John Lewis – Arts critic, Journalist, Editor and Musician

In this conversation for my book, John Lewis – respected music journalist and critic – shares a fan’s journey that became a professional one. He recalls being a teenager during The Jam’s “imperial phase,” with a mod next-door neighbour and a copy of Snap! on repeat, and traces his path to writing in-depth features, retrospectives, and Q&As for Uncut, Time Out, the Metro, and more. Over the years, John has interviewed Paul Weller around a dozen times since 2004, capturing candid reflections on everything from The Jam’s final days to Weller’s experiments with new sounds on 22 Dreams, Sonik Kicks, and beyond.

John reflects on discovering Weller through The Jam, obsessing over their singles and the perfect structure of his songs – even learning Style Council piano parts by ear as a young musician. Intrigued by Weller’s restless musicality, John relished the post-punk openness of The Gift, appreciated the “anything goes” experiments of The Style Council, and followed Weller’s embrace of collaboration and genre-hopping in his later solo work. With journalist’s curiosity and musician’s insight, John discusses the ways Weller kept pushing forward, never content to repeat himself—even at the risk of dividing fans or critics.

Through stories of multiple interviews – some warm, some combative – John provides fascinating context on Weller’s relationship with the press, his creative process, and his unending curiosity for music old and new. He recounts how Weller keeps up with fresh bands, still revels in songwriting craft, and always stands at a unique intersection between relentless reinvention and moments of nostalgia. John also shares what it’s like to talk music, politics, and personal rituals with a famously sharp interviewee, one capable of both skepticism and generous candor.

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A Fan’s Evolution: Growing up on The Jam, deep-diving into The Style Council, and learning to appreciate Weller’s solo experiments.

Songwriting and Musicianship: Weller as one of Britain’s great modern songwriters – the “tin pan alley” craft and clarity of his verse, chorus, and arrangement.

Transitions and Experimentation: Why the late-era Jam, all of The Style Council, and much of Weller’s solo career are about musical risk, artistic collaboration, and not being afraid to lose fans.

The Press and Public Persona: Weller’s fluctuating relationship with critics – sometimes combative, sometimes open – and the way music journalism has changed since the 1980s.

Curiosity and Influence: Weller’s devotion to discovering new music, regardless of hipness or genre, and a willingness to reference anything from classic soul to contemporary jazz or global pop.

Truth, Memory, and Myth: How memories, interviews, and stories evolve – and why context, contradiction, and multiple perspectives matter when telling a musical life story.

Medley of Jam songs for solo piano

Dancing Through the Fire

John Lewis is one of over 250 contributors to my Sunday Times Bestselling book, Paul Weller: Dancing Through the Fire, which is available now.
Click on the image below to grab your copy…