John Mayer Interview on the Bobby Bones Show

hi John Mayer in studio hey dude how are you there thanks coming I appreciate that notes thank you for supporting this record and the song and giving me an opportunity coming you know I guess we can start at this we were talking yesterday the last concert that I paid money to go to with your show I saw you in Minneapolis and we went up and watched that show and I can't go tonight and now you're like three blocks down the road well you can't afford it I can't money are you taking I'm doing I'm at the Opry tonight okay yeah I can't count so it's always a cool reason not to come to my show because someone has a show of their own we're having a debate in this room before you came in and you may not want to answer this which song are you just tired of playing um I'm tired of playing waiting on the world to change Bo why did I say hey what that I would have won or that it would be that one really yeah yeah why do you think it is I have a whole different reason why do you think it is I have a reason I'm tired of hearing it why don't you have for free that oh that's funny let's go look okay here we go I'm leaning into there go ahead now why do you why are you tired of playing it um it's honest to god it's just a tactile thing it's just after a while like by the way you're gonna be like oh well I hated the message I was like I just didn't like the way I felt in my hand it's right outside of my range like when I had a vocal surgery then I had a procedure and like it it cost me like two or three notes and I needed those notes for waiting on the world to change so I kind of come to sneak around it so it's not exactly was the most comfortable thing is saying so weirdly enough like all the songs that became very popular are very difficult to sing for me meanwhile all I wanted to do is like have a hit with like who says okay kiss don't just wake up at 5:00 in the morning be able to do it and so I'm weird when it comes to hits man like I don't know what makes a song of mine a hit I have a feeling it's like there's something in like you do stand-up you know like your middle funny joke to you is your funniest joke to the crowd I don't I never know what Jose can be the funniest it's the one that that you're the least excited about like it's your tail away they look the accidental or the throw away yeah because you're interested in the upper ranges of your mind like how can I be more clever how can I be more interesting and then somewhere in your in your middle is where the cloud kind of grabs on to what you're saying like the crabpot we applaud and you go you know oh that oh you like that okay because that really didn't feel like anything coming out of my head it's the same thing with music it's like all the stuff where I'm like oh my god this is so complex and interesting and people are gonna love it like they kind of don't it's the stuff that for me I feel like is a little bit um it bores me just the slightest bit and that's a lie it becomes like whatever I find boring in it people find accessible and here's the joke I'm thinking about the outbreak tonight tell me it's fun again okay I haven't used it yet yeah we're happy to believe it out okay this is the guy that got caught pleasuring himself at the movies to the emoji yes that's good that's not that good no I mean it's a good it's a good right everyone is freaking out about the guy doing that to himself in a theater I'm just wondering which emoji thought was super hot okay so so that's a setup that's not that's not a punchline yet it's still a setup right so then you break it down it's at the salsa lady there you go then I go through your drink and then at the end I end up with the purple yeah there's a lot of whistling eggplant is it the poop emoji right but I don't think people are like that's funny as I start rolling to emojis like I think that's funny it's funny if you can break it out and I hate that I'm on your radio show telling you how to be funny it's okay cuz that's on you what song I think there you guys that we're all good like weird a good place no where's your dog by the way cuz I'll watch on social media he's just kidding no this might that's a real question yes there's your dog stay in Montana my dog does not stay in Montana this this what happened I've got a dog why does have a dog on the road Road dog uh a dear friend of mine happens to be an incredible dog trainer she took my dog but trained my dog turned into a perfect beast and then I was like okay take my dog on the road dog hates music hey music he thinks it's like thunder next unders so he's trembling in the dressing room first night I think Red Rocks was like the first place we were like okay well I got a dog let's do this cowering in the corner also like when he's home with me if I pick up a guitar plug-in and start playing it he does the funniest thing like he doesn't want to offend me but he like slowly slinks his two paws front paws off the couch and just waddles out of the room quiet music so it wasn't gonna work but turned out that my dog trainer she loved him so much she said well he's a part of our family too so I'll be the mommy and I thought that's awesome so my dog lives a better life than I do he lives in Brentwood California and I pick him up it's like doggy daycare but its months long how about this the the fact that you see colors when you play I don't have synesthesia in people okay that's the that's where I'm straight people know people somebody why would someone fake that to about you then well people misinterpret my metaphors a lot which is easily done and I don't have synesthesia I have a probably some interpretive form of synesthesia synesthesia by the way is but some people have a clinical I don't know if I'd call it a disorder it was a gift of sorts whereby words and sounds actually are interpreted as colors in their brain I have it but not visually I'm pretty close to I've relative synesthesia but what are you seeing when you're playing a solo what are you seeing in your head how are you numbers colors muscle memory what is it shapes colors a geometry that's actually man you're a very good interviewer well if you're asking really interesting untrodden on questions that are exciting answer the way that I do it is tons and tons and tons of streams of possibilities of shapes what's where where does it go and I've done it for so long now that a lot of that data is sort of dissolved and it's all feeling now I just know where it is I just it's very Jedi like I just know where it is and it's sometimes I don't know how I know it'll be different every single night but I found some weird confluence of what I know and what I don't know but what I'm pretty sure is going to be there and it's more fun than ever to play guitar because I'm not playing it like a student anymore John Mayer is here now so I'm buds with the guys from the Zac Brown Band and clay cook and so and I know the story but you and clay were Berkeley together and clay was like you know let's move down to Atlanta and you and clay kinda had a duo together for sure right yep that's how we started that's how I started right out of college was playing in an acoustic duo and so you move down to Atlanta and so why Atlanta of all places he had clay had family in Atlanta and said I think we can do it he said there was a great music scene down there which he was absolutely right he did have family and he was wasn't long about either family Anna music scene so we moved down there and just started doing open mic nights and writing and you know that's how I got my start in music was following him down to Atlanta we lived in Snellville Georgia are you on the radio in Snellville Georgia there and everybody's somebody that's the me that's the catch phrase for