JOHN'S GOT THE BLUES Mayer's music takes a turn as he tries 'Heavier Things'

By MOLLY PRIESMEYER
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
oo much hype can be poisonous for an artist. Look what happened to Bennifer: Ben Affleck ended up trading in his Adidas track suits for sleeveless leather vests, looking like a rabble-rousing, hard-edged country singer on a cover of Rolling Stone.
And J. Lo's bootylicious image was cut from the ads for the movie "Jersey Girl" earlier this year.
You won't find Connecticut-born singer-songwriter John Mayer begging for that type of tabloid-fueled celebrity status. Despite his model-baiting heartthrob image and the hordes of young female fans wielding signs begging Mayer to be their betrothed, the Grammy-winning musician has eschewed "TRL" appearances for performances with such legendary artists as Buddy Guy and Stevie Ray Vaughan's band, Double Trouble.
For his latest record, "Heavier Things," Mayer enlisted jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove and Roots drummer ?uestlove to appear instead of the Neptunes. And the 26-year-old Mayer, who wants a 30-year career complete with his own CD rack in stores, wishes young men would stare at his fast-moving fingers as often as girls squeal when he glances in their direction.
Talking back
In a phone interview, Mayer talked about the trials and tribulations of a fickle, celeb-obsessed industry and how even growing up in suburban Connecticut gave him the blues.
Q. How does a kid from suburban Connecticut get the blues?
A. You're born with it. That's the thing, that's how I know I was made for it. I have no previous track record of liking anything to do with it. I wasn't born around it, didn't live around it. And I found it, and it was like an umbilical connection to the music. And when I discovered it, it was over.
Q. Do you think it's harder to be a career artist today, given that labels look for that one major hit?
A. I think everybody plans on having a career. If you asked everybody who was unfortunately rushed through the exit door of their career, I think they all would've wanted to go around a few more times. I think that I might be doing things that are safer bets. I don't think that I want it more than anyone else. I think that the way that it's been gone about has been more kind of like taking it in an annuity, not at a lump sum.
Q. Does your heartthrob status conflict with your desire to be a serious artist?
A. I think it's just a part of it. I'm 26 and have no visible scars. When you're at least not offensive looking and you sing songs about "your body is a wonderland," it kind of makes sense. And everyone who kind of cuts me down a little bit, it makes total sense based on who they are. And everyone who thinks they want to marry me, it makes sense based on who they are. At the same time, it's fascinating to me. If you can see inside my brain and what I'm trying to do onstage, the last thing that comes to mind is make people swoon.
Q. Is it hard to shy away from that when the industry is so focused on image?
A. But you can't try to affect the perception of what you're doing. And that's why so much of music is so messed up right now. On the artist level, people try so hard to affect the perception. You can't. It's like rigging a vote. You can't do it. Just be yourself, and if people like you, they like you.
Q. This current album reflects dreams of domesticity. Are you really a homebody?
A. Sure. I don't like the idea of vacations. People say, "Oh, you're off next month, are you going to take a vacation?" What the hell are you talking about? I'm gonna be at home!
Q. What does that life look like to you?
A. Psychologically, what I crave in my life is routine. I like the idea of being a salary guy. I like the idea of having a Monday through Friday that's lit the same. Your childhood is based on 18 years of routine. I find that at my most comfortable moment, I'm remembering or echoing some emotion that I had 15 years ago. The thing about being on the road is that you're not in a structure. And that's why a lot of people have done drugs, sort of just knock themselves out.
Q. So how do you keep your sanity?
A. Oh, I do the drugs, too. No, I'm kidding. You just have to remember that the feeling, the feeling of "get me out of here," is not real. You can get out at any time you want to. That's the thing. I don't really feel trapped on the road because if at any moment I don't want to do it anymore, then I just won't do it anymore. Otherwise, you end up dead. But I've never pulled the cable. And if I did, no one saw it.
Q. You were part of a hilarious skit on "Chappelle's Show." If there were a contest between you and Dave Grohl to be rock's funny man, who do you think would win?
A. Oh, you think I'm like Dave Grohl? Oh my God, that's great! Really? Oh, I think Dave Grohl's funnier.