Paul Weller Does The Media Rounds Upon The UK Release Of His New Album

Since Paul Weller’s latest album, 22 Dreams, was released in the UK yesterday (it will be released on CD in America next month, though it is now available for download on iTunes US), The Modfather busied himself this week doing interviews with the UK music press to promote the album’s release.

Weller spoke extensively to BBC 6 Music on several subjects. On the issue of free music downloads, Weller told 6 Music:

“I’d like to charge people double the price for my record if I could. But I don’t know if I’ll get away with it. I don’t see all this giving music away for nothing, I’m not having it. It lessens the art and cheapens the art. 

“I don’t agree with it (download giveaways). I think why shouldn’t an artist be paid for what they’re doing? It’s not for free.”

Weller also told 6 Music about his displeasure with the reunion of his former bandmates in The Jam, Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton, in the new group From The Jam:

“I’m not mad about the idea. I think it’s a bit cabaret. I thought we were against all that, what we stood for. I can see that people are trying to make a buck or make a living, but there’s other ways of doing it, I think.”

The full article from the BBC 6 Music Web site is at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/news/20080601_weller.shtml.

Weller also sat for a video interview with Julie Cullen of BBC 6 Music’s The Music Week program. To watch that interview. click below:

 

Weller sat for another video interview this week for XFM London. The XFM London interview is in five parts, and each part can be viewed individually on each weekday this week. Yesterday, Part 1 was available, today Part 2 is on the site, and Parts 3, 4, and 5 will be up on the site tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday, respectively. To watch the XFM London video interviews with Paul Weller, go to http://www.xfm.co.uk/ and look for the clickable link to the videos.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 4th, Weller will be interviewed on the nationwide UK radio station Virgin Radio. That interview will take place at 4 p.m. Eastern time (9 p.m. BST) and can be heard by going to http://www.virginradio.co.uk and clicking the “LISTEN LIVE” button at the appropriate time.

If that isn’t enough Weller for you, he was also interviewed yesterday by the DJ Gary Crowley of BBC London. The airdate of that interview has not been made public yet, but should be sometime in the near future. Check http://www.bbc.co.uk/london for updates.