John Mayer is launching a new interview series, “How's Life,” on his Life With John Mayer channel on SiriusXM, and he's kicking it off in style. The debut of Mayer's interview series featuring some of the biggest names in music will include an in-depth sit-down with Billy Joel premiering at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday (November 28).
Not only does Joel, 75, square off with Mayer about some of his career highlights and biggest songs, but he also talks about a never-before-heard tune from his records.
In a preview clip (watch below), Mayer talks to Joel about songwriting, with the Piano Man answering the host's probing question about where the songwriter goes when he stops writing new songs. In February, Joel released his first new song in 17 years, “Turn the Lights Back On.”
“Where does the author go… is the author present when you listen to new music, do you listen as the author?” Mayer asks Joel. “You're going to go, 'oh, you're going to put a minor quarterback in there?' Are you really going to put in a minor fourth chord?' Do you think like a writer even if you don't write?'
“Yeah, it never goes away,” says Joel. “The writer's issue is a curse you carry with you throughout life. And when I listen to material, or listen to other people's songs, the writer is always at work. “Well, I would do it this way.” Or, “why did he go to that chord?” And you're constantly trying to improve on what you've been doing.”
Joel describes how as a young writer you don't edit yourself that much, but as you mature you get better at it, until you're so good that “you've become good enough that nothing is good enough.”
Mayer's most important question — especially for Joel fans who constantly say their prayers to the pop gods that the singer will return to writing radio-friendly songs — was whether Joel ever writes lyrics or lyric ideas on his phone . “I never write lyrics until I actually write songs,” says Joel. “I start with the music first, always.” The only exception? His very telling lesson in 1989 “We Didn't Start the Fire.”
Mayer will be on the air all day on Thanksgiving, beginning at 2 p.m. ET, when he'll start taking calla and playing music before Joel's chat. Future guests on the show include Shawn Mendes and Maren Morris. Mayer's year-round SiriusXM channel Life With John Mayer is on Ch. 14. or anytime in the SiriusXM app.
Watch a preview of “How's Life” featuring Billy Joel below.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/john-mayer-hows-life-interview-series-siriusxm-billy-joel-1235837994/
