Paul Weller's music got more "indulgent" when he turned 50.
Paul Weller
The 'Changingman' hitmaker decided to be more experimental when he celebrated the milestone birthday in 2008 and he is pleased people liked the offerings on '22 Dreams', which inspired him to push himself further on subsequent records 'Wake Up the Nation', 'Sonik Kicks' and the forthcoming 'Saturn's Pattern'.
He said: "I purposefully set out to make the most indulgent record I possibly could. I thought, 'Well, if you get to 50 you can at least indulge yourself' so that was the basis of the record but as it turned out a lot of people liked it.
"You just can't ever tell, you know. I thought it might be the opposite - I thought people might find it self-indulgent, but it got a great reaction. I think that also the reaction to that encouraged me to go a bit further as well, sonically and in terms of writing and methods of working, in every way, keep changing it as much as you can."
The former Jam frontman - who has five grown-up children from previous relationships, as well as twins Bowie and John-Paul, three, with wife Hannah - gave up alcohol five years ago and admits sobriety has made a "massive difference" to both his personal and professional life.
He explained to the Yorkshire Evening Post newspaper: "I'm more sane and healthier but the major thing is...well, it's made a massive difference, really, because I'm just more present now. I'm more present whether it's at work or at home, my mind's clearer, it's as simple as that.
"I'd been at it a long time and it had got its claws in me so it was a good enough time to stop."
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