Paul Weller: “I’m not a heritage act”
While Paul Weller has released classics both with The Jam and in his solo career, he claims to have no desire to remain a heritage act for the rest of his days.
Outside of his work with the punk outfit, ‘The Modfather’ claims that he wants to continue pushing his music forward in whatever way that he can. Despite performing various favourites, Weller has stated that he is more content to follow his muse than rely on his legacy.
When discussing his career, Weller told Desperately Seeking Paul, “A few years ago, there was a thing where they were talking about heritage acts. I am not going down that road, mate – I’m not a heritage act. I had to fight that term, my own little fight in a sense to get through all that stuff”.
By following his muse, Weller also admitted that he may have lost some fans along the way, most notably in the first era of his solo career when he washed his hands of The Jam. While many fans of The Jam would later flock to Weller’s former bandmate Bruce Foxton, the frontman is proud to keep innovating his sound.
Even with the twists and turns, Weller is proud of his legacy as an artist who pushes himself, explaining, “It’s been worth it because I’ve proved myself right. If you just plough through that and follow your programme and what you think it should be, eventually you will get there”.
Weller has also made it a habit of working with other musicians to keep pushing himself forward. By the time he reached the 1990s, Weller would lend his skills to tracks by Oasis while working on his own solo albums like Stanley Road.
Weller’s willingness to follow his muse has only continued into 2024, where he is set to embark on a massive UK tour starting in April.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.