[timr]

To be fair, John Mayer started as an independent. His first album was self-published. He did a tour where he drove from gig to gig in his own car. Even after getting a contract, he played unglamorous gigs second-fiddle to guys like Glen Phillips (the lead singer of Toad the Wet Sprocket) at dinky clubs in Seattle.

Sure, he's hit the mainstream, but the guy knows something about being independent.

[cyanbane]

I second this. I haven't been too big of a fan of his latest work, but I bought my first John Mayer album physically from John Mayer. To say he doesn't understand independents isn't true.

[timr]

Me too. I have a signed copy of his second album that I bought from him directly, by handing him cash, in a club. That's about as independent as it gets.