by greg dybec
Yes, he is a twenty-nine year old white guy from Ann Arbor, Michigan. However, underneath the polyester cardigan and behind the retro glasses is the newest member of Stones Throw Records and the musician who seems to be bringing a heavy dose of vintage soul into our contemporary lives. Upon first listening to one of Mayer Hawthorne’s tracks one may begin to wonder if one of the Isley brothers turned white, hasn’t aged since the sixties and now records music over breakbeats. The interesting thing is that such a thought seems completely rational.
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It comes with no surprise that Hawthorne has stated his biggest influences to be legends such as Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, Barry White, and Smokey Robinson (To only name a few). The twenty-nine year old Man from Michigan never intended to make a career out of his singing though quickly caught the attention of Stones Throw founder Peanut Butter Wolf when they met through a mutual friend. Wolf could not believe that Hawthorne’s songs were newly recorded and not re-edited oldies from the sixties and early seventies. Wolf admits on www.Stonesthrow.com that Hawthorne is the only artist that he has ever signed after hearing only two of his songs.
Mayer’s debut album A Strange Arrangement will be available September 8th. Though a heart shaped 7-inch Vinyl of his single “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out” is available now. I’m excited to see more from Mayer Hawthorne and hope that this new rendition of classic soul is not just a unique trend for the artist and the times, because who would have thought that the oldies could be so new.
