Jake Thistle

S24 · Eliminated (13th–14th)

As of September 25, 2026

Jake Thistle self-released Down the Line in late 2020 and released the 7-track album The Half Left Out on November 17, 2023. Joe Riccitelli signed him to Gold’n Retriever Entertainment, a subsidiary of Red Light Management. Sessions with Butch Walker yielded the 2025 singles The City Whispers and Alone, Together. He reached the Top 14 of American Idol in 2026, had graduated from Rutgers University by July 6, 2026, and released the 13-song album A Stranger By Design on September 25, 2026. The Half Left Out and A Stranger By Design are each described as his sophomore album.⁠[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Career

Before the show

  1. December 12, 2020He self-released the album Down the Line in late 2020. Store dates for that title are December 12, 2020 and June 6, 2021.⁠[1][3]
  2. November 17, 2023The Half Left Out, a 7-track album, came out on November 17, 2023.⁠[2][3]
  3. June 11, 2025The City Whispers, from sessions with Butch Walker, came out on June 11, 2025.⁠[1][3]
  4. October 10, 2025Alone, Together came out on October 10, 2025.⁠[2][3]

During or around the show

  1. February 20, 2026Sleep on Me, recorded live in Boston with members of Tom Odell’s band, came out on February 20, 2026.⁠[1][3]

After the show

  1. May 11, 2026Hiding in the Vacancy came out on May 11, 2026.⁠[3][5]
  2. September 25, 2026The 13-song album A Stranger By Design was available on September 25, 2026. On September 24 it was still described as arriving the next day.⁠[4][6][7]

Date not documented

  1. He had graduated from Rutgers University by July 6, 2026.⁠[4][5]
  2. In an interview published July 6, 2026, he said a Wonder Bar show on July 8 would start an East Coast and Midwest run for the rest of July, with band dates planned from September through December.⁠[5]
  3. Joe Riccitelli signed him to Gold’n Retriever Entertainment, a subsidiary of Red Light Management.⁠[1][2]

Discography

TitleTypeYearLabelRIAA certificationU.S. sales
Down the Line⁠[1][3]Album2020Jake Thistle LLC
The Half Left Out⁠[2][3]Album2023GOLD’N RETRIEVER RECORDS
Jake Thistle Live at the Transparent Clinch Gallery⁠[3][10][11]Live album2024GOLD’N RETRIEVER RECORDS
A Stranger By Design⁠[6][7]Album2026GOLDN RETRIEVER RECORDS

Awards

Checked October 8, 2026; none found.

Other activity

  • 2026In 2026 he reached the Top 14 of American Idol.⁠[4]

Sources

11 sources

  1. Jake Thistle — About — Jake Thistle. Label or artist. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
    Cited parts (8)
    • About: “Down the Line, in late 2020”
    • About: “signed Thistle to Gold’n Retriever Entertainment and h”
    • About: “self-released his debut album, Down the Line, in late 2020”
    • About: “The City Whispers”
    • About: “Butch Walker”
    • About: “Sleep on Me”
    • About: “Tom Odell”
    • About: “debut album, Down the Line, in late 2020”
  2. Makin Waves with Jake Thistle: Anchored by Sincerity — The Aquarian, published June 30, 2026. News report. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
    Cited parts (5)
    • Profile: “2023’s The Half Left Out”
    • Profile: “subsidiary of Red Light Management, one of the larges”
    • Profile: “one of the largest independent management firms”
    • Profile: “sophomore album, 2023’s The Half Left Out”
    • Profile: “Alone, Together”
  3. iTunes album search: Jake Thistle — Apple. Release database. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
    Cited parts (8)
    • The Half Left Out: "releaseDate":"2023-11-17T08:00:00Z"
    • The Half Left Out: "trackCount":7
    • Down The Line: "releaseDate":"2020-12-12T08:00:00Z"
    • Down The Line: "copyright":"℗ 2020 Jake Thistle LLC"
    • Down The Line: "trackCount":12
    • Down the Line, 2021 edition: "releaseDate":"2021-06-06T07:00:00Z"
    • Down the Line, 2021 edition: "copyright":"℗ 2021 2729400 Records DK"
    • Ghosted Road: "releaseDate":"2022-12-16T08:00:00Z"
  4. Jake Thistle Captures a Life in Motion on A Stranger By Design — The Stardust, published September 24, 2026. News report. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
    Cited parts (4)
    • Interview: “Top 14 on American Idol”
    • Interview: “arriving September 25”
    • Interview: “Graduation followed”
    • Interview: “his run to the Top 14 on American Idol”
  5. From Rutgers to American Idol: Jake Thistle on Life Post-Idol — The Pop Break, published July 6, 2026. News report. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
    Cited parts (5)
    • Interview: “newly graduated from Rutgers University”
    • Interview: “Hiding in the Vacancy”
    • Date: “July 6, 2026”
    • Interview: “Wonder Bar on July 8”
    • Interview: “September through December”
  6. Jake Thistle - A Stranger by Design (Track by Track) — Podcast Guru, published September 25, 2026. News report. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
    Cited parts (5)
    • Episode date and description: “SEP 25, 2026”
    • Description: “all thirteen songs”
    • Description: “is now available on all streaming platforms”
    • Description: “thirteen songs”
    • Description: “A Stranger by Design, is now available”
  7. iTunes lookup: A Stranger By Design (6808386067) — Apple. Release database. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
    Cited parts (5)
    • A Stranger By Design: "releaseDate":"2026-09-25T07:00:00Z"
    • A Stranger By Design: "trackCount":13
    • Album: "releaseDate":"2026-09-25T07:00:00Z"
    • Album: "copyright":"℗ 2026 GOLDN RETRIEVER RECORDS"
    • Album: "trackCount":13
  8. List of American Idol finalists — Wikipedia, updated June 10, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (1)
    • Contestants table, row Jake Thistle: Season 24, Place finish 13th-14th
  9. American Idol season 24 — Wikipedia, updated July 18, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (1)
    • Top 14 – Songs of Faith (March 30) section and table (Eliminated); Elimination chart, row Jake Thistle: Pl. 13, 3/30 column: “No contestants were eliminated on March 30, as the social media votes were not totaled by the end of the broadcast. The eliminations were announced during the April 6 broadcast.”
  10. MusicBrainz release groups for Jake Thistle — MusicBrainz. Release database. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
    Cited parts (2)
    • Release group: “Jake Thistle Live at the Transparent Clinch Gallery”
    • Release group: "first-release-date": "2024-06-28"
  11. MusicBrainz artist Jake Thistle (URL relationships) — MusicBrainz. Release database. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
    Cited parts (1)
    • Official homepage: “https://jakethistle.com/”

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