John Mayer

John Mayer Proud Of 'Giant Evolutionary Steps' On Born And Raised

17 May 2012 11:08:58 EDT

At intimate New York listening party, singer says new album 'widened the expectations of what I can do.'
By Jocelyn Vena

NEW YORK — Fans and industry folks gathered at the famed Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village on Wednesday night to get an advanced listen to John Mayer's new album, the country-fried, introspective Born and Raised.

Before the album even played, Neil Young songs blasted through the hallowed halls of the studio. Given Mayer's vibe on Born and Raised, which pays homage to the Young sound of the 1970s, it all made sense. When Mayer's album was eventually put on, it was an easy transition from Young's jangly guitar and harmonica to Mayer's own on the album, out Tuesday.

The album was recorded at Electric Lady Studios, and the Big Apple is referenced on some tracks, as on many Mayer songs before. "Records are pure reflections," Mayer told the room. "I'm so proud it's out. The finish line is so far off [when you're making the record]."

In recent years, Mayer has been through it all. After going TMI crazy in the press in 2010, he has shied away from media attention. Some of that had to do with the fact that he had surgery on his vocal cords in late 2011. In fact, he still needs to go through another surgery to correct the problem. But he said he plans to record a new album this summer, regardless.

"If you're lucky, you get to make giant evolutionary steps from your first record, so I was able to do that. And you guys, I think, you're able to come along with that step and be psyched about that evolution and I'm excited to even go further now and start coming up with melodies you haven't heard yet," he said, referencing his "Your Body Is a Wonderland" days on his 2001 debut, Room for Squares. During the chat he explained that every song on this album is his favorite, for perhaps the first time in his career, adding that they "widened the expectations of what I can do."

Additionally, after having to cancel his 2012 spring trek, Mayer confirmed he want to hit the road in spring 2013 "and have two records to pull from. ... I think I can cheat time a little bit because as you know, I try to cheat time all the time. So I think we can all catch up so that a year from now there's two records. It'll be like Born and Raised part two because there's certain things I want to keep doing."

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John Mayer Puts His 'Idiot' Days Behind

15 May 2012 11:22:07 EDT

Singer sits down for a now-rare interview on 'Ellen' before release of his upcoming album Born and Raised.
By Jocelyn Vena

John Mayer really is putting his "Shadow Days" behind him. After being a bit too candid in interviews back in 2010, where he frequently talked about his sex life and exes, Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Simpson, the singer decided he needed to step back from the spotlight.

With a week until he drops his new album, Born and Raised, the singer/songwriter sat with Ellen DeGeneres for a now-rare interview airing Tuesday.

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"It was a very strange time and it sort of rocketed me into adulthood. It was a violent crash into being an adult," Mayer told DeGeneres of his "TMI" era, per Usmagazine.com. "For a couple of years, it was just figuring it all out, and I'm glad I actually stayed out of the spotlight. Because I think back then I would've said, 'Give me two weeks or let me get out and do 'Ellen' and let me explain myself.' It was like, 'No, idiot. Go away and be 33 and 34 instead of 28 for the fourth year.' "

He added that he needed a break from the publicity and "had to go home for a minute... I just sort of lost my head for a little while."

With a new album on the horizon, Mayer is also dealing with some lingering vocal-cord issues, which caused him to cancel his spring tour and scale back on album promotion.

"They cut this thing out of your throat and then they inject your vocal cords with Botox, which freezes your vocal cords so that this thing can heal without smacking up against the other side. I just need more Botox next time," he explained. "It's not a health concern whatsoever, but it has taken me out of singing. I tried to beat it the first time and couldn't."

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John Mayer Leaves 'Shadow Days' Behind In New Video

27 Apr 2012 15:08:46 EDT

Mayer road-trips through America in his Born and Raised clip.
By Jocelyn Vena

In his new "Shadow Days" music video, John Mayer is leaving behind the bright lights and hustle and bustle of the big city for something simpler.

The video is a road trip, with Mayer dressed up as a cowboy, making his way across the heartland of our great country to just chill out and let it all go. It's a completely uncomplicated premise. Mayer treks through snowy landscapes, small-town motels, deserts and mountains to just find himself and, as the song addresses, let his past go.

He leads an unfussy life in the clip, as he travels from place to place, buying guitars, eating greasy food in diners and rocking a cowboy hat with the sort of sincerity only a few guitar-slinging pop stars can pull off.

