Paul Weller has enjoyed — and continues to enjoy — a long career in music. Earlier this year, Weller released his 17th studio album, 66, and as he tells The Current’s Zach McCormick, it is still the love of music that motivates Weller to continue touring and recording to this day.

Weller recently connected with Zach McCormick at First Avenue in Minneapolis to talk about 66 and to shed some light on what he’s continuing to work on in music and beyond. Listen to the interview using the audio player above, and read a transcript below.

Interview Transcript

Zach McCormick: I am joined this afternoon by Paul Weller, the legend in the flesh. His new album, 66, out now  via Polydor. Paul, thank you so much for joining us today.

Paul Weller: Thank you, man, yeah. Nice to be here.

Zach McCormick: So 66 marks your 17th studio album as a solo performer, if I'm counting that right; five albums with The Style Council, six albums with The Jam. You're currently in the midst of this international tour at an age where a lot of working people would be like thinking about maybe hanging it up, retiring, but you're still out here releasing music at a prolific rate. What kind of inspires you to keep touring, keep releasing new music? Is it, you know, music that you're listening to? What inspires you to keep doing this, keep this pace up?

Paul Weller: Well, just the music itself, man, you know? That's the only inspiration I need, really. I mean, there are other things, but the music itself, it just still excites me, whether it's my own music or whether listening to other people's music, I just find it a never-ending source of of education, really, of inspiration, you know.

Zach McCormick: That's great. Let's talk about your new album, 66. It features this great cast of collaborators from different musical generations of the U.K. You've got some of your contemporaries from the '70s and '80s music scenes, Suggs of Madness, Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream, Dr. Robert of the Blow Monkeys. How did these folks come to be involved in this album, and what qualities did each of them bring to the record that you were excited to work with them on it?

Paul Weller: It kind of came out of a pragmatic thing, really, that I had lots of backing tracks, lots of ideas, lots of song ideas, tunes, some melodies, but I didn't have any words. So I'm lucky that they're friends. I just called them up and said, “Have you got any ideas for this particular bit of music,” you know? So I just sent the demo of what I was working on to Bobby and to Noel and whoever else it may be. It was a bit different with Suggs, because he sent me some lyrics and I put the music to it. Yeah, I guess I didn't have so much to say this time, really, you know? So, rather than sort of just write nonsense, ask some friends to write some lyrics, you know, instead, you know. I think it's important to keep experimenting the older you get, you know, keep trying different things. Work with different people, you know? And not just fall into your little niche and just do that one thing, you know. I feel now is the time, in the last few years, it's been a good time to experiment and work with other people for me. You also worked with a couple of members of kind of the Britpop generation to contribute on 66 as well: Richard Hawley of Long Pigs and Pulp; Noel Gallagher you first worked with all those years ago on the Stanley Road album. What did they each bring to the record? Kind of same thing? Were they writing lyrics or melodies? Well, with Rich Hawley, Rich played some lap steel guitar on the track.

Zach McCormick: Oh, cool.

Paul Weller: And Noel wrote the lyrics to a song called "Jumble Queen" on the album.

Zach McCormick: Yeah. I was reading some previous interviews with you where you noted that you enjoy working with other lyricists on this album and previous albums that you've worked with, because it kind of allows you to flex your muscles as a vocalist and as an interpreter of songs. And you did a covers album called Studio 150, it just turned 20 years old this year too. Would you ever be interested in kind of doing another record like that, where you were either interpreting multiple artists' work or maybe one artist's full discography?

Paul Weller: Well, funny enough, we're working on an album now that is a covers album. We're just about three-quarters of the way through it, so it's going to come out next October, I guess. I won't say what's on it, but they're quite obscure choices, not willfully, just the way it turned out. But it will be an interesting record.

Zach McCormick: That's great. Do you find, like, kind of working on, you know, interpreting other people's music inspires your own songwriting? Kind of you hear ideas in someone else's work and it makes you want to go hit the studio again and work on your own stuff?

Paul Weller: Well, yeah, totally. Because, you know, when you're playing and singing someone else's tune, you also get a little insight into how they organize their music, or how they write their lyrics, and and everyone's obviously got their own style, you know? So there's always something else to learn, you know. That's what I find about music in general, man, there's always something. If your mind's open, then there's always something else to learn. There's always something you haven't heard before, you didn't know before. You just got to keep your antennae up. You know?

