London, Dec 24 (IANS): The Beatles star Paul McCartney has released a new solo album, and he says making it during lockdown saved him.

"It was really good to be able to play music, and make up music, and put your thoughts and your fears and your hopes and your love into the music. It kind of saved me, I must say, for about the three or four months it took to make it," McCartney said during an appearance on a show, reports contactmusic.com.

He had previously revealed he is keen to have the Covid vaccine. "I know we'll come 'through this. It is great news about the vaccine. I'll have it as soon as I'm allowed. I'm a grandad and you don't want grandad to collapse. You've got to stay strong, that's all you can do, or you go under," the 78-year-old musician had said.

McCartney spent much of lockdown in the UK with his daughter Mary and her family.

"A lot of friends were saying, 'Wow, I've never spent so much time with my wife!' And it was great because I got to spend time with my daughter Mary and her family. So that meant I had four of my grandkids together, which was really nice. Great family, very loving and we're in the countryside so, if we went out to get a breath of fresh air, we didn't meet anyone. I was a little worried about telling anyone I was having a good time because I knew so many people weren't but most people I talked to said, 'Oh yeah, there's a silver lining'," he added.