Former radio presenter Dan Jennings embarked on a journey that started during lockdown to finally achieve his dream of interviewing the Modfather himself, Paul Weller. After 180 episodes of his podcast ‘Desperately Seeking Paul‘, Dan continued his journey with further episodes as ‘The Paul Weller Fan Podcast’ before publishing his Sunday Times bestselling book ‘Paul Weller: Dancing Through the Fire: The Authorised Oral History’.

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What has the reception been like for the podcast, now heading into its sixth year?

Dan: Being honest, I never had any expectation it would find an audience in the way that it has. It really started off as a fun hobby that I created during lockdown and a personal project for me. It’s a little tongue in cheek because yes I created the podcast to try and interview Paul Weller and really most podcasts fizzle out after 20 episodes but it exploded from day one really. When I go to gigs now, people will come up to me to talk about how much they love the podcast which is nuts. I could never foresee that. I went into it in a very naive way where I’d interview people and just enjoy that process.

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Are there any particular guests that stand out to you from the podcast?

Dan: It’s nice to get some big names, don’t get me wrong. As much as I loved interviewing people like Noel Gallagher, Jonathan Ross and Tim Burgess, it gave it a real buzz because those kinds of names wouldn’t normally go on any old podcast. The ones I really loved interviewing were people who had stories to uncover and hadn’t told anyone before like Kenny Wheeler who was The Jam’s, Style Council and Paul Weller’s tour manager for a long time. I got to go to his home and spend a few hours chatting with him, it was a real privilege and honour to hear those stories. The other ones I really liked were people who had a slight connection but also deep diving into their own stories and lives too. As much as it is nice to talk about Paul Weller, here is Hannah Peel who is doing amazing work creating soundtracks for big movies and TV shows. 

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The podcast has since turned into a book titled ‘Paul Weller: Dancing Through the Fire: The Authorised Oral History’. What has the reception been like from the announcement to its release?

Dan: The reaction to that has been nuts as well. Early on, I jokingly talked about the book of the podcast with some mock ups of visuals but I didn’t know what that would be really. I thought maybe we’d release the transcripts of the episodes for people to read through but ultimately it became Paul’s biography, which was his idea. Seeing the book come together and 18 months of graft to turn it into an actual thing, it becoming a Sunday Times bestseller and in many lists of the best books of the year towards the end of 2025 was a remarkable feeling.

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How did it feel to see the final product in front of you?

Dan: That was mad. There were two key stages to it. I sent off the drafts and after speaking with the editor, I was sent a jiffy bag with a massive pile of pages and even though it wasn’t in a book form, it was still huge. I was then sent a bunch of sheets to sign for the book and this is where it began to feel real. Then the day finally arrived where I received a massive package with a load of books in it and it was weird. It was like an out-of-body experience, this has got my name on it, I love the cover artwork, it just didn’t feel real. My kids were so sweet with their reaction, my wife and I popped open some champagne to celebrate. It was amazing and really incredible. 

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What feedback did you get from the guests who feature in the book also?

Dan: We sent a copy of the book to everybody who was involved. The reaction was incredible. Of course, I asked for permission from those who featured on the podcast if we could feature them in the book. I think they thought it would just be transcripts. My Mum definitely did. She thought I was just printing it out at home and sending it to people, but it didn’t click that it was going to be an actual book and sold out in bookshops. So when they actually saw the final product, there was definitely some positive reaction but also an appreciation of how much work went into it. An amazing reaction from everyone, Paul’s camp, Mr Weller. Really lovely.

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Having met and spoken with Paul Weller, an artist you have idolised for years, has it sunk in that you have not only met him, but also worked together to create the book?

Dan: I’ve tried not to put him on a pedestal like you would a mega star such as Madonna or Prince. All the conversations that I had leading up to the Paul Weller interview, it felt like I had really done my prep across 179 interviews. He was so down to earth, which I knew anyway. He’s cool with fans, he’s not off limits and ultimately that is what I was… a fan. He was completely disarming and gave me a big bear hug when we met. When I’ve bumped into him since, at events, it’s been really nice. He did an acoustic gig in Liverpool a couple of years ago and he sent somebody to come out and grab me to hang out backstage. We just chatted like you would with a mate. I don’t think every artist is like that.

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After completing the original goal of interviewing Paul Weller, you have since continued the podcast with further guests. Is there an end goal?

Dan: I did a load of extra interviews for the book, with people I didn’t manage to catch in the original run of 180. So overtime I’ve been releasing those as the current series, but I do think there is an end. The paperback version comes out in the summer, Paul is really quiet at the moment. There is a natural end which I’ve got in mind for this summer, I kind of know where that story will take us. Paul may release a new album within the next five years, who knows. He doesn’t seem to be in any rush at the moment so we may do the odd special. There are other things I want to go off and do, it’s definitely time consuming – the research, the interviews, the editing and the promotion. I also have a young family. But for the podcast… I can see an end in sight and a nice finale.

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Is there a particular moment outside of the podcast and book that stands out to you on a personal level in Paul Weller’s career?

Dan: I loved when I discovered him. Early ‘90s. It was a perfect time for me when I was 16 going on 17, I had a bit of my own money so I was able to go to gigs and he was back and firing at that point. Those first few albums leading into ‘Stanley Road’ in the 90’s was such an amazing time. There was a time though during the Island Records trilogy from ‘22 Dreams’ to ‘Wake Up the Nation’ into ‘Sonik Kicks’. I had moved to London, I was going to a lot of gigs and I bumped into him in a Sainsbury’s car park in Cobham. My first meeting with him and all I could say was ‘big fan, big fan!’ It was another really exciting time for his music then. I went to the Royal Albert Hall five nights in a row and was right at the front each night. It was just a brilliant time. The albums are so surprising and different from each other.

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For those who have been with you on this journey, from guests, to fans and family, what message do you have for them?

Dan: Thank you. Literally when lockdown happened, I kicked my youngest out of his bedroom and turned it into a home office and studio. It was a daft little thing to do … these little chats during my lunchtimes about things to do with Paul. It quickly blew out of control and into something that I could never have imagined and that comes down to the people who embraced it. Paul wouldn’t have done it if people weren’t telling him about it and asking him when he would be coming on. You never know when you put something out into the world how people will engage with the content and the fact that they did has meant the world to me. My kids have gone through this journey with me and it’s something we’ll talk about for the rest of our lives. I am really grateful for everyone who went out and bought the book. It’s really lovely to see the success of that. It’s ultimately down to the fans, Paul has an amazing network of fans and you don’t get that with many artists so it’s been a real honour and privilege.

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All episodes of ‘Desperately Seeking Paul‘ and ‘The Paul Weller Fan Podcast‘ can be found HERE.

The Sunday Times bestseller ‘Paul Weller: Dancing Through the Fire: The Authorised Oral History’ can be purchased via all major book retailers.