The Makin Waves Song of the Week is “The Only Man to Make It Through the Dance” from “A Stranger By Design,” the latest album by Jake Thistle. PHOTO BY KELLY BALCH
Following a Top 14 run on “American Idol,” singer-songwriter-guitarist Jake Thistle turns restless nights and road travels into his sophomore LP, “A Stranger by Design.”
The coming-of-age collection features "The Only Man to Make It Through the Dance,” the Makin Waves Song of the Week.
As the Makin Waves Song of the Week, “The Only Man to Make It Through the Dance” also can be heard between 6 and 8 p.m. on Oct. 2 on “Radio Jersey” at ThePenguinRocks.com. If you miss it, you can tune in any time in the archives at The Penguin, Mixcloud and RadioJersey.
Written and recorded across more than two years of profound change, the album captures Jake at a pivotal point in his life and career, turning highways, hotel rooms, sleepless nights and fleeting everyday observations into a collection rooted in longing, nostalgia, solitude and the uncertainty of growing into adulthood.
The release caps a transformative stretch for Jake that saw him leave his teenage years behind, graduate from Rutgers University, tour across 10 countries and reach the Top 14 on “American Idol.” Rather than simply documenting those milestones, “A Stranger by Design” looks inward at the moments between them, the quiet places and conversations where Jake found himself confronting who he had been, who he was becoming and the strange realization that adulthood doesn't arrive with an instruction manual.
"I was motivated to release this record to share where I've been the last few years," he said, "as well as show that I'm ready to close that chapter and take a new look at everything for the next project. On the surface, a lot of the songs are about some form of longing, nostalgia, or solitude. Most importantly, I just want the audience to feel something that keeps them coming back to both these specific songs and my writing as a whole."
Recorded in L.A. the album was co-produced by Jake, who also plays guitar, piano and keys. He’s joined by co-producer Billy Lefler on bass, drums and guitar, plus backing vocalist Sara Lindsay. The album was co-written with Jacob Kulick and April Rose Gabrielli, mixed by Ryan Lipman and mastered by Pierce Johnston.
Earlier this year, Jake reached the Top 14 on “American Idol,” earning widespread praise for performances, including "The Power of Love" and "Have a Little Faith in Me." The experience brought Jake's understated musicianship and storytelling to a national audience after years spent steadily building his career on stages throughout the United States and Europe.
Long recognized for his lyricism and musical storytelling, Jake has earned multiple awards from Indie Boulevard and was named a "Rising Music Star" by The Boston Herald.
Having celebrated the release of “A Stranger by Design” at the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music in West Long Brunch, Jake is on the road in support of the new LP. The tour expands west with stops in Vancouver, Portland, San Francisco, Hollywood and San Diego, before Jake heads back east for another run in November and a series of year-end performances. The extensive fall schedule continues a rapidly expanding live chapter for Jake following his first-ever UK and European tour and a busy summer of headline dates.
Upcoming shows include Oct. 2, Park Hudson Theatre, New York City; Oct. 28, Cafe Wha?, also New York City; Nov. 1, Hub City Vinyl, Hagerstown, MD; Nov. 2, Rams Head Inn, Annapolis, MD; Nov. 12–14, Tom Petty Birthday Weekend, Gainesville, FL; Nov. 16, The Lucky Nut, Nashville, and Dec. 18, The Stone Pony, Asbury Park.
Listen to “A Stranger by Design” on Spotify and Apple Music.
Bob Makin has produced Makin Waves since 1988. Follow Makin Waves on Facebook and Instagram and contact Bob at [email protected].
Tuesday, October 06, 2026
@ 7:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ
There are multiple performances including:
Wednesday, October 07, 2026
@ 7:30pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre)
Princeton, NJ
Thursday, October 08, 2026
@ 7:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center
Morristown, NJ
Thursday, October 08, 2026
@ 7:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ
Thursday, October 08, 2026
@ 6:00pm
Hamilton Stage at Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC)
Rahway, NJ
