.:Paul Answers Your Questions:. Page 3..

Paul what was your highest point during your time with mansun and this doesn't include drug related high's

Yes, but not all the drums, my drumming can be good enough at times, but my kick drums always all over the place, so although ill play most things and produce, ill have the extra bits and bobs of guests on the album. Keep up with my blog to see who's been down the studio!

*long drawn out questions alert*
 what enables you to keep being able to write and produce and continue to be creative? I mean, sometimes, don't you think, "Oh bugger it, I can't be bothered"? It's obviously something you enjoy doing but how do you get through creative blocks or if the workload is low? What is it that keeps you going and finding inspiration? Is it pure love for the "job" as it were or something else?
 sorry, sorta a million questions in one....*

I cant be creative all the time, I've dried up, burned out, fucked up and all the other clichés, but i keep coming back to it, i don't know why, i've just always wrote songs. In terms of the production side, I've always had equipment around and built studio setups here and there, its always been a hobby i guess, where as song writing has been a passion, so i sort of learned over the years how to put records together, now I'm working on my own the songs should benefit from having a clear vision without being tripped up in the studio.

How's the voice these days?

A bit huskier, but once the cobwebs are off I'm sure it'll cut the mustard, if you like that sort of thing.

.....and how do you feel about performing live again after such a long gap? We can't wait!

I refer the right honourable gentleman to the answer I gave some moments ago.

Hindsight is always 20/20 - But given the chance, if there was one thing about the path you have taken that you would change - what would that be and why?

I think you have no control over your destiny, otherwise you could make decisions on the flip of a coin. I've been very loyal to people I shouldn't have over the years, but what goes around comes around and you'll always end up on the path you were meant to be on, my path is writing songs, so no matter what shit gets thrown, that can be regurgitated into a song as far as I'm concerned, so everything, good and bad is an experience to use as a positive outcome.
 

In the era of Pop Idol and X Factor I really believe that Mansun left behind a rich legacy musically... and that there are plenty of people discovering the group even now who appreciate what you all did enormously.  Do you foresee a time when you can look back on your accomplishments within the framework that was Mansun and see the the value of your undeniable talent and creativity during that time of your life?

Thanks for making it sound so grand but as far as I'm concerned, its a closed box, ill think about mansun in the future, I haven't heard anyone mention them for ages anyway.

I can understand that yes, in one sense you have closed a door, but having read a number of interviews after the split - it seems that you in a way want to belittle what you did with the other guys... and what you were as a collective.

I was negative about the band after the split coz nobody was really interested in finishing the fourth album so it just petered out and Chad didn't want to be in a band anymore, so neither did I, these days I'm broadly neutral about the subject.

Are time and distance proving to be beneficial in moving on? ... it would seem that way given your solo project and the work with Skin...

Well each project is different so you focus your creative energy on one album, then the next and so on, the fact that one album was Mansun then one a solo album means very little, its still me writing and producing, the format of how it comes out isn't that important in the big picture.

What were your Favourite and worst venues that you played ,And also musically what would be your ultimate goal for the future?

I loved Brixton Academy, Glasgow Barrowlands and venues in other countries that I cant even remember the name of!

Ohhh yeah and is there any chance of getting a copy of klepto or even the best of album when its released signed by You ,Chad , Andie n Stove?

I highly doubt it!

Ohh yeah n whats your favourite ice cream

Cheshire.

Oops, I should ask a question - daddy or chips?

I don't understand that question, sorry.
 

Where/how do you write best
 

It always has to be different places and situations to keep me stimulated, so i travel around on busman's holidays a lot.

What comes first, the words or a tune

Tune mainly, but sometimes a title. I usually flesh out gibberish words when I'm writing music.

What marks your innovations

 I don't understand that question, sorry.
 

on television, were there intentional references to ocd or similar? or am i just delusional!

No it's me that's delusional, haven't you heard? I don't know what international references means, but i do go on about ocd in that song coz its a pain in the fucking arse living with it, its got some connection to writing or trying to be 'creative' in general. I can't write if I've got things to do, or mundane things to think about.

Now the band is no more, you can spill the beans, so...How many times was Chad late for soundcheck/press duties/rehersals?

Chad was always late for everything, even fire alarms in hotels.
 

How many times did Stove play the wrong chords being too busy chattin up fans in the frontrow?

I was embarrassed at how bad he was on the bass, but the others in the band supported him, so i had to go along with it.

Now many times did Andie say to you all "F**k off, you lot can't play a f**kin note, I'm leaving!"

Never to my face, but possibly to others, i don't know really.
 

How many times were you on the verge of leaving an interview/kickin a journo up his arse...

Every time i did an interview, i turned down almost every interview offered coz of various reasons.
 

Which was the worst venue you played?

Glastonbury

Which was the worst band you toured with?

The Seahorses
 

Which... of these questions is the most annoyin/stupid?

None are particularly offensive.

And would you like to come to mine for New Year's Eve? italian=genetically a great cook!!!

Possibly next new years eve.
 

Any chance of some NativeAmerican rhythms/influences in your work at some point? And no I don't mean passing the ole Peace Pipe neither...

Well, I do have a native american friend, and we do smoke grass together but i don't know much native american music but i'd like to know more.
 

A very touchy subject Paul and probably old hat too - so no surprise if you don't want to go there... But I said in the thread about Little Kix that I have always felt that Mansun not having support from the press, esp when LK came out - pushed along the inevitability of a parting of the ways of the band.

Probably very true, the music press never supported Mansun so it will always end if they don't support you.
 

The fact that the fan support was (and is) still there couldn't counteract a lack of support within the music industry itself - and the music press is an important part of that machine whether we like it or not.

True again, but i really don't give a shit, i make music for me, and if people like it, cool, if not, go and buy someone else's.
 

Some deep questions for Paul:
 1. How tall are you? (in cm please, if you know)
 

Don't know in cm, about 5 foot 8 or 9 in roman i think, essentially a short arse.

Q&A Continued