John Mayer wants to hear from fans ... by snail mail: Let's 'return to naturalism'

The singer wrote, "Let’s correspond. Real paper. Real ink. Real names."

ByABC News
January 12, 2018, 10:12 AM

— -- Remember back in the day when there was no social media or internet, and if you wanted to tell your favorite star how much you loved them, you had to write them a fan letter?

Well, John Mayer wants to return to those days, and he wants you to come with him. The singer on Instagram encouraged his fans to write to him on pen and paper, saying he'd respond in kind.

"2018: a return to naturalism. Let’s correspond. Real paper. Real ink. Real names," Mayer, 40, began.

PHOTO: John Mayer performs at The Forum on Dec. 31, 2017 in Inglewood, Calif.
John Mayer performs at The Forum on Dec. 31, 2017 in Inglewood, Calif.

The singer continued, "Here’s the plan: get yourself a typewriter (@californiatypewriter and Etsy have some great ones) and send me a one page, properly formatted letter (formal or informal) and I will reply to a few every morning. Include return envelope/postage if you’re overseas."

Mayer then provided an address where you can write to him: P.O. Box 3784, Beverly Hills, CA 90212, United States.

The Grammy-winner's request for fans to write to him using a typewriter isn't a coincidence: He's such a fan of them that he even appears in a documentary called "California Typewriter," about one of the last typewriter shops in America.

Mayer is one of several celebrities featured in the movie talking about the joys of typing things on an old-fashioned machine.

He explains that he became intrigued at the permanence of words on paper after he saw a documentary showing Bob Dylan typing out his lyrics, and seeing other typewritten lyrics at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Tom Hanks, a noted typewriter enthusiast who has more than 200 machines in his collection, is also featured in the movie.