Lee DeWyze

Lee DeWyze issued a pair of self-released records that showcased his blend of gravelly vocals and introspective acoustic material before capturing the title in the ninth season of American Idol. Ministry guitarist Louis Svitek served as both producer and mentor on the debut solo effort, 2007's So I'm Told; Slumberland appeared several years afterward. During those years DeWyze kept a job at a paint store to cover living expenses.

His profile rose sharply in 2010 when, at age 23, he joined the American Idol competition. Amid numerous guitar-playing vocalists, his careful song selections set him apart, ultimately allowing him to defeat runner-up Crystal Bowersox and claim the crown on May 26, 2010. A cover of U2's "Beautiful Day" appeared as his debut single on the same day, with the full-length Live It Up following later that year.

Live It Up opened at number 19 on the Billboard charts and drew limited interest despite a headlining tour. RCA declined to extend his recording contract in October 2011. While developing fresh material, DeWyze saw the 2012 release of What Once Was, a set of unreleased tracks taken from his early independent albums So I'm Told (2007) and Slumberland (2010).

He returned with original songs on 2013's Frames, issued by Vanguard Records. The album marked a return to roots-oriented folk-pop and featured writing and production input from Drew Pearson, Shelly Fairchild, Rick Seibold, Toby Gad, and others. Singles "Silver Lining" and "Fight" helped Frames reach number 116 on the Billboard 200. Crowdfunding financed his fifth studio album, Oil & Water, which arrived on Shanachie Records in 2016. DeWyze turned to synthesizers and atmospheric textures for Paranoia, also released by Shanachie in 2018.