Randall RobertsIn this week's print edition of LA Weekly, John Payne spills good ink on Mayer Hawthorne, the new Stones Throw artist whose A Strange Arrangement is drawing rave reviews. Last week Hawthorne performed a release show at the Roxy, and LA Weekly photographer Timothy Norris captured the scene.
Credit: Timothy Norris
Writes Payne of Hawthorne: “He decided to move to L.A. a few years ago with his hip-hop crew, which is how he hooked up with Peanut Butter Wolf at Stones Throw. The famously knowledgeable PB Wolf got hold of a couple of rich and tasty soul-inspired-type tracks that Hawthorne had brought for him to check out. Wolf thought it was some from-the-vaults typa thing, it sounded so good.”
Peanut Butter Wolf warms up the crowd with some stand-up. (kidding.); Credit: Timothy Norris
“I had only ever recorded two songs,” says Hawthorne with a chuckle, “and I hadn't even written any more, nor did I have any plans to pursue a career in soul music, or even record a full album of that material. But Peanut Butter Wolf was blown away and asked me to record more of that material for Stones Throw — and you don't say no to that.”
Credit: Timothy Norris
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