Sammy I like to snail the buggers now but it's pronounced nail deal but it's smell villainy eol so you guys moved to Atlanta and you ride a lot of things together yeah we wrote or we had written you know five six songs at that point we're still trying to put it all together so you guys decide to go your own different ways that big decision for you - yes yeah well no one's ever cared about this yeah uh falling out we had a falling out be creatively did you part of it those part of it the part that I can attest to so I have pretty a pretty big feet pretty strong head I don't think anybody could have been in a duo with me at that time that's the part that I can take responsibility for is that I probably wasn't extremely collaborative I was uh yeah I don't think I don't think I was a strong group worker what were your roles and that duo everybody's got their role inside of a team he was um and still it is hyper musical incredible musical mine we were also by the way complete we're we're really good friends now I mean we are I've seen you play with war so I'm assuming now you guys are cure closeness yeah these are two kids where the stars of their town the musical stars of their town coming together obviously seeing something in one another that they identify with making music together but never having really given over to someone else it probably shouldn't have two really strong solo kind of mindsets coming together to collaborate and where I think if you're if you're still going well it doesn't add up uh put me in his life as a guest and it gets a little strange it's like two people sharing a birthday you know it's like he I was I entered his entire social life you know and I think there was an identity thing of like wait what's mine and what's yours and and again taking responsibility for it I have very big shoes I'm not necessarily subtle it's bet especially at that age he didn't want to mess around with young job you don't wanna mess around nineteen year old John Mayer who just figured out that the world is bendable and he's out to just destroy it you know but this is my new record the project I'll attach that Lindsey I'll record now that's oh can we get a shot of the money record deposit and part of it was because you know they didn't really recognize me on the cover but this is who I this is my new record I went by Lindsey Elle and we play cutoff that sure sure can hear you go yeah so there it this this is a great recording you asked me like seriously yeah it's a glove it it's a great recording what's the difference wait head recording I just hear a song the way the way it was engineered it's that it's gorgeous it's the best that's the gravity's the best record like you know it's difficult all of the year record of the year's Grammys like that this isn't this is a quite a record this house pair it is if I stop time well now I'm just going to keep going because we're soaking into the record especially the vocals this is gravity continuum check it out gravity when I want you I want to show me Annapolis you can play it outside I know you get that every show you can't play everything well no but you saw me at the beginning of this tour where I was like I'm going to play whatever I want and the crowd was adamant that I played gravity so we added gravity back in every night all right that's cool look it's cool to be that artist where you know there are things that people identify with you so so much that you have to play it I dig it and I'll play gravity every night for the rest of my life like that's a song I'll never get tired any what's your favorite song off the new record oh well you know I have the one about there's no any words to it she just knows part of it no I know about how I just think it's really really clever about how you keep the shampoo in the shower in case and romantic are like I think every girl sort of would would want a guide to to sing that for her that Niki hands man it's hard hard getting hard getting out for me it's good but I mean with this song no dude wants to have to write a song yeah but he's both being donor for songs sorry enjoy it love it no one knew what to do with it for listening I know because she told me what do you give a song to like and this leads in the in the blood conversation like if you're a station that's like a triple a station you played John Mayer music and all of a sudden Columbia's like hey here's the next John Mayer so I know it doesn't fit anyone's ratio space but does it have to fit because I'm excited I don't think you're ready I think nothing has to fit radio I'm with you I mean maybe that's why we're still filling the places up with people's because I I'm not following this sort of format rule but mixtapes out I feel like so and you're here for a reason because you have a song and I remember I went to show I was talking and by the way Lee Live snare is you're on explain who he is Lee lives near died in 1941 and has come back as a ghost to set things straight is that correct yeah I don't know hahaha I just pitch in movie ideas now Leah for 13 years 13 years or so like Lee has been in one way or another with you you can't beat my champion of the stuff that I make he there are times he probably doesn't see where a song could work and promptly stuffs that sought deep deep deep down inside him and returns back with the thought that this song can be huge and goes out and fights for it I mean there's a guy who I've funniest thing he ever said in his life was about still feel like your man because I thought that it could change stuff like I I always believed that a song can change a format a song can change people's thinking and we're backstage at Madison Square Garden Columbia's there and this is right before still feel like your van comes out when I looked at him we had just finished a hug but now we've got hands on each other's shoulders and I said I really believe and still feel like you're man and he said and we know that you do and I thought that was just absolutely the funniest thing that I record comfort like the funny if it was if there was a curb enthusiasm style show about my life I would write that in and that would be in the trailer it's hilarious and we know that you do that's a guy who can it live man it was amazing but kind of the jam all right I guess the jam three days three days I lost my mind and I was only thinking about this one three days in a trance I know because what are you doing a trance you're only about bringing the song of life I was in my therapists office and I said I still feel like her I still feel like her me and I went on now hear me my god in the car I wrote down still I still feel like you're man and I looked at that title and I went if we play our cards right as a major song I felt like and I immediately googled the title I still feel like you're man because I thought someone must have had this idea whenever I have a good idea I'm not even excited about it I get immediately frightened that someone else has already had that good idea so I google that good idea no search results that's when I got even more excited I went okay I'm actually getting right now excited my heart is racing as I talk about this because this is about how you sneak up on an idea I trying to catch a greasy Pig and you're just like okay there it is let's not sing it too soon let's not just throw some BS cliche stuff on this idea and for a whole day I didn't sing just don't feel like you're me I didn't make a note with it because I knew that whatever I sang I was gonna start getting attached to and I don't want to get attached to a dumb idea for still feeling so now I just have sheets of paper and I'm typing all different ideas about still feel like you're me and I don't think and then I was in the shower and I was like