‘Am I contented? Yes I am’ - Paul Weller on his latest ‘sunshine record’
He’s widely regarded as one of the UK’s best and most successful songwriters. And now Paul Weller’s 15th solo album is set for release early in July. He speaks to Neill Barston about coping with lockdown, dislike of music streaming and hoped-for plans to resume a UK tour this autumn
In spite of all else happening out there in the world that has created many uncertainties, Paul Weller feels fortunate and content.
Having just turned 62, it seems he is very much at ease with himself these days, some distance from the widely perceived image of the ‘angry young man’ of his early career fronting The Jam.
“I don’t really celebrate birthdays, but my daughter shares mine, so it’s very much about her,” he gestures breezily, explaining that if anything, he’s enjoying songwriting more than ever, and is in a rich vein of creativity.
The ‘Modfather’ belongs in that most rare of categories, being an artist who has successfully reinvented himself over the course of more than 40 years.
He’s managed to walk the line between classic rock, punk and new wave, through to ‘60s soul that inspired the Style Council, and later balladry that has equally attracted critical acclaim and resonated with long-term fans.
His last recording two years ago, True Meanings, narrowly missed becoming Weller’s fifth number one solo album, but having consciously built it around the lilting lullaby of Gravity, he says that it placed him in a strong position considering his latest recordings.
While the coronavirus pandemic may have scratched out his latest round of UK gigs, he has instead been squirrelling himself away in his beloved Surrey studio Black Barn to lay down new material.
“I’ve actually been very focused being at home these past few weeks, doing a lot of writing, as well as some more recording in the studio. To be honest, these days when I am not working, I am actually home quite a lot with my wife and kids as we’ve been home schooling. I haven’t really been bothered by the lockdown, other than having to queue for food or medicine.”
Beyond music, family is clearly a major priority, and he seems pleased at least two of his eight children, including daughter Leah,have shown real musical ability. “They sometimes patronise me,” he says.
For his own part, he’s recently completed final production work on his latest album, On Sunset, his 15th solo recording.
Lead single Earth Beat offers a lush slice of soul pop, swiftly followed by Village, which neatly sums up its optimistic spirit that seems refreshingly relaxed amid these complex times.
It’s a consistent theme across a record that places centre stage some of the soul motifs belying his earliest musical influences.
There are also touches of electronica and orchestral arrangements that reveal he’s keen to experiment musically when the mood takes him.
“I wouldn’t say making music has got any harder. I think I’m actually enjoying the process and the writing a lot more now than I ever did before in terms of recording. I have a great respect and appreciation for it and seeing how the finished songs are,” says Weller, who co-produced the new album with long-term collaborator Jan ‘Stan’ Kybert, whose long list of credits include working with the likes of Oasis, The Verve and Massive Attack.
“I wanted to do an album that was soulful and also had an electronic edge to it. Most of the songs on it are quite uplifting, and to me it’s a sunshine record.
“With Village, like a lot of my songs, there’s a lot of me in there, so there’s a key idea, but then you make it broader to be about other people, you extemporise. So am I contented? Yes I am – I’m fortunate and couldn’t wish for anything.”
His previous recordings have been noted for a careful sprinkling of notable guests down the years, and his latest follows in this pattern.
There are appearances from his old friend Mick Talbot from Style Council days, Slade’s Jim Lea playing violin on the very ‘60s-influenced Equanimity, and several backing vocal tracks from indie outfit The Staves.
As for the album’s title track, he says On Sunset was inspired by catching up with his eldest son in Los Angeles, which holds particularly strong memories for him as a teenager on his first tour of America.
“I was out near the Whisky A Go Go Club in LA and hadn’t really walked that