Not much happens in the clip, but that's kind of the idea. The story is nothing more than Mayer driving across America. But the sun-drenched message, perhaps, is that Mayer is looking to something simpler these days, given how his personal life has had some turmoil. For a man who has a reputation for breaking starlets' hearts and has battled vocal-cord issues, Mayer seems to want to change his story and redirect the conversation back to his music.

While the video opened with shots of a cityscape in all its artificial glow, it closes on a denim-clad Mayer, walking alone near the side of an abandoned road with just the sun to keep him company.

"Shadow Days" is the lead single from his next album, Born and Raised, due May 22. He had planned to tour in support of the album this spring but had to cancel after he learned he was still battling a granuloma growth on his vocal cords. This video might be the closest things fans will get to a Born and Raised Tour.

What do you think of John's latest video? Share your reviews in the comments!

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John Mayer Cancels Tour

09 Mar 2012 14:05:46 EST

Vocal issues are to blame, but singer/songwriter still plans to release his Born and Raised album on May 22.
By Jocelyn Vena

John Mayer's road to recovery has hit a snag. Just weeks after revealing his dates for a spring tour, the singer announced Friday (March 9) that he'd no longer be able to hit the road due to a new spate of vocal problems.

"During rehearsal on Tuesday, it came to mind that I should see my throat doctor because something didn't feel/sound right. I went in for a visit on Wednesday and a scope of my vocal cords revealed that the granuloma has grown back where it had mostly healed. This is bad news," he wrote on his Tumblr. "Because of this, I have no choice but to take an indefinite break from live performing. Though there will be a day when all of this will be behind me, it will sideline me for a longer period of time than I care to have you count down."

He then went on to describe what the condition is, writing, "A granuloma forms and continues to snowball because it's in a spot where the vocal cords hit together and there's no way to really give it a chance to heal without a good stretch of time and some pretty intensive treatment. In short, it's one giant pain in the ass."

For now, he says his album, Born and Raised, is still slated to be released May 22. Earlier this month he released his first single, "Shadow Days."

"I'm pretty emotionally burnt out at the moment, but please know how hard I tried to resolve this and how disappointed I am that I can't perform this record yet. I'm completely bummed, especially for all of you who started making plans to see a show. Nothing feels worse than having to break the stage down before the performance, and I mean nothing," he wrote. "I love this band you were going to hear, I love the guys and girls I work with, and the only thing that stops me from devolving into a puddle of tears is knowing that it's a long life, and the greatest gift in the world is being able to create music no matter what the circumstances. So these are the new circumstances, and I'll find a way to make it mean something. That's all you can ever do."

In the post, he also revealed that while Born and Raised has yet to drop, he feels inspired to start work on his next album — but only after he seeks treatment for his vocal condition. "I'm going to begin writing the next album very soon," he wrote. "I feel really vibrant as a writer at the moment and there's no reason not to begin the next album project in the time I would have been touring. Somewhere in all of this is another surgery and a very long chemically-imposed period of silence, so I hope you'll understand that I have to really pick that date carefully."

Share your well-wishes for John's vocal recovery in the comments below.

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John Mayer Announces Spring Tour

27 Feb 2012 15:38:32 EST

His new album, Born and Raised, is also slated for the spring.
By Jocelyn Vena

John Mayer announced he needed vocal surgery last fall, and now he's back and ready to hit the road.

On Monday (February 27), the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter announced plans for a spring tour, his first outing in nearly two years. The 18-date trek will kick off April 9 in Bloomington, Indiana, before wrapping up May 6 in Phoenix. The tour will be in support of his forthcoming new album, Born and Raised, which will be released sometime around the outing. The album's lead single, "Shadow Days," hits radio Monday.

The tour will help raise funds and awareness for the Northern California Institute of Research and Education, which "provides veterans with a healthy reintegration into civilian life." Mayer will auction off tickets to the shows to help raise money for the organization.

Born and Raised will feature production from Don Was, and Mayer will get some vocal and instrumental help from singers David Crosby and Graham Nash, keyboardist/pianist Chuck Leavell, bassist Sean Hurley and drummer Aaron Sterling. On tour, Mayer will be joined by guitarist and vocalist David Ryan Harris, guitarist Doug Pettibone and percussionist Michito Sanchez.

