Grammy-nominated R&B/soul artist Mayer Hawthorne is back! The critically-acclaimed musician has released his new single, “The Game,” marking his first new music in three years. Listen to the track now below.
“Life is so strange, and music is so magical,” shares Hawthorne. “Love and sex, pain and pleasure, reality and fantasy. What a trip. This one is definitely for my A1s who have been ridin’ with me since day 1 – thank you for letting me do this thing that I love in my own strange way.”
The Los Angeles-based artist is not only a “Man About Town,” the name of his fourth, and most recent, full-length album, he’s also a man of many, many hats. The prolific writer, who’s racked up over 100 million combined plays on YouTube and Spotify, has penned every word from his extensive catalog. His songwriting pulls from his life and observations; his heartache and joy. Sometimes it’s groovy, other times he’s vulnerable and sincere, but it’s always timeless and soulful. Hawthorne also handles the lion’s share of production for his music and is a skilled musician, who’s played nearly every instrument on his acclaimed albums.
Raised by hippie parents in Ann Arbor, Michigan, smack between the Hash Bash and the car factories, Mayer Hawthorne not only learned to play at a young age when his old man taught him the bass guitar at age five, he was surrounded by all the greats growing up. His father would play records in the house, instilling in him all the names of music’s legacy of all genres. He’s been digging in the crates ever since and you can hear the influences in his music. A touch of Shuggie Otis here, some Bob Marley there, a sprinkle of Sly Stone. He was also DJing in Michigan at the height of Detroit hip-hop – before Eminem blew up and when J Dilla was still alive. He was there, spinning records and making rap beats, and now he’s making soul records and rappers are sampling him.
A true music aficionado, Mayer Hawthorne is not only influenced by the greats of the past in his original music, but continues to showcase his extensive musical knowledge through his DJ sets as well as his ownHawthorne Radio, a monthly playlist series available on his website www.mayerhawthorne.com and SoundCloud, where he has over 5 million followers. Mayer Hawthorne can be found showcasing his skills in Las Vegas for a monthly DJ set at the new NoMad Hotel for their Jemaa Pool Parties. His next appearance there is set for Saturday, July 6th.
The release of “The Game” also marks the first time Mayer Hawthorne has issued new music simultaneously with music from his other project Tuxedo (his funk-R&B duo with producer Jake One), which will release their next album Tuxedo III on July 19th followed by a 21-date headlining tour throughout July and August.
Look for more new music from Mayer Hawthorne to follow in the coming weeks.