Julian Lennon Talks Art and New Music

Julian Lennon says photography "made me feel more free with any artistic project." Fifteen years after his last album and nearly 30 since his 1984 debut disc, John Lennon's older son spoke to Rolling Stone about his photos now being exhibited in L.A. and his latest album, Everything Changes.

He says he "got busy with other businesses and other projects, eventually photography. After a couple of years I started tickling the ivories again and bought myself a little computer setup and started, slowly but surely, putting ideas together. But it was only in the last five years that I locked down and got what I thought was pretty reasonable material."

Lennon admits he probably wasn't prepared for his first musical go-round. "To be hit with that kind of attention, it was very exciting, but also very scary. I know what that has done to people. There were a few occasions when I was physically afraid and very scared – even leaving hotels or gigs and your hair being ripped out and your clothes ripped off. Just insanity.

"I was very much a kid. That was all out of my control. There were labels, management involved, and there was little say. I was 20 years old – a young, ignorant 20 years old at that point. I was living in the countryside with my mum. I'd only seen London when I was 18."

Lennon has concentrated on photography the last 15 years -- and has done a lot of work with U2. He says, "It's only in the last few years that we've become closer and closer, which I feel honored – they are very special guys."