could I do it like a prince ballad I still feel lack you me you know no that's going to be schlocky don't don't even sing it don't even sing it and then I'd already had written this idea this chord changes and then one day I went in the studio and it was the greatest luck in the world that this one idea that I'd written musically locked in would just still feel like your Man Thing and it became this like I called it ancient Japanese R&B if you listen to it's like super staccato and clean doesn't that I didn't do to do it like I've never heard anything like it come from me and so for the next three days I did nothing but answer like this it's hard to explain but it's true if you can feel it you're a little bit not on earth you let half of you is in another place and for three days I did nothing but bring this song into my life and I let's do a lot of Marvin Gaye there's definitely like some Marvin Gaye thing happening in the tune that I didn't want to block and when I was done with it that is really interesting Jam that's like hopeful but also like has the saddest line I've ever written I literally cried when I wrote I still keep your shampoo in my shower in case you want to wash your hair that's the saddest lyric I've ever written in my life think of how much desperation is in that line she's not coming to wash her hair at your house it's over but the idea of keeping the torch lit where you say well I'm keeping at it it's like you know there's like his dog in Japan and dog had an owner the owner would go to the train every day the dog would follow the owner to the train and then be there at the exact time the owner came back from work off the train the dog would be waiting on the train platform then one day the owner died and the dogs still waited at that platform for his owner for years until the dog passed away I love that story it is true there's a statue of the dog where the dog once stood himself and I very much in breakups feel like the statue of that dog not even the dog I feel like the statue of the dawn only fantastic story huh thank you I'm glad you're here I'm glad this all worked out to where he could come in the day I came back from the show like man you know some of this record sounds like music that we would play you know in this format and I went unless I'm not always the most popular guy traditionally in this format just because I do things all that's out of the box but I was like may had some of this record a couple songs on there in the blood there come rolling on rolling on home for sure yeah I was like this is exactly what it is and it's even more traditional than some of the things being played now so I was like hey why aren't we playing it so I played it and get screamed dad and you know the whole thing but now here we come full circle and you have a little time and some other stations and played it and I think being embraced really well by the people outside and with you to thank for it let me ask you a question if you had played that song in the blood without telling people that it was me would they have objected no right so but uh and this is the truth I can handle no no almost nobody I say almost man almost nobody objected that listen anyway the only people that objected or radio people got no listeners are like this songs not country the songs not anything they were like wow that's a fantastic song or wow I love John Mayer we don't play John Mayer oh that's a person that's what it was just something from the inside it wasn't people that wouldn't embrace it that listened to consume it and that made a weird part I try to be a person of the people more so than a person of the industry I get you and if that well that's why I feel so good like you said outside of the box to give a sense of how different the world is I haven't heard the phrase outside of the box no offense to you I haven't heard the phrase outside of the box in ten years everything is outside of the box every possible like there's no box anymore you know and I think what you're saying is there's a box here people there's a box here just box here and and you know people have vested interest in keeping the box taped up shut you know and I think it's very interesting to say the least that you're looking at it going well why do you have to keep the Box closed because everyone else listens to music differently I have friends who listen I put the highway on you know highways become like a pop station for but in the sense that like I work it it's in my presets like there are times I love here in it you know and that just goes to show you there's like one's the last time someone asked you what's on your iPod what's the last time someone said like what genre of music do you like it's all completely disassembled and I you know thank you for being a champion of stuff that's cool and fit and saying like well whatever your notion is that it you know let's try not putting that you know there's a barrier in front of the song we're gonna play it when I play on the blood now appreciate you coming back it's not not country it's true i down in Livingston Montana I live in Livingston Montana that's pretty country that's pretty western that's pretty western like you think he fits in there's a body in my backyard hey do you want to a me give it a picture in like 2000 and an old six-shooter baden for my birthday Amy painted this for me a long time ago hey like 12 or 13 years ago did you only have like one tattoo here Wow a long time ago and I and I started doing silly stuff and it says say this you don't get it no I'm a fan of yes she painted it for me so if you wouldn't mind signing that I would love to and I put it back in my room where it has been for it should gift from her and yeah yeah good well mm-hm say what do you think my guys an artist as an artist yeah I think it's I could tell it was me yeah yeah I want that haircut back we're gonna play in the blood the best appreciate you coming by Alex show us awesome tonight thank you and yours to thank wanna know how the emoji joke works I don't think I'm gonna do that at the operating you my cell phone number and I want you to and I did I have a whole number I'm gonna give you my home office and cell phone number I'm giving my cell phone telephone number and I want you to tell me how the emoji joke goes and you can use emojis for it I will not do that at the operate but I'm a Californian don't teach other Californians weekend we're gonna be in California and so plug it plug it well I trust me I do enough but IBM Monterey and Modesto both but like a lot of a lot of TV Booker's are coming out to watch because I'm rarely on the west coast and booking for what for lay lots of shows yeah it's not so would you would you bail on this dump to be on a sitcom as you're saying I would not bail that they are coming out it is kind of a dumpy studio right big hobby they're going to give you cones or gonna give you a reserved spot you're going to lease a Porsche Cayenne you're going to you're going to live in Studio City it's going to be great for you you're shop at Whole Foods oh I see your little life 10 parked right next to John Galecki you're going to be on it you're going to be on a lot you know run into Mario Lopez every damn day and forget about all these losers aren't you that's the goal right dumb bear Thank You John good to see you buddy thank you have you enjoyed this this was your great this was great this is great are you baby is this eye right no I don't do that I wouldn't do that um this is like we had a dinner work already on dessert and I'm like oh we didn't even really get to it I agree we could have spent one next time you come to town or I'll come over I come up to Montana I would love hanging out the dog would love to all right here we go John Mayer Oh

