Sound Republic: Music News

Mayer Hawthorne plays The Basement

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By Soulshine News
23 December 2009

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Mayer Hawthorne

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Days Like This! (2010)

Making his first trip to Australia for Days Like This!, Michigan soul stallion Mayer Hawthorne will be playing a side show at the Basement on Thursday 14 January.

A new comer on the global soul scene, Mayer Hawthorne has one of the freshest retro soul sounds around today. Having recently released his debut album ‘A Strange Arrangement’ in September through Stonesthrow Records, Mayer Hawthorne has already captured the attention of the likes of Mark Ronson and Gilles Peterson with his timeless sound.

Raised in Michigan, Mayer Hawthorne is the alter ego of hip hop aficionado Andrew Cohen, which was created to help him let him let loose as a soul crooner. His debut single ‘Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out’ has gained global recognition and has become a cult break-up anthem.

Cohen grew up listening to jazz radio in the car with his dad and has spent most of his musical life playing and producing, but never had any intentions of becoming a singer. His ‘Mayer Hawthorne’ persona started as someone he only put on for family members, but has since learned to embrace and share with the rest of the world.

Mayer Hawthorne was then introduced to Stones Throw Boss Peanut Butter Wolf who was instantly captivated by his sound. “He showed me two songs and I didn’t understand what I was listening to,” Wolf recalls. “I asked him if they were old songs that he did re-edits of – I couldn’t believe they were new songs and that he played all the instruments. I think Mayer is the only artist in the history of the label that I’ve signed after hearing only two songs,” says Peanut Butter Wolf. “Sometimes, you just know it’s the right thing to do.”

Hawthorne brings with him his full live band ‘The County’ for his debut tour of Australia and will leave girls swooning all over the country. Support band TBA.

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