Over the course of a career that extends back five decades, the songs of Paul Weller are woven into the tapestry of British music. His body of work stands comparison with formative heroes such as John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ray Davies – a canon that takes in a total of 28 studio albums. And while it’s tempting to dwell on past achievements – the Brit Awards, the Ivor Novellos and the number one albums (eight in total), Weller’s avowed credo leads him to view his creative past rather like a motorist might look in the rear-view mirror – foot on the pedal, in constant forward motion.

The thing that gets Paul Weller out of bed is the promise of what’s next, be it another electrifying live show tracing a line through the ever-changing moods of his canon or another day in his Black Barn studio. Every new song is a chisel-strike into a stone which will eventually sculpt a self-portrait. A self-portrait that will only be finished when he has written his final piece of music. And between this moment and that one, there’s everything to play for.