Paul Weller Fan Podcast

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 Soho Market stall.We explore the lost world of seven-inch singles, the importance of B-sides, and how that deep, physical relationship with records helped shape Paul Weller’s musical values from the very beginning.Roger also shares first-hand memories of the Jam’s formative period, including the legendary Soho Market performance powered off a lightbulb, near-misses around signing the band, and how Polydor ultimately swooped in.Along the way, he reflects on the explosion of punk, pub rock’s role as a bridge, encounters with Joe Strummer, and why seeing bands before fame mattered most. A lovely chat about records, scenes, and shared memory - and a reminder that the core of Paul Weller’s musical DNA was set long before the charts ever noticed.

A journalist since 1988, Keith Cameron is currently a contributing editor at MOJO, with a career that’s taken him from Sounds and NME to bylines in the Guardian, The Times, Kerrang! and Q. In this episode, Keith talks about discovering The Jam in the punk era, growing up in the Highlands, and the lengths he went to just to get to gigs - finally seeing The Style Council at university. He gives an honest glimpse into interviewing Paul Weller, from nerve-racking moments on tour buses to frank discussions about Heavy Soul, along with stories of superfans, music press dramas, and the behind-the-scenes world of MOJO. Keith also reflects on the changing landscape of music journalism, why our adolescent music memories stick with us, and what makes Paul Weller’s creative drive so enduring.

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 as a podcast episode. What better timing than the release week for the new Café Bleu Deluxe Edition boxset!From her early breakthrough as a backing singer with Wham! to Paul Weller inviting her to Solid Bond Studios, Dee recalls how she became part of a new band without fully realising the shadow The Jam cast - and how quickly she found her place at the heart of it.She reflects on life inside The Style Council: the collaborative atmosphere at Solid Bond, the camaraderie and chaos of touring, muddy misadventures at Glastonbury, nerves at Live Aid, and the confidence she developed performing her own material alongside the band.She also speaks candidly about creativity, motherhood, stepping away from the spotlight, and finding her way back to music on her own terms. 

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 deep into the making of Our Favourite Shop, The Cost of Loving and Confessions of a Pop Group - including strings, horns, live performances and studio experiments.Along the way, John reflects on his jazz roots, his unlikely journey into arranging, and a parallel career creating some of British television’s most memorable theme tunes. He also offers a warm, revealing portrait of Paul Weller as a collaborator - meticulous, open-eared, and deeply committed to the music - and explains why, decades on, The Style Council’s boldest work is finally getting its due.

My guest on this episode is Jon 'Mojo' Mills - founder and editor-in-chief of Shindig! magazine, lifelong mod, and someone whose life has been shaped, in very real ways, by the music of Paul Weller.Jon discovered The Jam at the age of ten, too young to see them live but old enough for the music, the look, and the ethos to completely take hold. From The Jam to The Style Council, through the solo years, right up to the present day, Paul’s work has been a constant presence in Jon’s life - not just as a fan, but eventually as a journalist, collaborator, and trusted voice within Weller’s world.In this conversation, originally recorded for my book, we talk about childhood fandom, mod identity, tribalism, music discovery, and what it’s like when your teenage hero becomes someone you share playlists, texts, and cups of tea with...

On this episode, I’m joined by the visionary Belfast musician, composer, producer, and DJ, David Holmes. From soundtracking iconic films to collaborating with giants of UK music, David’s career is one of creative restlessness and fearless activism... The biggest surprise is that it's taken this long for him to collaborate with Paul Weller!We’ll dive into his formative years discovering Paul Weller through the music of The Jam, his journey through club culture, and how those bonds came full circle - culminating in a collaboration with Paul Weller on the song 'Resistance in the Dark' and the creation of The Five Techniques collective, a movement rooted in humanity and protest. Together we explore the intertwining of music and activism, Paul Weller’s legacy of speaking truth to power, and why artists can’t afford to stay silent in the face of global injustice. A candid, passionate conversation on what happens when creativity meets conscience, and the ongoing power of resistance in both art and life.