COOL BEAUTY JOHN WILLETT

John Willett is the solo project of Johnathon Mayer, former singer and songwriter of Milwaukee’s Surgeons in Heat. His debut record, Cool Beauty, arrives in spring of 2027.

Cool Beauty began at a cabin in Merrimac, Wisconsin, where Mayer and drummer Craig Leren recorded the album’s basic tracks. Mayer continued recording at home and in Chicago at The Mango Pit, working with Josh Wells (Destroyer) to develop the songs into their finished form. Wells served as engineer and mixer, refining the recordings while contributing additional instrumentation that helped shape the album’s sound.

Built around bright melodies, jangling guitars, and richly layered arrangements, Cool Beauty pairs the warmth of classic pop with a more unsettled emotional undercurrent. Mayer’s songs trace the confusion of relationships coming apart, moving between longing, frustration, self-doubt, and reluctant acceptance. The result is a record that balances melodic immediacy with introspection, finding beauty in the space between what we know and what we’re ready to accept.