By all manner and means, Lee DeWyze has not been your average American Idol success story. After being dealt a bad hand by RCA, he was dropped by the label, leaving him without the immediate “superstar” success of a Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood. In its place, however, lies a budding career that may come as a surprise to the unassuming eye. Since his Idol win in 2009, DeWyze has established himself as a musical troubadour in a scene primarily occupied by divas and starlets, making for multiple critical successes of his own.

Even on the mainstream circuit, DeWyze has become a respectable tour de force. His standalone single, “Blackbird Song,” was picked up by The Walking Dead during its fourth season and has often been associated by fans of the show as one of its best tracks. Similarly, he has received some well-deserved love for his Frames single, “Don’t Be Afraid,” on the CW medieval drama Reign. These are 2 individual cases within which television agencies have seen the merit in his skills as a songwriter, highlighting poignant additions to an already impressive post-Idol resume.

The true glory of all of DeWyze’s recent successes are that they are entirely handcrafted. Instead of having to hold a management company or record label’s hand throughout the production of his latest album, Frames, the record was something that he had full control on. Able to stretch his own creative muscle, DeWyze has put out some of the best music by an Idol winner in years, and is now, finally, catching on with a wider audience.

For now? DeWyze is in a transitional phase. He continues to kink out his own path, at last freed from the bindings that emerging victorious from a reality show might place you into, and the world is, essentially, his musical oyster.

Lee resumes touring on Feb. 11 in Cleveland with Tragic Thrills. For more information, visit The Tribune and Lee’s official website.

Keep Up With PopWrapped On The Web!