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AN INTERVIEW WITH PAUL WELLER
The Modfather himself is heading to Liverpool in May… (so far,
fingers crossed), appearing at the Liverpool Olympia on May
13th, 2020.
Whether you know Paul Weller from The Jam, The Style Council
or just as Mr. Paul Weller, the rockstar Father of eight joins the
ranks with Sir Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart, who also each have
eight children. The 61-year-old is still selling out venues and his
new studio album 'On Sunset' is due out in June.
How do you write your songs?
I play almost every day anyway, so every night, when everyone’s
gone to bed, I’ll keep chipping away at songs, write a new thing,
whatever it may be. I keep all these ideas stored on my phone until
I’ve got time to go in and get them out.
Wirral Life caught up with him ahead of his new tour… The phone is so helpful for stuff like that. I wish I’d had it years
ago! I didn’t have anything to record on back in the day. I used to
keep playing the songs over and over until I had the sequence in
my head. I always thought if they’re good enough, I’ll remember
them next day.
How do you juggle it all with having eight kids and a tour?
It’s all about finding a balance. I’d be quite happy if I was going in
the studio next week to start working on a new album. But I can’t,
for family reasons. It’s plate spinning. Trying to stay creative but at
the same time, looking after my family duties as well. Life is all about self-improvement for me, life. Not just as a writer,
but as a person and a father. All those things. Be true to yourself.
Find yourself, be at peace with yourself – which I think I finally
am. You can’t make up for past mistakes, you can only hope to
learn from them and move on.
You’ve been a young Dad and an older Dad what’s that like?
The difference between being 30 and being a dad and being 60 and
being a dad is a different mindset. You have more patience, and
you know, kind of, what to expect. The new 'On Sunset' is your first album with label Polydor since
1988, tell us about the move?
Polydor are really happening at the moment. They’ve got a great
young team and some of my favourite new artists are on it too, with
Sam Fender and Celeste, I really like their energy and enthusiasm.
It’s all those qualities I look for in a record company. It seems very
fitting to be back on my old label after all these years.
I consider myself extremely, lucky, really, to be able to experience
it and how wonderful it is, really. And changing nappies? Yeah, no
problem. I’ve had enough experience!
I think eight’s a good number. It’s my lucky number!
Your Dad, John Weller, managed you until 2006 when he began
to suffer from ill health. He must have been quite a character?
He helped guide my career almost from the moment I picked up
a guitar. The Jam formed in Woking and we played tough working
men's clubs - he was with us every step of the way. He called us the
greatest group in the world.
He was a unique character, my old man. He wasn’t in any way
academic, or my mum. They were proper old-school, working-
class people. He had a rubbish relationship with his own Dad, and
I think you either stay like that or you want to change it. And that’s
what he did. He gave us his time and encouraged me and my sister.
So that’s what fatherhood is in my eyes really, to be friends with
your kids and involved with them. You didn’t have that so much
when I was growing up.
Do you feel any different now you’re in your 60’s?
I’ve become quite reflective and taken stock of a lot of things about
myself, as a person.
I thought 50 was quite a milestone, but 60... wow. Sometimes I’ll
be chatting about being in a club in like 1977 and then you just
stop and think, that was over 40 years ago.
You still love the Beatles though?
Of course! I am in awe of their work. I will still buy any magazine
with them on the cover and acknowledge Paul McCartney’s god-
like status. We know so much about them now and I’m not sure
there is really any more to learn, but their records are continually
surprising.
Paul Weller’s tour starts in May and comes to Liverpool on the
13th of that month before he heads to Europe for dates in July and
then back to Manchester in November. (Correct at time of print).
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