Paul Weller started improvising in the studio because it got ”a bit boring” writing songs in a normal way.
The ‘That Dangerous Age’ hitmaker has moved from traditional songwriting to working from instinct on his last two studio albums, ‘Wake Up the Nation’ and ‘Sonik Kicks’, prompted by a desire to try something new.
He said: ”It’s just trying to find a different method of writing because it just gets a bit boring after thirty years or whatever it’s been.
”I’ve always previously written in a traditional way, at home on a guitar or piano or whatever it may be and write it pretty much from top to bottom.
”But the last two records I haven’t written like that at all, I haven’t had anything written beforehand; maybe a few scraps of lyrics here and there, but I’ve just gone in and just kind of made it up spontaneously really, and started off with a very rough backing-track or just a little rough idea.
”It could be a little mood piece, it could be whatever rhythm, whatever it might be, and just extend extemporise on that, and then just build the track up as we went along.”
Paul, 53, added while he is experimenting with his sound, he’s not likely to make any drastic changes, such as embracing hip hop.
He told the UK’s Absolute Radio: ”It’s nice to think that my music’s still relevant, but not to the extent where I’d go chasing the latest hot-shot re-mixer or producer or making a hip-hop record or something.
”I think essentially I do what I want to do and have to hope that it goes with the times or it doesn’t.”
‘Sonik Kicks’ is out now. To hear Paul Weller’s full interview, tune into Absolute Radio on Sunday, March 25 at 7pm.