Andy DehnartAmerican Idol 6 runner-up Blake Lewis has joined the increasing roster of former contestants dropped from their record labels, but he says he’s still working on a second album that he might release himself.
His first album, Audio Day Dream, was released seven months ago, which “makes his the shortest of all the relationships forged between former ‘Idol’ contenders and their various record labels,” MTV News reports.
“My contract with Arista is up, and they didn’t option me, so I’m with 19 Recordings and we’re working on booking a tour. Arista went through a lot of changes. The person who was working on my record was fired. … I guess in the world of radio, selling 300,000 is not a success. I beg to differ. I couldn’t be happier, and my fans are amazing and super-supportive,” Blake told MTV News.
He says he’s not bitter. “I got to make an album I’m proud of, and I worked my butt off on this music. Regardless of if it’s a huge mainstream success or not, I’ve been an independent artist for the last eight years, and I’ll keep it that way if I have to. I don’t think I got shafted — they treated me well. It’s just that the industry is eating itself alive. There are only three major labels left, and I have experienced the deterioration of the industry,” he said.
Now, Blake has “already written four songs for his sophomore LP, which he’s working on with his band’s drummer, Kevin ‘KJ’ Sawka,” and Blake “said he may release the disc through his own label, which he’s in the process of getting off the ground.”