John Mayer Calls Working With Taylor Swift a 'Wild Experience'

By Dan Reilly Posted Nov 12th 2009 03:37PM

With three successful records under his belt, John Mayer could pretty much do anything he wanted for his fourth album, 'Battle Studies.' So not only did the singer-songwriter move away from complex guitar lines in favor of a simpler sound, he decided -- on a whim -- to have Taylor Swift provide guest vocals on a song.

Mayer tells PopEater that the decision was as simple as "just my imagining hearing her voice in harmony with mine on this song that was sort of stemming up in my brain. It was a little bit like writing a screenplay with an actor in mind. I went to this place in my mind like Taylor and I were in the '70s playing on 'The Johnny Cash Show.'"

Prior to the recording, the pair had met a few times, and the privilege of having Swift guest on the record isn't lost on Mayer.

"What an amazing place to be in an industry where you can say 'This little idea I have is only to put the biggest selling female artist of the year on my song,'" Mayer says. "All you have to do is express that idea to somebody and they say 'Yeah, I'd like to do that.' What a wild experience that is. It's crazy."

Mayer describes the song, 'Half of My Heart,' as representative of his new method of songwriting.

"The approach to 'Battle Studies' was I'm going to have these songs be incredibly open, a bit broader," he says. "I didn't have any evidence that songs were going to work because I didn't hear that guitar player. I was actually saying 'where's the meat of this tune? Where's the guitar playing? Am I making a record that's any good?'"

"But it becomes really fun to actually respond to your own tune down the line. 'Half of My Heart' feels so good on that lead guitar line because it's not doing the heavy lifting."

Fans can decide whether or not Mayer has indeed made a good album when 'Battle Studies' drops on Nov. 24.

Tags: John Mayer, JohnMayer, taylor swift, TaylorSwift

Comments

(9)

Thursday 12 November

By mac

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You know that John is going to try and tap that.He probably will too.The notches in his belt are amazing.

By mike

He just wants to bang Swift. That's all it is.

By Glen

John you are so like cool. Not.

Friday 13 November

By Lilly

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Taylor did not earn this award. She has not paid her dues as others have across the years. The young people are not the country music people of even 10-15 years ago. They are not the Reba's; Garth; Tim; Randy....who not only write and sing but have showed longivity. I also lost respect for Taylor with her opening number. I will not buy her music for gifts now because that is not a role model I want young teens to see. I am almost 50 and others like me were appalled that was on CMA.

By Dan

I agree.

By steve

She more then earned the award she out sold out perfomed and out entertained the others!! She staged her concerts!She writes most if not all of her song's and is a Credit to pass and presant countyr star's

By Margie

I like her music, and to be her age and sing the way she does she absolutely does have the right to the CMT award and any other awards she gets in the future. She is an awesome role model to be able to show young people that you can get the best in life with what god gave you is wonderful! All i have to say is "Go" Taylor, you deserve everything you recieve, you have deserved it!!

By Michelle

Wow, can't wait for the cd, "Half of my Heart" is amazing!

Thursday 04 February

By watk69

So overexposed Taylor is, I'm already sick even to look at her. She has talent, but she has not paid her dues....Period. Mayer is just adding another notch in the belt

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