“Whenever I get the chance to play bass, I always try to channel Paul McCartney. If I can, I’ll sneak in something inspired by Taxman or Come Together.” These are the words of Sean Hurley, a highly sought-after session bassist whose career includes working with icons like Gwen Stefani, Lana Del Rey, Robin Thicke, Alanis Morissette, and more. Among his most notable gigs is his long-running collaboration with John Mayer, which kicked off around 2011 after Hurley had joined Mayer for a couple of tours.
That partnership flourished during the recording of Queen of California and the Born and Raised album at New York’s legendary Electric Lady Studios. Working alongside Mayer, drummer Aaron Sterling, and pianist Chuck Leavell, Hurley found himself in a creative groove.
Hurley explains, “When you’re comfortable with an artist, that’s when the magic happens. You stop worrying about proving you deserve to be there and just focus on serving the song.”
How Sean Hurley Infused Beatles Magic into John Mayer’s Music
One example of this magic is Queen of California. Mayer introduced the song with a simple riff built around a B chord. Sean Hurley immediately saw an opportunity to take a McCartney-inspired approach. “I thought, ‘How can I play with the root, flat seventh, and fifth while twisting around those notes?’ It reminded me of Taxman or Come Together,” he explained.
Once Hurley locked into that groove, everything clicked. “It became the engine room, the foundation that kept everything spinning,” he said. From there, the rest of the track evolved naturally, with rhythmic nuances and syncopation shaping the final feel. Mayer approved right away, and the song grew organically from that initial bass idea.
Hurley’s instincts and creativity have since become a cornerstone of Mayer’s music, with his basslines featured prominently on Born and Raised (2012), Paradise Valley (2013), and Sob Rock (2021).
