Mayer Hawthorne

Andrew Cohen performs under the whimsical stage name Mayer Hawthorne, an unexpected soul persona that has evolved into an enduring creative outlet marked by a rich and varied discography steeped in classic R&B traditions yet marked by growing sophistication and stylistic range. Formerly active as a DJ and beatmaker, he introduced the moniker with the 2008 single "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out," a bittersweet pop-soul track deliberately evoking a worn, homemade quality while nodding to falsetto greats including Smokey Robinson and Curtis Mayfield. As a multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, and vocalist, Cohen secured a major-label deal that yielded three albums reaching the upper reaches of Billboard's R&B/hip-hop chart: the second, third, and fourth releases in his catalog, How Do You Do (2011), Where Does This Door Go (2013), and Man About Town (2016). While those projects, along with the independent tracks later gathered on Rare Changes (2020), incorporated smooth funk and relaxed West Coast AOR rock elements within a contemporary framework, Cohen also pursued parallel paths through the duo Jaded Incorporated alongside 14KT and the duo Tuxedo alongside Jake One, later extending his reach into production for other performers. He contributed to the creation of Doja Cat's Top 40 single "Attention" ahead of issuing his atmospheric and expansive sixth solo effort, For All Time (2023).

Born in Ann Arbor and raised along Hawthorne Road, Andrew Mayer Cohen began performing in the late 1990s as part of Athletic Mic League before moving on to Now On and its associated production team Lab Techs, where he used the aliases Haircut and D.Techtive. He and his Now On associates relocated to Los Angeles in the mid-2000s. On a whim, Cohen recorded a spare two-track demo in the style of a retro one-man soul outfit and shared copies among acquaintances. A mutual contact connected him with Peanut Butter Wolf, who was struck by the material and initially mistook the recordings for obscure late-'60s or early-'70s soul reissues, leading Cohen to sign with the producer and DJ's respected Stones Throw imprint. He launched the Hawthorne project in 2008 via the double-sided single "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out" b/w "When I Said Goodbye," two gritty, wistful heartbreak narratives issued on red heart-shaped 7" vinyl. A subsequent 12" containing his version of New Holidays' little-known 1969 recording "Maybe So Maybe No" appeared soon after and set the stage for A Strange Arrangement, which arrived in September 2009 and reached number 147 on the Billboard 200 while climbing to number 55 on the R&B/hip-hop chart.

Following the live release Stones Throw Direct to Disc #1 and several interim singles, Cohen completed his second album, How Do You Do, under contract with major-label Universal Republic. The buoyant single "A Long Time" propelled the October 2011 project to number eight on the R&B/hip-hop chart and number 52 on the pop chart. Though the songs displayed greater refinement than his debut, Cohen maintained production oversight while enlisting assistance from Snoop Dogg and veteran guitarist Dennis Coffey. For the follow-up Where Does This Door Go, he assembled an extensive roster of collaborators and explored his interest in yacht rock; among the co-producers were Pharrell Williams, Warren "Oak" Felder, and Jack Splash, while Kendrick Lamar, Marsha Ambrosius, and Jessie Ware contributed vocals. The July 2013 album entered at number ten on the R&B/hip-hop tally and number 30 on the pop side. Months afterward, a special all-7" pressing of How Do You Do earned a Grammy nomination in the Best Boxed or Special Limited-Edition Package category.

Between his third and fourth Mayer Hawthorne albums, Cohen initiated two side ventures. Jaded Incorporated paired him with fellow Athletic Mic League veteran 14KT, and their sole album The Big Knock revived synth pop and proto-techno in a Detroit-inflected manner. He later joined occasional collaborator Jake One for the first of the Tuxedo LPs, which drew inspiration from post-disco R&B. Cohen then shifted the Mayer Hawthorne project from Universal Republic to Vagrant for Man About Town, a smoother and more streamlined collection issued in April 2016 that reached number six on the R&B/hip-hop chart and number 90 on the pop chart. While Tuxedo continued with Tuxedo II and Tuxedo III, Cohen maintained activity under the Hawthorne name through additional EPs and singles such as Party of One, "The Game," and "Over." These and other 2019–2020 tracks were collected in December 2020 as Rare Changes on his own Big Bucks imprint.

In the intervals between albums, Cohen expanded his work as a writer and producer, contributing to Doja Cat's Grammy-nominated 2021 album Planet Her—specifically the track "Options" featuring JID—and to her 2023 follow-up Scarlet, as well as participating in the team that shaped the number 31 pop hit "Attention." He also appeared on Alice Ivy's "Howlin' at the New Moon." For his own releases, Cohen established the P&L Records label and delivered his sixth full-length, For All Time, in October 2023, preceded by dreamy, psychedelic cuts including "The Pool" and the title track.