Lee DeWyze is an American singer-songwriter who boldly intertwines rootsy folk sounds with pop influences, creating emotionally profound music that resonates deeply with listeners.
DeWyze’s career spans nearly two decades, starting with the release of his first album, “So I’m Told,” in 2007. Three years later, DeWyze won the ninth season of American Idol before releasing two more albums that same year.
Currently on tour, DeWyze will perform at Yellow & Co. in Mahomet on Oct. 17 as he continues to promote his most recent album, “Gone For Days.”
“Gone For Days” is delicately moody and sincere, plunging into themes of introspection and renewal. The album was released in late August and reached No. 1 on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter Chart.
DeWyze told The Daily Illini in an interview that he didn’t have any expectations about the album’s performance and instead focused on creating something authentic.
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“I think expectation can, at times, be the downfall of creativity and art in general,” DeWyze said. “If you’re making something that’s honest and real, and you’re doing it with an expectation — whether it be accolades or financial — it can lead you down a bad path. It starts to dictate and narrate your creativity.”
DeWyze said he approached the creative process of “Gone For Days” differently than previous records. He reflected and crafted parts of the album in Tennessee rather than Los Angeles and said he wrote “80% of the songs on the front porch across from a funeral home.”
“I just kind of felt like I was at a point in my career where I needed to do something different,” DeWyze said. “I needed something for me, and I knew that I wanted to really explore a more personal side.”
To DeWyze, songwriting gives people the space to feel, connect and open up.
“Writing from a very honest place, about things that I think everyone experiences, it really allows you to connect with the listener,” DeWyze said. “That’s really my goal as a songwriter — to be that emotional locksmith.”
The album features themes of self-exploration and rebirth, which DeWyze said has largely to do with being out in nature and having the ability to reflect during the songwriting process.
“It’s a culmination of all these things that kind of led me to a place where I was able to, rather than hide from the monsters in the closet, to sit and hang out with them,” DeWyze said. “It’s actually comforting after a while.”
With “Gone For Days,” DeWyze aimed to create something he genuinely loved, hoping that if he loved it, others would too.
Reflecting on his post-American Idol journey, DeWyze expressed his desire to prove to the world that he wasn’t just “a guy who could get up and sing covers” but a real writer. This drive led him to start writing for TV and film, something that has significantly influenced his songwriting and evolution as an artist.
As a songwriter, DeWyze has over 70 sync credits in film and TV, notably including “The Walking Dead” with “Blackbird Song.”
“I get to step outside of my norm, and one of the more fun aspects of writing songs for TV … is that it’s kind of like acting,” DeWyze said. “I get to play a character and live in that.”
DeWyze sees music as one of the most important aspects of storytelling in television and film. To him, without music, “you lose 75% of the film.”
“I approach music cinematically because I see music visually,” DeWyze said. “I don’t see music in terms of music — these are the chords, these are the notes, etc. Whenever I write a song, I’m seeing a movie in my head.”
He plans on translating themes of self-reflection and renewal in his upcoming performance at Yellow & Co. as he connects with the audience in a deeply personal way.
“When people come to the show, what I’m always hoping for is that they leave feeling like they’ve experienced something special,” DeWyze said. “The audience can almost feel like the songs were written for them because there’s a big difference between singing at people and singing for people.”
DeWyze hopes the audience can leave his performance feeling like they had “a little musical therapy.”
“To those who know my music, come out, sing with me,” DeWyze said. “Experience it with me. Feel with me. Be a part of it with me. To those that maybe don’t know as much, I welcome them to come out to a show and see it and feel it and experience it … I’m realizing that my shows are not just shows. I think it really is an experience, and not just for the listener, but for me as well.”
