If you come across up-and-coming singer-songwriter John Mayer, chances are he'll be smiling. Lately, he's got a lot to smile about: sold out shows all over the U.S. on his Room For Squares tour; high-profile opening gigs for bands such as the Wallflowers; and his recent signing to the Aware/Columbia record label. Not bad work for someone who's still just 23 years old. Mayer was raised in suburban Connecticut, where discovered the blues at age 13. After a brief stint as a would-be guitar slinger, Mayer turned his attention instead to developing his songwriting skills, and enrolled briefly at Boston's Berklee College of Music at age 19 before realizing that he was supposed to be playing music, not studying it. After moving to Georgia, Mayer became a regular on the Atlanta singer-songwriter circuit, independently releasing his debut album, Inside Wants Out, a mix of solo acoustic and band performances. Last year, following a performance at the prestigious South By Southwest music conference, Mayer was courted by several labels before ultimately signing with Aware/Columbia Records. His major-label debut, Room for Squares, is a full-band affair produced by John Alagia (Dave Matthews Band, Ben Folds Five). Mayer, currently touring in support of the album, recently took some time out of his hectic summer tour schedule to chat with StarPolish writer Jamie Abzug about his success, breaking free of comparisons, and oddly, socks.