Billy Joel and John Mayer Don't Love the Sound of Their Own Voices: 'If I Only Had a Couple More Notes' (Exclusive)

"I always wanted to sing like somebody else," Joel admits to Mayer on the inaugural episode of 'How's Life,' a new interview series on SiriusXM's 'Life with John Mayer'

Billy Joel and John Mayer both remain at the top of their game — but there's still an adjustment or two they wouldn't mind making even this far into their careers.

Interviewing Joel, 75, for the inaugural episode of "How's Life," his new interview series on SiriusXM's Life with John Mayer, the guitarist pondered if there's anything the "Piano Man" singer still needs to make accommodations for in his recordings or legendary live shows.

"Was there something you wish you could have done as a writer or singer that you couldn't and you had to work around it? Like, I wish I could sing — I wish I could have written [Sting's] 'If You Love Somebody Set Them Free.' If I could have gone [attempts falsetto] 'If you love somebody...' I'll never do it!" Mayer, 47, admitted in a clip from the chat premiering exclusively on PEOPLE.

"Have you always felt like you still had to work within a range? I know it's a strange thing to say 'you wished you had more' when you have so many songs you've written that were incredible, but did you ever feel like, 'Ah, if I only had a couple more notes I'd be able to get that out?'"

Joel conceded, "I always wanted to sing like somebody else — I never liked my own voice."

"Me too," Mayer said, as Joel continued, "I would go in the studio and do a recording and I'd come back in the control room and listen — 'Oh God, it's that guy. I'm always disappointed — no matter how good I thought the writing was, I never liked my own voice. Always wanted to sound like somebody else."

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The "Last Train Home" songwriter then wondered if Joel carries the thought forward when playing live as well, asking, "Do you ever do the thing like a kid playing basketball in the driveway pretending he's an athlete? Do you reference other artists?"

"Yes, all the time," Joel replied. "It's flashes of people. Ray Charles, Sting ... people with these wonderful voices. Even Elvis Costello — sometimes I'm trying to channel him. It's all over the place."

The musicians then discussed what runs through their minds when they're playing live — everything from wondering if there's a "lull" in the set to what they think when they see concertgoers ascending the stairs while they're still onstage.

"You're thinking about the psychology of the audience's attention span. I would say a great show has no middle — your shows have no middle. You're at the beginning and you're enjoying it and then you realize, 'Oh we're wrapping up,'" Mayer commented. "Can someone get in your head if you see them get up and walk away? 'Where's he going, where's he going?'"

Joel agreed, "Yes, absolutely."

"I used to see people leave right before the encore and you know, you understand they've got to go somewhere [but] I always felt like lying to them and saying, 'Ladies and gentlemen, Tom Petty!'" Mayer joked. "Just to make them angry — I wanted some other reason to make them stay I was so upset."

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The full episode of "How's Life" will premiere at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 28 after Mayer’s live Thanksgiving Day Life with John Mayer broadcast, where he will be playing music and taking calls from listeners all afternoon on SiriusXM, beginning at 2p.m. ET. The series launch celebrates one-year of Mayer's SiriusXM channel, and will feature interviews with his musician friends such as Maren Morris and Shawn Mendes.