Previously, Mayer described the album as having "organic cowboy guitar sounds," adding that he had this very romantic thought when it came to the album's vibe: "What would it sound like if I wrote an album of cowboy songs on this guitar under the stars?"

"Every new record I start, a new aesthetic comes in. I can't help it," he said about the project. "I think it's gonna be more organic, more natural lyrics and chords and artful simplicity."

Will you check out John Mayer on tour? Let us know in the comments!

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John Mayer Undergoes Throat Surgery

24 Oct 2011 08:52:46 EDT

Grammy winner announces granuloma diagnosis after series of concert cancellations
By Gil Kaufman

Singer/guitarist John Mayer has enjoyed a long, Grammy-filled career thanks to his bluesy rasp. But after canceling a series of recent performances to rest his voice, Mayer announced that he had gone under the knife to correct a throat problem that had laid him low.

Mayer was diagnosed with granuloma (throat inflammation) just above his vocal cord last month and has been ordered to take complete vocal rest for at least a month after the surgery.

"I wanted to give you an update on the granuloma just above my vocal cord," Mayer wrote on his Tumblr. "I had surgery this afternoon to remove it and am now on complete vocal rest for a month or more. It's been a very long process in waiting to see if time was an alternative to surgery, but even given two weeks' voice rest (along with many other approaches), there was no change for the better."

Mayer canceled some performances last month, including an appearance at the first-ever iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas as well as a show with Tony Bennett in Los Angeles. In addition, his upcoming fifth album, Born and Raised, which was originally slated for release this fall, has been pushed back to next year.

"I should be frustrated but I can't seem to stop thinking about beautiful things," Mayer continued. "I never thought I'd be wishing I could do what I love again; I stay in at night, picking guitar parts off of records and dreaming of playing on the big stage. The only difference between now and when I was 18 is that now I have this beautiful, meaningful record waiting for me when I can sing it."

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Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Coldplay Confirmed For I Heart Radio Festival

11 Jul 2011 11:42:07 EDT

Two-day fest, set for September 23-24 in Las Vegas, also features the Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys, Carrie Underwood and others.
By James Montgomery

It's being billed as "the biggest live music event in radio history" (whatever that means), and so, the organizers of the brand-new iHeartRadio Festival have pulled out all the stops, delivering a lineup that's appropriately loaded with some of the biggest stars in the business.

Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Nicki Minaj, the Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys, Carrie Underwood and Steven Tyler are just some of the acts set to appear at the inaugural I Heart Radio fest, scheduled for September 23 and 24 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. They'll be joined on the bill by the likes of Kenny Chesney, Jennifer Lopez, David Guetta, Rascal Flatts, Kelly Clarkson and John Mayer (to name just a few).

Organizers promise that even more artists will be added to the bill as the summer stretches on. The eternally busy Ryan Seacrest will host the event, which will stream live online and via mobile devices at iHeartRadio.com, and across the websites of all Clear Channel-owned radio stations.

If you'd prefer to be there in person, you can get a first crack at tickets by liking iHeartRadio on Facebook. The pre-sale ends at 1 a.m. ET this Saturday, with tickets going on sale to the general public later that same day (at 1 p.m. ET) through Ticketmaster.com.

Of course, given that this is a radio fest, Clear Channel is also giving listeners plenty of chances to win a free trip to Vegas for the event. For more information on how you can score yours, check out iHeartRadio Music Festival's official site.

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John Mayer And Giada De Laurentiis Deny Romance Rumors

10 Nov 2010 14:51:13 EST

'There is not a sliver of truth to Star magazine's story,' married Food Network star says in a statement.
By Jocelyn Vena

John Mayer's little black book is already full of A-listers. (see: Taylor Swift, Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Aniston), but one married TV chef is denying rumors of an affair with the singer/songwriter.

Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis issued a statement Wednesday (November 10) refuting a Star magazine report that she and the Grammy winner recently had a hotel tryst in New York.

"It is a shame a media outlet such as Star needs to rely on disgraceful lies and hide behind false anonymous 'sources' in order to entertain their readers. When the Star reporter approached Giada De Laurentiis on Sunday, while she was co-hosting a children's cancer fundraiser, Giada responded unequivocally that she did not see John Mayer when she was in New York for the Food and Wine Festival," the lengthy statement to Us Weekly reads. "Furthermore, contrary to the claims of an anonymous 'source,' at no time did Giada step foot in the Gansevoort Hotel.

