John Mayer is running his own label again inside the major-label system. On Thursday, October 22, the singer, songwriter and guitarist announced Sob Rock Records, an imprint operated in partnership with Universal Music Group’s Mercury Records. The label borrows its name from Sob Rock, the 2021 album that closed out his long run with Columbia.
Back with a major after four years
Mayer stepped away from Columbia in 2022, saying on Instagram that he had chosen not to renew his recording contract with the company that had released every one of his studio albums. The Mercury pact ends that stretch as a free agent. Mercury chairman and CEO Tyler Arnold signed him personally, and Mayer now shares a label home with acts such as Post Malone, Noah Kahan and Morgan Wallen.
In a statement, Mayer said the relationship with Arnold and the Mercury staff had “already proven to be a great partnership,” adding that getting from an idea to a finished release had “never been easier or more rewarding.” Arnold described Mayer as “one of the greatest artists of all time” and said Mercury wants to help Sob Rock Records “bring his creative vision to life.”
“Tom and Jerry” opens the account
The imprint’s first release is “Tom and Jerry,” which arrived on streaming services on Friday, October 23. It is Mayer’s first solo single since Sob Rock, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Blake Slatkin produced the track with Mayer, and Serban Ghenea handled the mix. Ahead of its release, the song played throughout Thursday on Mayer’s SiriusXM channel, Life With John Mayer.
No album has been announced yet. Mayer does have a big live date on the calendar: a 21-show residency at Sphere in Las Vegas running from April through June 2027, featuring solo, full-band and trio sets. He previously played the venue in 2024 and 2025 as lead guitarist of Dead & Company.
For Mercury, the deal adds to a list of label partnerships that also includes Big Loud Records, home of Morgan Wallen.
Source: Billboard (additional reporting: Variety)
Featured image: John Mayer. Photo: Mark Seliger, via Billboard.