Lee DeWyze Still Deciding on A Label For Spring Release

By On 01/03/2012 · 82 Comments · In American Idol, Lee Dewyze

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In an interview with the Chicago Red Eye, conducted as he was waiting to take the stage at the Hard Rock Hotel in Chicago on New Years Eve, Season 9 Idol winner, Lee DeWyze talked about his upcoming album.

Lee has yet to officially decide on a new record label, but he says he was approached by one major label and a few independent ones.

As far as the sound of the new album, Lee says it will include a few folk country songs, which he describes as “Jason Aldean-meets-Keith Urban.” and are a result of writing music in Nashville.

“This album will be much different than the last album as far as creative control on it,” says Lee, “I definitely have been able to write the songs I want to write and take my time on it.”

“I was able to write on the last album, but the last album had a bunch of songs I liked that didn’t get on the album. And that one, I had only three months,” explains Lee, “This one, I have almost a year to get this to where I want it to be.”

Earlier this year, Lee parted ways with RCA records. Lee’s post-Idol debut, Live it Up, is the lowest selling Idol winner’s album to date.

“Was I surprised?” Lee said about RCA’s decision. “I’ll say this: They were great when I was with them. Do I feel I got the support that was needed to promote the album – especially after coming off an ‘Idol’ type show? No, I don’t. But I’m not on that end of it. It’s easy to sit here and say that.”

Lee plans to release his next album in the spring of 2012.

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  • Anonymous

    Total slander.  This is beyond a reasonable opinion. Hopefully this comment will get deleted also.  Stop driving your agenda

  • Anonymous

    I agree – It’s clear RCA is the one that stumbled by trying to market Lee as Pop Rock. Lee played Dave Matthews Band’s Crash into Me on NYE and it was GREAT.  
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Htw6zhsViW8

  • Mateja Praznik

    RCA did what they could. Let’s face it, season 9 was not popular and I don’t think Sony was excited about anyone. It doesn’t seem like they tried too hard to keep their Idol contract.

    Expecting that major label would let any Idol contestant to release the same type of stuff that indie labels do is a bit too optimistic. RCA tried to make some money off Lee and they thought pop/rock direction was the best way to do it. It didn’t work. They moved on. Lee did too. Hopefully, he finds a way to support himself.

  • Anonymous

    I haven’t seen any mention about 19 recordings, Lee is still signed with them and my understanding is facilitating the writing and recording. I honestly can’t say if I prefer Lee go with a major or indie, it is completely up to what vision he has for the album and his career. I agree there are tradeoffs and the support and exposure of a major vs. The freedom of an indie. I don’t have any expectations of superstardom or even trying to fit on radio or in the mainstream realm. I’ll just be thrilled to have an album full of the music Lee wants to share with the world and if I can see him live again somewhere that would be double super.

  • happyhexer

    Congratulations to Lee and his fans!  I know that is premature, because nothing is set in stone yet, but it does seem like Lee is moving forward with his new album.

    I think Lee’s two pre-Idol CDs show a lot of promise.  I know I bought several tracks and enjoy them immensely.

    I wouldn’t take the folk-country thing too literally.  Sometimes it’s hard to describe or label music that may have multiple influences.  I know I had a hard time describing Little Big Town’s CD, “A Place to Land.”  It’s country, but also has some folk, pop, and rock influences, and a few others I haven’t identified yet.

    As for major label versus independent label, I don’t know which would be better for Lee.  I just hope it’s a label that believes Lee has talent and has an idea of how to market him, as opposed to a label that throws artists against the wall to see which ones stick.

    All other things being equal, a major label should be better because presumably it would have more access to resources and more influence at radio, etc.  But some acts end up being successful on independent labels, like Taylor Swift on Big Machine Records and Jason Aldean on Broken Bow Records.  That may be more the exception than the rule, but still . . . ??? 

  • Dlynne

    Folk music is not a departure for Lee. Cat Stevens was one of his earliest influences and some of his preIdol music would be considered folk music. He even sang some Mumford & Sons during his gig on NYE. That said, I will buy whatever he records. I love his voice.

    And if I had to guess, I’d say the major label is probably Warner. It would be a good fit, too. I hope that’s the route he takes because it’s just so dang hard to make it as an Indie artist. I’m also betting that this album is largely acoustic which would speed up the production process to get the album out in the spring.

  • http://twitter.com/KWOnlyDreaming Karen W.

    I agree…..whoever picks up Lee really needs to know how to market him.  RCA clearly did not. With that being said, I did still love his Live it Up cd. He did say above that he wrote a bunch of songs that didn’t make the album and maybe some of those were more his style.  Anyway,  I’m looking forward to any music he puts out in 2012.

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