Paul Weller

Paul Weller

Paul Weller is an English singer-songwriter and musician from Sheerwater, United Kingdom, born in 1958. He is associated with rock, alternative rock, britpop, indie rock and pop rock, and is known for work that also sits within the singer-songwriter tradition. He records for labels including Parlophone, Polydor, Go! Discs, Independiente, Island and V2.

Career

Weller leads two of the best-known bands in his career, The Jam and The Style Council. He also appears with Changing Man, The Paul Weller Movement, Indian Vibes and The Scala Band. As a bandleader, he is linked with a sequence of groups that reflect changes in his writing and musical interests over time.

With The Jam, he helps define the mod revival and becomes a major figure in British rock. The band is widely influential among later English guitar groups. During the later period of The Jam, his interest in Motown and soul leads him towards a different sound, and in 1983 he forms The Style Council. That group moves through sophisti-pop and later draws on jazz-pop and house music.

Solo work

As a solo artist, Weller returns to soul as an influence and combines it with a more organic, roots-based approach. His solo records regain him a strong audience in Britain after the end of The Style Council. He is also noted for remaining active and relevant across several decades of his career.

Style and significance

Weller's songwriting is closely tied to English culture, which makes him a distinctly British artist. He is seen as a national figure in England rather than as a major international star. His work is often discussed in relation to mod, punk-era British rock and the wider development of britpop and indie rock.