John Mayer Embraces Jam Band Life with Dead & Company
“It took me out of the single-lane situation of being a singer-songwriter,” Mayer said on an episode of “Debatable.”
John Mayer undertook an immense challenge when he stepped outside the singer-songwriter box and joined Dead & Company — a jam band made up of former Grateful Dead members and seasoned improvisational musicians. On Monday’s episode of VOLUME’s “Debatable” with Mark Goodman and Alan Light, Mayer explained how he adapted to an entirely new musical style.
Alongside Mayer, Dead & Company features former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann, as well as jam-band veterans Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti. As lead guitarist for the band’s 2015 and 2016 tours, Mayer had to dive into the Grateful Dead’s extensive catalog and learn their songs inside and out.
“I pulled out of the studio — and I knew this was worth doing — and I kind of looked at it like a contractor,” Mayer explained. “Like you would look at an empty building and go, ‘Eight months? I can build it for you in eight months, but I gotta start now.’ … The math was that I had to learn a song every couple of days.”
Despite having to master more than 100 songs, Mayer embraced the challenge. As he immersed himself in the Grateful Dead’s catalog, he quickly became a fan.
“It was really great. I’m naturally obsessive anyway, so it suited my way of life — to dive so deep into something,” he said. “Even if I didn’t join Dead & Company, I would’ve been a Deadhead by now. It just happened to parallel my love of the music.”
Mayer added that SiriusXM’s Grateful Dead Channel played a role in deepening his appreciation for the band.
“I discovered it on Pandora, and then I found the Grateful Dead [Channel] on SiriusXM, which I think a lot of people owe a debt of gratitude to,” he said. “It’s maybe one of the most essential stations on the entire network.”
Now, Mayer proudly considers himself part of the jam band world and is relishing the creative freedom it brings.
“I’m a jam band guy — to the extent that people can even define what a jam band is,” he said. “For me, it’s been so great because it took me out of the single-lane situation of being a singer-songwriter.”
He also discussed his evolving career, discovering other jam bands, details about his upcoming album, and more.
