Doing Fine

Where did Mayer Hawthorne come from? It’s a question worth asking, given that in a little over two years neo-soul music’s great white hope seems to have taken over the entire genre.

The short answer is of course Ann Arbor, Michigan. The middle class city is the sixth largest in the state and makes up part of the wider Detroit metropolitan area. Just a few years ago, Andrew Mayer Hawthorne was a producer and MC known as Haircut, rolling with a couple of the region’s mid-level crews – Athletic Mic League and Now On.

It was a creative attempt to circumvent the high prices paid for soul samples that gave birth to the Mayer Hawthorne project. But soon enough, Stones Throw Records’ Peanut Butter Wolf had discovered Hawthorne’s experiments and convinced him to both apply them to record and perform them live.

“It was a tough adjustment for me,” Hawthorne admits candidly during a break from live rehearsals. “I’ve always been the DJ or the bass player, somebody who’s in the background. I had never been the frontman of any band that I was a part of. It took a lot of getting used to, and I’m still getting used to it.

“That on top of trying to learn how to sing, which I’ve never done professionally either – I mean, it was a lot at first. But I feel like I’ve got the hang of it now. Singing is still a very new thing for me, and I’m always learning every time I hit the stage, learning to be a better singer.”

Many dismissed Hawthorne’s debut album ‘A Strange Arrangement’ as vapid hype. But the record became one of the great growers of 2009, helped in no small measure by Hawthorne’s penchant for self-effacement; he possesses the rare knack of making anybody feel like they could be up on stage doing what he’s doing. Soon, a bunch of major labels were trying to break down Hawthorne’s door and tie him to lucrative deals. Indeed, he’d made such a habit out of saying no that many pundits were surprised when a month before the release of his new album ‘How Do You Do’ he bid farewell to Stones Throw and signed a contract with Universal Republic.

“I just felt like they really understood my vision and they wanted me to make the record that I wanted to make, and they didn’t want to turn me into the male Amy Winehouse, or whatever,” he laughs. “They didn’t want to change my music; they just wanted to help make it bigger, which is what it’s supposed to be. I’ve been really happy over there. But I was absolutely terrified of signing to a major label. It was the most difficult decision I’ve ever made in my life.

“I still talk to Peanut Butter Wolf everyday, and I just DJd the Stones Throw 15 year anniversary party. Stones Throw is still a big part of what I do, and that vibe will always be there.”

Now, with a new record contract in his pocket and the dust settling after a stellar reception for ‘How Do You Do’, Hawthorne is preparing to hit the road for almost the entirety of 2012. “I live in a tour bus. Home is where the bus parks,” he chuckles.

Still, Hawthorne will have to switch up buses when he returns to Australia in March. It’ll mark the third time in two years that he’s made it to these shores. “We keep coming back because you guys keep asking for it. It’s always crazy for me to come all the way to the other side of the world and have people know your music there.

“I’m having so much fun. I’m just really happy to have some new material to do! It’s so great for us, because we’ve done so many shows since ‘A Strange Arrangement’ came out. We probably did close to 200 shows last year, or more. And it’s really a breath of fresh air to have a new album of material to play.”

Those who are yet to witness Hawthorne’s fitness live should think twice about missing this latest opportunity, and the many who are familiar with his form will be happy to learn that he’s not leaving his band, The County, behind. “They’re the best band in the world and we’re definitely bringing the show, man,” he says. “It’s going to be even better than last time. We’re the hardest working band in show business, so come ready to party. It’s gonna be a party, we don’t do concerts!”

MAYER HAWTHORNE PLAYS THE HI-FI MARCH 1.