This week, I’m joined by American Idol Top 20 contestant and New Jersey artist Jake Thistle to talk about his experience performing on one of television’s biggest music stages.

Jake shares what it’s really like behind the scenes of American Idol — from the strategy behind song choices (including his audition take on Blind Faith’s “Can’t Find My Way Home”) to the pressure of performing original music in front of the judges and a national audience, as he did with his song “Sleep On Me.”

We also dive into his roots in the New Jersey music scene, the artists who helped shape his sound — including Tom Petty and John Hiatt  ...