Paul McCartney gets through his divorce from Heather Mills with help from friends, music & family

Paul McCartney is getting through his divorce from Heather Mills with a little help from friends - music and his family.

"I just try to keep my head down and get on with my music," the singer says.

"That's the great thing, the great healer.

"I love music, always have, always will and I've got a beautiful family and my daughter,  Stella, she's about to have a baby.

"A lot of things are happening. The difficulties are exactly that. I prefer not to get into them."

McCartney, 65, made his comments to the Chicago Tribune during a candid interview about his life, career and the media.

The ex-Beatle, who is promoting his latest album Memory Almost Full, said that his tour plans are dependant on his "personal circumstances."

Asked if he is going to tour with his current band, he says: "I'm hoping to, yeah. My personal circumstances are sort of dictating that element of what I do.

"I don't want to talk about my divorce, but it has a bearing on things like that. I'd particularly like to go to the States next year."

McCartney's love life has been the subject of recent press reports and he is allegedly dating Hollywood actress Rosanna Arquette, 48.

But the father of five says he doesn't relish the media attention.

He told the Chicago Tribune he believes the press fascination with celebrity has got worse since his days with the Beatles. "Yeah, it's changed; particularly the British media is very, very different from how it used to be."

He adds: "It's merciless now. It's not wonderful to go through this but it's a moneymaker for someone.

"At the same time, it's lowered people's standards about what matters."

McCartney is clear about the two things that matter most to him. His children - including Beatrice the one he shares with Heather Mills - are.

He says the little girl is shocked when she looks at old photos of her father from his time in the Beatles in the Sixties to the present day. "It's kind of spooky," McCartney says. "My four-year-old puts it best.

"She sees old pictures of me, let's say in the Beatles, and she'll say: 'That's Daddy when he was different'.

"I love that. It's a great way of looking at it. And I suppose that's how I feel looking at those shows [on my new DVD]."

McCartney says music is also his comforter. Speaking of his new album he says: "I know with me if I'm going through difficulties, sometimes the songs can sometimes be even more optimistic, because I'm trying to get out of where I'm at.

"I'm trying to create an antidote. The fact is, music is a great help and I'm blessed I have it in my life, because I don't know what I'd do without it."