Today’s guest makes me want to push through the rough times. Please welcome Blake Lewis. You might remember him from Season 6 of American Idol. But there is so much more to Blake than being one of the most unique contestants on one of the hottest properties on television. He grew up with his mom playing bluegrass banjo, which is why he rebelled into electronic music. He was the first contestant on Idol to beatbox. So, naturally, Blake talks about where that began and how that helped get him into his first professional band, Kickshaw. Soon after he was insanely busy playing shows, making music, and doing a musical improv show that he really was not all that interested in auditioning for American Idol. But he went to support a friend and things got crazy from the moment he registered. Blake is honest about how his season went, how it ended, the immediate aftermath, and what happened when the depression and anxiety kicked in. It’s a fascinating story that has shaped his professional career to this day. He talks about the differences between the show and the Idol tour and what he was and wasn’t allowed to do on both. Blake has released four studio albums and one live release. To me, each one is better than the previous and he has a lot of new music slated to come out in 2024. Check the music out wherever you buy and stream music; blakelewisofficial.com is a good place to start. Follow him @blakelewis on Instagram or the website for the latest news. Pick up a little of our merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or send us coffee money at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And now get ready to get your box beaten…no, I don’t like that. How about, here’s Blake Lewis on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices