Jake Thistle
Season 24 · Eliminated (13th–14th)
Where are they now
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.
Key figures
- Career score3 points of 100Rank on Encore Index: #287 (tie) of 688
- Studio albums1 studio albumRank on Encore Index: #124 (tie) of 238
Career
- 2020
He self-released the album Down the Line in late 2020. Store dates for that title are December 12, 2020 and June 6, 2021.
- 2023
The Half Left Out, a 7-track album, came out on November 17, 2023.
- 2025
The City Whispers, from sessions with Butch Walker, came out on June 11, 2025.
- 2025
Alone, Together came out on October 10, 2025.
- 2026
American Idol, season 24
Eliminated (13th–14th)
- 2026
In 2026 he reached the Top 14 of American Idol.
- 2026
Sleep on Me, recorded live in Boston with members of Tom Odell’s band, came out on February 20, 2026.
- 2026
Hiding in the Vacancy came out on May 11, 2026.
- 2026
The 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.
More milestones
- Date not documented
He had graduated from Rutgers University by July 6, 2026.
- Date not documented
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.
- Date not documented
Joe Riccitelli signed him to Gold’n Retriever Entertainment, a subsidiary of Red Light Management.
Discography
| Title | Type | Year | Label | RIAA certification | U.S. sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Down the Line | Album | 2020 | Jake Thistle LLC | Not documented | Not documented |
| The Half Left Out | Album | 2023 | GOLD’N RETRIEVER RECORDS | Not documented | Not documented |
 Jake Thistle Live at the Transparent Clinch Gallery | Live album | 2024 | GOLD’N RETRIEVER RECORDS | Not documented | Not documented |
| A Stranger By Design | Album | 2026 | GOLDN RETRIEVER RECORDS | Not documented | Not documented |
Cover images: Cover Art Archive (MusicBrainz).
Sources
- Jake Thistle — About — Jake Thistle.
- Makin Waves with Jake Thistle: Anchored by Sincerity — The Aquarian, June 30, 2026.
- iTunes album search: Jake Thistle — Apple.
- Jake Thistle Captures a Life in Motion on A Stranger By Design — The Stardust, September 24, 2026.
- From Rutgers to American Idol: Jake Thistle on Life Post-Idol — The Pop Break, July 6, 2026.
- Jake Thistle - A Stranger by Design (Track by Track) — Podcast Guru, September 25, 2026.
- iTunes lookup: A Stranger By Design (6808386067) — Apple.
- List of American Idol finalists — Wikipedia, June 10, 2026.
- American Idol season 24 — Wikipedia, July 18, 2026.
- MusicBrainz release groups for Jake Thistle — MusicBrainz.
- MusicBrainz artist Jake Thistle (URL relationships) — MusicBrainz.
