Blake Lewis Is Dropped From Record Label at FANGIRLY

Looks like “American Idol” Season 6 runner up, Blake Lewis is not only getting dropped from his record label, Arista. “American Idol” affiliated 19 Management is doing the same. Tough break! I actually really like him!

I don’t think mainstream pop radio is for him though, I could see myself listening to him on my Electronic music channel on my satellite radio. I still like him!

Here’s a recent interview from The Boston Herald:

Herald: Without a label, was this tour a scramble to put together?

Lewis: It’s been a little bit of scramble. This tour should have happened in January, February or March. I did a radio promotion tour by myself then and I could have been playing every night. There’s a lot of stuff that’s happened that has not happened with the label I was with.

Why didn’t Arista get behind the record?

They were at first. But a lot of the people who were got fired because of the industry’s troubles. The people that stepped in didn’t call me or e-mail me for like two months. So I waited and waited and waited, while I could have stepped up and toured. (Laughs) It’s kinda nice to have a label’s support when you’re on a label.

So what have you been doing while you’ve been waiting around?

A lot. I’m producing a record, “Orchestral Drive-By.” It (sounds like) Massive Attack and Zero 7 meets (crunk hip-hop group) the Glitch Mob.

Wow, that sounds nothing like typical “American Idol” pop.

Yeah, electronica’s my first love so my next record will be more glitchy and more moody. But it will still have the pop qualities I love.

If you had to do “Audio Day Dream” over again, would you have made it edgier?

I’m the first person off that show to do a record that he really wanted to do and had a big part in it. But not all my ideas came to fruition on it. I didn’t know what having (record-industry honcho) Clive Davis behind something would be like. I didn’t know if he was behind the project or just blowing smoke up my (rear). I didn’t want him to be my executive producer; I wanted a musician, not a business man. So that was frustrating. It was all “hurry up, hurry up, and get this out to the ‘American Idol’ fan train,” but I would have rather spent more time on it.

Did they push you to do a lot of those big “Idol” ballads?

Yeah, and I’m not a balladeer. I’m more of a dance artist and electronic artist. I also would have liked to produce more of it because I’m as much of a producer as a performer.

Are you worried you won’t be able to jump-start this second act in your career?

Um, well, no. My record label did so many stupid things, like not putting me out in Europe. I think I’ll get more fans when I start touring over there and hitting those markets.

Has “American Idol” run its course?

I don’t know. I never watched it before my season and didn’t watch it while I was on. But I did have to watch some last year because people kept asking about it on my radio tour. I was kind of bitter they got to play instruments. The good thing is that (producer and “So You Think You Can Dance” judge) Nigel Lythgoe stepped out. Some of his ideas were cool, but they were old. He’s an old British dude and they need someone hip running the show.

Has “Idol” put a stigma on your name? Are you stereotyped and will you have trouble breaking free of that stereotype?

Yes and no. I guess my music speaks for itself. Some people have heard my drum ’n’ bass stuff and may have no idea I was on “American Idol.” The stigma of “American Idol” is a little bit sucky, just a little bit, because as a performer people now know me for other people’s songs. Yeah, I twisted them and made them my own, but it’s not my show, it’s not my music.