him in a guitar jam

We meet Thompson to find out how he’s preparing to go head-to-head with Tommy Emmanuel, chat about the end of his touring days, and talk about how fresh tunings yield fresh ideas

Guitar World

“Most celebrities are dullards. I met a lot of these clowns and you assume they’re smart. They are not!” Why the Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde is one of the last rock stars unafraid of saying what’s on her mind

In 2016, the Pretenders released their 10th album, Alone - but Chrissie Hynde was showing no sign of playing the game

Louder

“I’d go into a soundcheck, there’d be all these cases open and they’d say, ‘Choose one. We’ll give you a guitar.’ I’d be like, ‘No, thanks. I have a guitar’”: The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde and James Walbourne on what it takes to be a real guitar hero

Kick ’Em Where It Hurts is the new live album from the Pretenders and it serves as a testament to a creative rebirth as they emerged from lockdown

Guitar World

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The Pretenders Chrissie Hynde explains why she doesn't think of herself as a 'great musician'

Chrissie Hynde, founding member and lead vocalist of The Pretenders, has confessed she doesn’t think she’s musically good enough.

BANG Premier

“I’m probably gonna buy this. So there you go. Sold already”: Watch the Pretenders’ James Walbourne get to grips with a vintage Gibson Explorer – and no, not the guitar

The GA-18T Explorer is one of the lesser-spotted amps from the golden era of the Gibson archive but on this evidence maybe it is due a comeback

MusicRadar

“We tried to sell it and the guy in the shop said it was the worst guitar he’d ever seen in his life”: The Pretenders’ James Walbourne on a shocking first guitar, gear regrets and the big sounds of single coils

The Pretenders guitarist recalls leaving a precious acoustic in the back of a taxi and why ’60s SG Juniors rock his world…

Guitar World

The Pretenders: Relentless review – recalls their early-80s imperial phase

The interplay between Chrissie Hynde and guitarist James Walbourne goes from strength to strength on the punk survivors’ 12th album

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