Windy City Times: This is such an honor for Windy City Times to talk to you.
Yoko Ono: Chicago is beautiful and I love that expression: Windy City! Just those two words are like a poem. Somehow, Chicago did inspire me. I haven’t been there too many times, but just the times that I went there I was inspired as an artist by Lake Michigan.
WCT: This is the first album since 1973 with the Yoko Ono/Plastic Band as a title.
YOKO ONO: It has been many years. This has certainly loosened me up a bit in many ways. I became wiser maybe. The Plastic Ono Band—John named it for both of us, we used that name. When John passed away, I felt like a big rock and I didn’t want to know about it. Then Sean opened it up and asked for me to please use “Plastic Ono Band.”
WCT: What was it like working with your son on this?
YOKO ONO: When he first said “Let’s do it,” I thought no pressure but I had a little fear there. I said “Yes” and, surprisingly, it went very well. I was amazed.
WCT: You also worked with Yuko Honda from [the group] Cibo Matto.
YOKO ONO: Yes, Yuko is like family. Independently she is an incredible musician. She has the whole Cibo Matto thing.
WCT: I love them!
YOKO ONO: Do you know about Cornelius? It is a name for Keigo, Shimmy and Yuko in a group on this album. They happen to be Sean’s friends. You should check it out.
WCT: I will have to listen to them. You are a guest on the new Basement Jaxx album, Scars, with the song “Days of the Sunflowers (We March On).”
YOKO ONO: Isn’t that great? He’s something else, right? It is a tribute to indie musicians. Even my friends who really know music well ask me what indies are. Oh, dear! I think this is now and the future, that we are going that way.
WCT: How do you stay creative after all this time?
YOKO ONO: I don’t know. It’s like breathing. If you are not creative then you die.
WCT: You had a song called “Everyman…Everywoman…” that you released remixes of to support same-sex marriage.
YOKO ONO: Yes, we changed it to “Every Man Has a Man Who Loves Him” and “Every Woman Has a Woman Who Loves Her.” I am very happy that I did. There was also that little dig that maybe a politician didn’t get in because of that song. They always blame me for something. They would blame me for Pearl Harbor if they could! I was not in action then. People have to relax a bit, don’t you think?
WCT: What future projects do you have coming out?
YOKO ONO: I go one by one. I try to do my best. It was really great being the studio making an album. That’s the part that I like. It’s a trip to go to places and promote it. It’s not my thing, I would much rather go into the studio and make another one. I get scared when I make another one and there is a big promo scene for it.
WCT: You are doing The View on ABC tomorrow.
YOKO ONO: I know! Please don’t tell me about it…
WCT: Good luck with them.
YOKO ONO: I will try my best. Keep on marching, Windy City!