Stockleigh country singer Jake Whittaker has released his first track since leaving the Australian Idol stage.
As the humble musician comes to terms with his growing celebrity, he says the new single In My Blood speaks to the core of who he is.
The song was co-written with fellow Logan West musician and friend James Johnston, who placed third on the seventh season of Australian Idol in 2009.
“The phrase [‘in my blood’] popped into my head earlier that day, and I knew I wanted to use it,” Mr Whittaker, who was raised in Logan’s west, said.
“We kind of sat there and discussed what ‘in my blood’ is. For me personally, it’s the country life, country living, and music.
“It will always be a part of my life in some capacity, no matter how big or small. It’s a part of me, it’s in my blood.”
He said the song would resonate with everyone in that way.
“It could be trucking, could be horses, or could be gaming – whatever they have and whatever their passion is, everyone has something that runs in their blood and they live for it.
“Whatever it is, that’s where we connect.”
The song features local producer Jared Adlam on most instruments, Reece Baines on drums, and was mastered by Paul Blakey.
While it isn’t Mr Whittaker’s first rodeo, this single is an introduction to thousands of new fans he picked up while performing on the small screen.
He entered the most recent season of Australian Idol with a memorable rendition of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
The singer-songwriter made it to the coveted top six before his Idol journey came to an end following a heartfelt performance of Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud, a song he dedicated to his fiancée, Nikki, and young son Eddie.
“This song is about devotion and love. That’s exactly what Nikki and I have for each other,” he said at the time.
“There’s a bit of pressure, I suppose, singing to the two people I love the most in my life. But at least I know they’ll love me no matter what, however it comes out.”
Mr Whittaker has since said his time on Idol, while impactful, didn’t change much about his approach to music.
“I’ve always been who I am, and I made sure that on the TV show, I was unapologetically myself.
“I really was true to my branding – I’m a country boy, I’m a family man, and I love country music.
“But I did learn things. It did challenge me. I didn’t get to sing a single country-written song the whole time.
“I had to turn non-country songs country – I had to Jake-ify them – and that in itself was a challenge.”