Zach McCormick: You're a musician with working-class roots who has written a lot of nuanced songs about social inequities and class throughout your career, and we're sort of at this point with the way that the economics of the music industry have gotten where it's harder and harder for artists with working-class roots to make a viable living in live music and touring. What do we lose as music fans and music listeners if working-class artists don't have a path to be able to exist in the music industry and sustain themselves?

Paul Weller: Yeah, it's true. Yeah. I don't know what it's like in the States, you know, but in England, there's loads of great artists, right? There's a lot of good music around everywhere, you know, obviously, but there's not many young bands. Not really. And I think that's probably another reason why a lot of young kids probably do go and see some older bands, because there isn't too much of that of their generation, really. But I think some of that is down to economics, because, you know, for a young band starting up in England, I'm just talking about my country, but to start up and to tour, it's next to impossible, man, it's so expensive, right? And then a lot of clubs were doing this thing where you have to pay to play, which was unbelievable to me anyway. That was kind of how you made your living, right? You go to pubs and clubs and whatever, and that's how you make a living and work at your craft, you know. The days of just jumping in a van and traveling off and trying to pick up gigs, I think would be really, really difficult to do these days.

Zach McCormick: Here's hoping that some stuff changes and we can find a lane for these artists to make a living in the future. Speaking of touring, this is your first U.S. tour in I think something like seven years is that...?

Paul Weller: Yes, man. Yeah. 

Zach McCormick: Seven years, and so a lot has changed in that time since you were touring the States. The economics of live music, the logistics of touring, and the COVID-informed world are so much different. What about touring the States, you know, makes it worth it for you to kind of navigate that level of logistics, and has that whole change in touring affected you and the way that you're able to perform?

Paul Weller: I come the States to play, right? I mean, I'll push me record as much as I can, but I'm not expecting it to take off or anything like that, right? So I'm not really after that. I, and my band as well, we just love playing it. We love the audiences here, right? And if I can go home with making some money, or at least have a shirt on my back still, then I'm happy, man, you know? And I don't think there's any grand scheme beyond that, to be honest with you, all right? Because, you know, it's tough touring America, just economically, but also just the distances, because your country's so huge. We're just here for the music, and we're just there for the audiences, man, because we love playing here, and that's the truth.

Zach McCormick: That's wonderful. I'm really glad to hear that. And you're such a student of American music throughout your career; American soul music. Do you engage in any music tourism when you're in the States? Do you have any time you know, making it into doing a show in Memphis, making it to Stax Records, that kind of thing?

Paul Weller: I've been to the Motown Museum in Detroit. I've never been down south. I'd love to go and see the Stax place. Of course, America, I mean, this is the home of where all the music we love — with the exception of, like, Jamaican music —  but pretty much rock and roll, funk, soul, gospel music, it's all come from America, man. That's all our influences, you know? And for many people in England and Europe as well, you know. So, yeah, of course, it's like coming back to the home of all the things you've always loved and were inspired by, you know.

 Zach McCormick: That's fantastic. I got one more question for you here: You're making your feature-film debut later this year with a — you know, if you can't talk about this, that's fine — but the acclaimed British director, Steve McQueen, who you were mentioning Jamaican music, made that fantastic series Small Axe all about the Jamaican community in the U.K. So, you know, how did you come to be involved in this film? And did you enjoy your experience acting? Would you do it again? 

Paul Weller: Well, Steve asked me personally. Steve McQueen asked me personally, right? And I was a big fan of his films anyway, right? And Small Axe the TV series, right? He's just got a great artistic eye, I think. And he's got a real thirst for trying to find the truth in something as well, you know, and I like that. But he just asked me personally. He said, "Man, I wrote this part, I had you in mind, all right?" And I was saying, "To what? I clearly can't act, so it could be a problem, you know?" But he kind of sort of took me round, and he said, "Just try it. Just try it. Just try it." So I did. And it was an opportunity to take myself out of my comfort zone and just try something different, especially at my age, man, as well. But it's not like I've got a fledgling acting career, you know, because I wouldn't do it again! But I enjoyed it. It was a different experience. But I love this much more. The film's great. I've seen the film, and it's a brilliant film, and he puts over some great points very relevant to our times now, actually. Yeah, I just thought, what the hell, you know? I'm an old-age pensioner, I might as well just try it, man, and see what happens.

Zach McCormick: Well, thank you so much for your time, Paul Weller, we really appreciate it. Your new album, 66 out now via Polydor, thank you so much for joining us on The Current.

Paul Weller: Thank you.

Credits

Guest – Paul Weller
Host – Zach McCormick
Producer – Derrick Stevens
Digital Producer – Luke Taylor

External Link

Paul Weller – official site