- Title: MUSIC-PAUL WELLER Paul Weller talks work ethic and Jeremy Corbyn
- Date: 15th October 2015
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) MUSICIAN, PAUL WELLER, SAYING: "I certainly don't get too complacent about things really. I still feel you're only as good as your last record or your last show. I've kind of always lived by that really. I think that's not a bad thing. It keeps you on your toes and it keeps you aiming for somet
- Embargoed: 30th October 2015 12:00
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- Topics: General
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- Story Text: Paul Weller, known familiarly as 'The Modfather' in the United Kingdom, has been creating chart hits and acclaimed albums for nearly 40 years.
Now, the ex-The Jam frontman and Style Council member has been hitting the charts again with his new solo album "Saturns Patterns."
The singer songwriter has penned a number of hits over the decades including 'Town Called Malice', 'You Do Something To Me', 'That's Entertainment' and 'Walls Come Tumbling Down'.
During an interview in Los Angeles, where he was performing a number of gigs, he admitted that his songwriting had changed with the writing of 'Saturns Patterns' saying it was "much more spontaneous and much less stuff that's pre-written."
One song from the album is entitled "I'm Where I Should Be", which he said expressed the way he feels at the moment, saying he's "very comfortable in what I do in myself and in my own skin and in my role in life and what I should be doing and I'm very clear on those lines really, which I can't say I've always felt like that. It's only been recent years really."
Despite winning a number of awards including an Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement, Weller has never liked to term himself a rock star.
"I don't know what the hours are or what the job entails," he quipped. "I'm just a musician really. I just think of myself as being a writer and a musician. And I don't know about pop star, rock star stuff. I'm a bit old for that really. But I was never really sure even when I was younger. I wasn't really buying into it. I don't think I'm really rock star material, to be honest. I just think I'm an artist and that's good enough for me."
Weller has not shied away from being political. His first UK top ten hit with The Jam was 'The Eton Rifles' about a battle between protesting workers and Eton school pupils. He even wrote the single 'Soul Deep' in 1984 to raise money for the protestors during the UK's mining strike.
When asked what he thought of Jeremy Corbyn, the new socialist leader of the UK's Labour party, Weller replied "Well from what I've seen so far, he's great, you know. It's the first time in probably 20 years or more that I'll probably vote next time because there's not been anyone to vote for as far as I'm concerned but it's just refreshing to hear someone with some basic socialist values talking about improving our society and that's his people. So I've got a lot of faith or hope for him, but we will see."
"Saturns Patterns", which went to number 2 in the UK album charts on release, is out now through Warner Bros. Records. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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