Bayan haka, Mayer ya yi la'akari da tsallake koleji don bin waƙarsa, amma iyayensa sun hana shi. Ya shiga Kwalejin Kiɗa na Berklee a 1997 yana da shekaru 19. A kan shawarar abokinsa na koleji Clay Cook, sun bar Berklee bayan semesters biyu kuma suka koma Atlanta. A can, sun kafa ƙungiyar maza biyu da ake kira LoFi Masters, kuma suka fara yin wasan kwaikwayo a gidajen kofi na gida da wuraren kulob kamar Eddie's Attic. A cewar Cook, sun sami bambance-bambance na kiɗa saboda sha'awar Mayer na matsawa zuwa kiɗan pop. Hanyoyi biyu sun rabu kuma Mayer ya fara aiki na solo. Tare da taimakon mai samar da gida da injiniya Glenn Matullo, Mayer ya rubuta EP mai zaman kansa Inside Out Wants. EP ya ƙunshi waƙoƙi takwas tare da Mayer a kan wakoki da guitar.
waƙoƙi takwas