Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Three years ago, country singer-songwriter Brent Keith appeared to be one of the most promising contestants on American Idol.

Then came that year’s Top 36 semifinal mess.

If you don’t recall, that was the year Idol split the semifinalists into groups of 12 and had a different group perform each week, with voters selecting three to advance. Then the judges added four more picks.

The result: Perhaps the least diverse cast of finalists we’ve ever seen on the show. I mean, if you wanted to listen to guys who wanted to sing pop with a touch of soul, you were in luck. Otherwise … oh, well, at least we had Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta.

Anyway, Brent and several other very talented singers got lost in the shuffle.

Now the Nashville resident has launched a Kickstarter campaign in hopes of releasing an album, tentatively called “Songs from the Heartland.”  His goal: $15,000.  His deadline: June 29.

It’s not as though Brent hasn’t enjoyed some musical success. He made the top 10 on Nashville Star in 2004. A song he recorded called “Looking for the Road” was the theme song for the movie “Dale,” based on the life of Dale Earnhardt.

As for the album, Brent says in his Kickstarter video that he wants to bring together songs he’s written and co-written “that are really personal to me.”

“I want to make this thing completely independently,” he says. “No special producer trying to make it sound like they want it to. I want it to sound like I want it to.”

To learn more about Brent’s Kickstarter campaign, head here.

Meanwhile, here’s “Looking for the Road” so you can re-familiarize yourself with him.