Soul Geek or Geek Soul?

A nerdy white kid from Ann Arbor, Michigan singing soul? You bet. And he’s good! Mayer Hawthorne grew up listening to his dad’s classic Motown records and originally recorded his soul tunes as a joke. When they were played for the head of Stones Throw records, he thought they might be re-edits of older soul recordings. He eventually signed Hawthorne to a record contract and the rest is history. Think Smokey Robinson. This kid has chops to burn. When you’re watch his videos, it’s hard to match the voice to the person. A definite disconnect. Funny story: When he was interviewed on NPR, he told the interviewer she needed a “Mayer Hawthorne” name. He said, “Your middle name will be your new first name, and the street you grew up on will be your last name.” Now that’s nerdy!