Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Jon Peter Lewis has released a new album that includes eight cover songs.

He covers a wide range of artists on the eight-track project, from The Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb” to the Carpenters “Superstar.”

But there’s logic behind the song choices, Jon Peter assures fans on Facebook.

The songs were included on a CD a friend gave him in early 2010.

“I wore out the CD player in my truck listening to it,” Jon Peter recalls. “It was a rough year and those songs got me through some pretty hard times. So, when I started thinking of a new album it felt natural to cover some of the songs from that CD.

“I don’t expect this to mean as much to you as it does to me, but I have really enjoyed making this album and I hope you enjoy it too.”

Highlights include Jon Peter’s cover of Arthur Russell’s “A Little Lost” and his version of the Tom Waits-penned “Anywhere I Lay My Head.”

Jon Peter finished eighth on American Idol back in Season 3. Nine years later, he was on TV again as one-half of Midas Whale, a duo that also includes Ryan Hayes.

They turned four chairs in the blind audition and advanced to the knockouts before being eliminated. Only one duo, The Swon Brothers from the same season, has ever made it farther on The Voice.

Midas Whale followed up on The Voice success with a debut album called “Sugar House” in Feburary 2014.

How about more Midas Whale music?

“We’re writing like crazy,” the duo reports on Facebook. “Stay tuned!”

Jon Peter also released a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Not Dark Yet” earlier this year after the death of his father.