In this episode, music writer Chas De Whalley recalls discovering The Jam after a last-minute tip-off that led him to see them at the Nashville Rooms and review them for Sounds magazine. He reflects on the charged early gigs, their breakthrough shows at the The Roxy, and the fast-moving record deal with Polydor Records. ChasContinue reading “Chas De Whalley – Stories of The Jam for Sounds Magazine…”
Category Archives: Podcast Episodes
Matt Askem, Live Music Director – Hyde Park, Braehead, Studio 150, As Is Now…
In this episode, I’m joined by acclaimed live film director Matt Askem, a creative force behind some of the most iconic concert films of the last 25 years. From capturing the raw intensity of Paul Weller on stage to working with global superstars like Adele, U2, Muse and Take That, Matt has spent decades translatingContinue reading “Matt Askem, Live Music Director – Hyde Park, Braehead, Studio 150, As Is Now…”
Roger Armstrong – Rock On, Soho Market + Chiswick Records
In this episode, I’m joined by Roger Armstrong – co-founder of the legendary Rock On record shop and the Chiswick label – to talk about his unique vantage point on Paul Weller’s earliest days. Long before record deals, Roger knew Paul as a meticulous record buyer, hunting for Motown and soul 45s at his SohoContinue reading “Roger Armstrong – Rock On, Soho Market + Chiswick Records”
Keith Cameron – Music Writer, Mojo, NME, Sounds
A journalist since 1988, Keith Cameron is currently a contributing editor at MOJO, with an impressive career that’s taken him from Sounds and NME to bylines in the Guardian, The Times, Kerrang! and Q. This episode is a real treat for anyone fascinated by the relationship between music, fandom, and journalism. In this conversation, recorded backContinue reading “Keith Cameron – Music Writer, Mojo, NME, Sounds”
Dee C. Lee – Singer, Songwriter – The Style Council, Solo, Wham! and more…
For this special episode, I bring you a conversation with Dee C. Lee – singer, songwriter and essential member of The Style Council. This chat was recorded in a riverside pub back in January 2025 for my book Paul Weller: Dancing Through The Fire and Dee has been kind enough to let me share this asContinue reading “Dee C. Lee – Singer, Songwriter – The Style Council, Solo, Wham! and more…”
John Mealing – Composer and Arranger – The Style Council
In this episode of the Paul Weller Fan Podcast, I talk to composer and arranger John Mealing, whose work helped define The Style Council’s orchestral and cinematic edge. John shares how he first connected with Paul Weller, starting with ‘Shout To The Top’, and goes into the making of Our Favourite Shop, The Cost ofContinue reading “John Mealing – Composer and Arranger – The Style Council”
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills – Shindig! Magazine founder and Editor-In-Chief
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills is the founder and editor-in-chief of Shindig!, one of the UK’s most respected independent music magazines, but his story with Paul Weller begins long before journalism. Growing up in rural Hampshire, Jon discovered The Jam at the age of ten, became a ‘tiny mod’, and followed the journey through The Style CouncilContinue reading “Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills – Shindig! Magazine founder and Editor-In-Chief”
David Holmes – Visionary Belfast Musician, Composer, Producer, and DJ.
David Holmes has spent his life channelling the pulse of real history into his music- from the streets of Belfast to the world stage. In this episode, I chat with David about a lifelong relationship with Paul Weller’s music, starting as a young Jam fan inheriting family record collections, and reaching its apex through directContinue reading “David Holmes – Visionary Belfast Musician, Composer, Producer, and DJ.”
