Sean Ono Lennon Talks 'Primrose Hill' Collaboration With James McCartney

In an extensive May 6 interview with Chris Hawkins on BBC Radio 6, Sean Ono Lennon touched on a wide range of topics, including his new album Asterisms, the Oscar-winning animated short film WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko, and his collaboration with Paul McCartney's son James McCartney on the new song "Primrose Hill."

That latter project has understandably garnered plenty of headlines, and Lennon was asked how he came to collaborate with the younger McCartney. "Well it was really special for me," he began. "It actually happened quite some time ago, so I wasn't sure if the song was going to come out or not. He had made another record since we’d worked on that song. And so I was very surprised when he gave me a text and said 'Hey, can we put Primrose Hill out?' and I was like 'Well, it's about time I was hoping you would put it out!' So yeah, I was thrilled. You know, I thought he had forgotten about it."

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And as far as his role as the executive producer on the animated film, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short, Lennon sounded enthusiastic."It's the only project I've ever worked on where it felt like the stars aligned from the very beginning. It took more than two years to make." Lennon collaborated closely with director Dave Mullins who wrote the initial treatment and as Lennon was already friends with Peter Jackson from the work he did on Get Back, Jackson said he'd be happy to help bring the project to life. And what when he stepped up on the podium after the film won? "That felt really surreal. A lot people might be really cynical and be like 'Oh, just because you have John and Yoko's name on it, you can do anything.' But that's just absolutely not true. The story had heart."

Lennon has been closely associated with experimental music, via his association with Primus' Les Claypool and his longtime partner Charlotte Kemp Muhl in their band the Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger. His latest release, Asterisms, is a group effort with Devin Hoff, Yuka C. Honda, Michael Leonhart, João Nogueira, Mauro Refosco, Ches Smith and Johnny Mathar. A trippy instrumental suite incorporating notes of jazz, rock and electronica, the album was released in February. "It's a live record, playing to a tape machine," Lennon revealed. "It's rare that I get to do records like that."

Lennon is also collaborating with the non-conventional meditation app Lumenate. "It sounds a bit bonkers 'cause every time I try to explain it, it's just kinda glossed right over," Lennon said, laughing. "But if you just try, it's self-explanatory and really fun to do." In addition, Mind Games: The Ultimate Collection will feature 72 tracks over 6CDs and 2BluRays, in stereo and Dolby Atmos, will be released in July.