Chaotic but cool… LEAH WELLER tells Julia Llewellyn Smith what it’s like being part of Paul Weller’s extended clan – and how he changed her life with a heart-shaped guitar
Leah Weller: ‘Dad can be blunt with me. He wasn’t afraid to give constructive criticism, but he did it nicely’
Leah Weller laughs as she describes family gatherings with her seven siblings –aged between 33 and three – and all children of The Jam and Style Council legend Paul Weller.
‘It’s hard to get us all together, but when we do it’s just chaotic,’ she says. ‘We tried to go to a restaurant once and I thought, “Please! I’m nothing to do with these kids running around and things being smashed.”’
Share It’s never really a chore. I mean, it is work sometimes, you’ve got to get stuck in. But the older I get, the more I love it, and the more appreciative I am of it. When I was younger I was too arrogant or too angry or whatever.
But, despite his long and successful career, Weller admitted he still suffers from nerves before shows.
Future plans: The musician touched upon his pre-gig jitters and also shut down any fans hopes of a greatest hits tour (pictured in 1981)
His latest interview comes as he prepares for a new role of grandfather after it was revealed by Richard Eden that Weller s daughter, Leah, 29, is expecting her first child.
EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Paul Weller is to become a grandfather for the first time as daughter is pregnant dailymail.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailymail.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Central Federation League Despite some treacherous conditions, early exchanges were even, with both teams getting chances. Rangers finally broke through when player of the day Saskia Pelham split the defence to lay it on for Lilly Dowsing, who calmly lifted the ball over the keeper to make it 1-0. Shortly after, it was 2-0 when Holly Kleinsman got behind the Whanganui defence and calmly slotted in her eighth goal of the campaign. Wanganui kept pressing forward and were rewarded before half time with two well-taken goals through Jordan Kahl and Vanya Hodgkinson. At 2-2 at halftime NPR needed a similar start to the first half.
Sun 2 May 2021 03.00 EDT
In the kitchen of a recording studio, down a long lane, off a village high street, stands the wiry, wired figure of Paul Weller, looking at his shoes. Oxblood fringe-and-buckle loafers. He is explaining the subtle differences between this pair, and another pair he owned a few years ago.
âThis part here used to be a few millimetres deeper,â he says. âAnd the buckle was a tiny bit bigger.â
In an inconsistent world of ever-changing rules, Weller is a constant. He is, and has always been, about music, and clothes, and details. By his taste shall ye know him (heâs also wearing old Prada trousers, and a jumper he designed himself for Ivy League outfitters John Simons)⦠alongside a just-under-the-surface anger, a time-is-ticking impatience, a suspicion of the elite. Though heâs not cross all the time, by any means.