I've Always Made Sure That I Tour

A Lot Of People Think I Live In A Soul Bubble.

My Dad Taught Me To Play Bass. He's A Bass Player; He Still Plays In A Band In Michigan To This Day. He Taught Me To Play Bass When I Was About 6. I Used To Just Go To Band Practice With Him, And Whoever Didn't Show Up For Rehearsal That Day, I Would Take Their Spot.

I Grew Up In Ann Arbor, About 25 Miles West Of Detroit. And When You Grow Up In That Area, You Get A Healthy Dose Of Motown Automatically.

I Think That What Happens Is That All Of My Modern Influences Blend Together With The Older Soul Influences And You Get Mayer Hawthorne.

James Brown Is The Perfect Example Of Flashy But Classy. Classy Doesn't Have To Mean Boring. His Gear Was Flamboyant But Without Being So Over The Top. The Cape Was Probably The Biggest Part Of His Persona. He Looked Like Superman.