Channel: Bobby Bones Show

Views: 1,293,878

Rating: 4.933722 out of 5

Keywords: bobby bones, bobby bones show, country, country music, nashville, John Mayer, Interview, In The Blood, Still Feel Like Your Man

Id: 1f5Q-_YyQl4

Length: 23min 56sec (1436 seconds)

Published: Tue Aug 08 2017

Reddit Comments

[u/OBatRFan]

Great interview from Bobby Bones this morning. One of the first times I've ever heard John talk openly about his early days and his partnership with Clay Cook.

[u/JD_FOX]

I wish this never ended. This is the John I wish people knew about.

[u/Kbyquist]

Watched this twice today; great interview. I love hearing him talk about the early years of his career, and how he thinks about music... rather than just "SO JOHN YOU DATED SOME FAMOUS PEOPLE HUH"

[u/pattymea]

My car radio picks up WMZQ which plays The Bobby Bones Show. Didn't even realize this was on until I got home from work today.

[u/Astoryinfromthewild]

I could listen to this dude talk shit all day. Lost it at that Hachiko story, gotta love that John can make up some shit on the fly to be funny for himself. The reaction from the chick was the cream on top of that one, exactly the reaction he wanted in playing up the vulnerable comment she had made earlier. Well played John 😂😂😄😃👍

[u/clownbaby42]

Wow what an amazing interview. Great onsite to the way he writes music.

[u/jc4jm]

I really liked the question about his early days with Clay Cook. You can see JM has really matured and is evolved enough to talk about his role in the "falling out". And that bit about Moose hating music - OMG! How crazy is that!

[u/muhliza]

Such a fantastic interview--I wish this went on for hours. He really asked some good questions like the one about Moose, haha. I've always wondered about the same thing.

[u/johnnnyy10]

I felt the same way about SFLYM. When I first heard I thought it would be a hit. I still don't get why its not. Or any other track he's put out on this record.