Sheema Mukherjee – Composer and Sitar Player
Sheema Mukherjee is a fearless and highly-acclaimed sitar player, celebrated for her classical roots and her innovation on the world stage (Transglobal Underground, The Imagined Village). In this episode, we explore Sheema’s family legacy (her uncle was the great Nikhil Banerjee), and how her upbringing immersed her in both rigorous tradition and a freewheeling, improvisationalContinue reading “Sheema Mukherjee – Composer and Sitar Player”
Peter Watts – Journalist & Author
When I started on the extra interviews for my book, Paul Weller: Dancing Through the Fire, back in July 2024, Journalist and author, Peter Watts was one of the first people that I chatted to. He has written forUncut, the Guardian and Sunday Times, and has also written a book about the history of DenmarkContinue reading “Peter Watts – Journalist & Author”
Stuart Watts – Director – Paul Weller: Into Tomorrow Documentary (2006)
Here’s another lovely conversation for my book, Paul Weller: Dancing Through the Fire – The Authorised Oral History – which I’ve also turned into a podcast episode. Stuart Watts is a producer and director whose credits include acclaimed music documentaries for artists as varied as Paul Weller, Marc Bolan, Andrea Bocelli, Jeff Wayne, and JeffContinue reading “Stuart Watts – Director – Paul Weller: Into Tomorrow Documentary (2006)”
Tom Robinson – Songwriter, Broadcaster & Activist – on Paul Weller, The Jam, Red Wedge and More
On this episode, I’m join by Tom Robinson – one of British music’s most vital and fearless voices. Tom rose to fame in the late 1970s with the Tom Robinson Band, whose Top 5 hit ‘2-4-6-8 Motorway’ became a punk-era anthem. Openly advocating for LGBT equality and aligning with pivotal causes like Rock Against RacismContinue reading “Tom Robinson – Songwriter, Broadcaster & Activist – on Paul Weller, The Jam, Red Wedge and More”
Ted Kessler – Music Writer & Editor – NME, Q, The New Cue
In this episode of the podcast, I am joined by Ted Kessler – a music writer who’s lived out the ultimate fan’s journey with Paul Weller. As a London kid, he spent his pocket money on Jam singles and memorised the lyrics before he even owned the records. After moving to Paris, he’d receive theContinue reading “Ted Kessler – Music Writer & Editor – NME, Q, The New Cue”
Graham Coxon – Blur / Solo Artist / The WAEVE shares stories of influence, creativity and working with Paul Weller
My guest on this episode of The Paul Weller Fan Podcast is one of the most inventive and distinctive guitarists of his generation – the co-founder and guitarist of Blur, a prolific solo artist, and a musician whose restless creativity has taken him from Britpop to freeform jazz, from noisy riffs to tender melodies. GrahamContinue reading “Graham Coxon – Blur / Solo Artist / The WAEVE shares stories of influence, creativity and working with Paul Weller”
Cat Santos and Sodge Adams – Fifth Column – Classic T-Shirts
In this episode of the Paul Weller Fan Podcast, I chat to Cat Santos and Sodge Adams, two of the creative minds behind Fifth Column, the pioneering screen-printing collective that helped define the look of Punk culture in late-1970s London. Fifth Column started when a group of friends decided to design and print – byContinue reading “Cat Santos and Sodge Adams – Fifth Column – Classic T-Shirts”
Jonathan Ross on Paul Weller: Punk, Mod, and the Soundtrack of a Lifetime
Jonathan Ross has been a familiar face and voice in British broadcasting since the late 1980s. From his early days hosting Channel 4’s The Last Resort, he’s gone on to become one of the country’s most recognisable presenters, known for his sharp humour and genuine curiosity. Whether it’s chatting with global superstars on The JonathanContinue reading “Jonathan Ross on Paul Weller: Punk, Mod, and the Soundtrack of a Lifetime”
Paul Moody – Writer and Musician … “Weller was always a gateway to something new – music, books, art, fashion.”
Paul Moody’s journey with Paul Weller’s music is one that bridges the gap between devoted fandom and professional collaboration. From discovering The Jam as a teenager in North London, swept up in the energy and style of the Mod revival, to later interviewing Weller for the NME for Stanley Road, to conducting the DVD interviewsContinue reading “Paul Moody – Writer and Musician … “Weller was always a gateway to something new – music, books, art, fashion.””
Phil Bickley – Founder of Tonic London, co-creator of Real Stars Are Rare with Paul Weller
This week on the Paul Weller Fan Podcast, I’m joined by Phil Bickley – founder of London menswear store Tonic and co-creator of the Paul Weller clothing label Real Stars Are Rare. Phil’s story is a fascinating mix of music, fashion, and friendship. We talk about how his admiration for The Style Council soundtracked hisContinue reading “Phil Bickley – Founder of Tonic London, co-creator of Real Stars Are Rare with Paul Weller”
Pippa Hall – Press, Promotion, and Paul Weller: Go! Discs and beyond…
In this conversation for my Dancing Through the Fire book, I chat with Pippa Hall, whose time at Go! Discs saw her at the heart of Paul Weller’s solo resurgence. Pippa offers a fascinating insight into the inner workings of one of the UK’s most beloved record labels, describing the family atmosphere that made theContinue reading “Pippa Hall – Press, Promotion, and Paul Weller: Go! Discs and beyond…”
Kathryn Williams talks Paul Weller collaborations and her new album, Mystery Park
Singer-songwriter Kathryn Williams returns to the podcast to talk about her brand-new album Mystery Park – a deeply personal and reflective record that includes a beautiful co-write with Paul Weller, ‘Gossamer Wings’. Kathryn shares the story of how the song came together, from her initial “cringe” moment of writing at Paul to their eventual collaboration,Continue reading “Kathryn Williams talks Paul Weller collaborations and her new album, Mystery Park”