"Giada indeed met John Mayer briefly at a charity event in 2007 but has not seen him since. To be clear, they are not friends and cannot even go so far as to call John Mayer an acquaintance," the statement continued. "There is not a sliver of truth to Star magazine's story. It is unfortunate Star would publish these malicious untruths without reporting the fact that Giada was with her husband Todd that weekend in New York, along with their family and friends. Giada De Laurentiis and her family deserve an apology and we demand an immediate retraction."

For his part, Mayer also denied the romance rumors in a much shorter statement: "The claims are absolutely ridiculous."

Do you think there's any truth to the rumors? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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John Mayer Invokes Justin Bieber, Jonas Brothers In Malaria PSA

29 Oct 2010 11:46:10 EDT

Singer uses comedy to call attention to serious issue.
By Jocelyn Vena

There's no better way to bring attention to a serious cause than to use some humor. That's the basic idea behind the Malaria No More campaign, which features PSAs with stars including Aziz Ansari, Ed Helms, Orlando Bloom and even John Mayer, who pokes fun at his superstar status and invokes fellow celebs like Justin Bieber, the Jonas Brothers and the "Twilight" cast in two humorous clips.

In one PSA, Mayer jokes about his wealth. "I'm such an overprivileged prick," the singer/songwriter says in the video, "that I get two mosquitoes in my apartment because I left the window open, and these mosquitoes are driving me crazy. Do you ever have mosquitoes that you can't find in your house? That's one f---ing mosquito, and then you spend the rest of your day complaining to your friends over $6 coffee that a mosquito bit you. I couldn't find the mosquito. That's one mosquito in your $2 million apartment, John Mayer."

The campaign seeks to end malaria deaths in Africa by 2015. "Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease and recent progress shows that malaria's days are numbered — but we need your help," the website says. "Together, we can make malaria no more." It adds that "a child in Africa dies from malaria every 45 seconds — but you can help change that."

In another PSA, Mayer talks about helping children, who make up a majority of the victims of malaria deaths, and he uses some big-name celebs to bring attention to the cause.

He says, "Almost a million people every year die from malaria, and of that number 85 percent die under the age of Justin Bieber. With your help, by buying a malaria net for just $1, we can help, by the end of the year, to get these kids to Bieber. Next year we'll go Jonas Brothers; after that 'Twilight' kids, but baby steps, baby steps. Let's get them to Bieber."

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Is Taylor Swift's 'Dear John' About John Mayer?

19 Oct 2010 13:25:35 EDT

Leaked lyrics are fueling speculation that the Speak Now track might be about the singer/guitarist.
By Jocelyn Vena

"Innocent" is about Kanye West. "Back to December" might be about Taylor Lautner. "Mean" is all about her critics. And it appears that John Mayer may even be the subject of a song penned by Taylor Swift for her forthcoming album, Speak Now, due October 25.

While Swift isn't naming names on "Dear John" — well, last names at least — she doesn't shy away from calling out someone for a love gone terribly wrong. There's no confirmation that the tune is about Mayer, but some lyrics that have appeared online have everyone wondering if he's the John she's singing about.

In the song, Swift really gives it to the aforementioned guy, singing, "Dear John/ I see it all now that you're gone/ Don't you think I was too young/ To be messed with/ The girl in the dress/ Cried the whole way home/ I should've known."

Further on, she sings, "It was wrong/ Don't you think 19's too young/ To be played/ By your dark, twisted games/ When I loved you so."

A teenage Swift collaborated with the 30-something Mayer on a tune titled "Half of My Heart," which appeared on his 2009 album, Battle Studies, and the two had been rumored to have dated for a short period after they worked on the track.

Additional leaked lyrics from "Dear John" include: "My mother accused me of losing my mind/ But I swore I was fine/ You'll add my name to your long list of traitors who don't understand/ And I'll look back in regret, I ignored what they said/ 'Run as fast as you can.' "

Strangely enough, the last line of this verse is very similar to one written by the subject of "Innocent," West, in his single "Runaway" — off his forthcoming November release, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy — which he performed at the VMAs last month.

Swift recently discussed "Dear John" with the New York Post, admitting, "There's actually no surprise person on this record." She added: "I will be excited for you to hear that song, though."

Do you think "Dear John" is about John Mayer? Share your theories in the comments!

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