Why did Haley Reinhart ditch record labels altogether? What are her thoughts on collabing
with Jeff Goldblum? And what happened with that battery charge back in 2017?
Keep watching to find out what the songstress has been up to!
After releasing her first three albums with different record labels, Reinhart decided
to get off the label merry-go-round in 2019 and issue her fourth independently. Heavily inspired
by her love of all sounds retro, "Lo-Fi Soul" was released through her own Reinhart Records company,
and the "American Idol" graduate couldn't have been happier to take on more control.
In an interview with Billboard to promote the LP, Reinhart said,
"I put out exactly what I want, when I want. There's no compromising or dumbing down my vision
when it comes to the music and my aesthetic — and I own it, too. I've enjoyed working with labels
in the past, but it feels good to be at that point in my career where I can do it on my own.
It's definitely been more work on the business end... but boy is it worth it."
"This time around not having the labels, you know,
breathing over your back per say, it's been cool to just do it my way."
Reinhart was supported in her efforts by Larry Rudolph — the
manager she then shared with Britney Spears. He told the publication,
"If anyone can thrive as an independent artist in today's music space, it's Reinhart.
Her unique and undeniable talent, along with her commitment and conviction to her art
is unlike anything I have seen in a long time."
Reinhart began dating another musician in 2015, but sadly for certain "American Idol" shippers,
it wasn't Casey Abrams. The pair had constantly been linked during their
time on the former Fox juggernaut, but both parties have since confirmed
that their strong relationship has only ever been strictly platonic.
That isn't the case, however, with Reinhart and bluesman Drew Dolan.
The pair have been together since 2015, gracing the red carpet at the likes of Steven Tyler's
annual Grammy Awards viewing party. And they're not afraid to mix business with pleasure,
either. In 2019, Dolan proudly shared the news on social media that he had played
the keyboard on his other half's cover version of "Bulletproof."
Self-described on his website as a "true traveler" whose sound is a "melting pot of Funk,
R&B, Soul and Swampy rock," Dolan appears to be something of a spiritual soul.
In a 2019 interview with VoyageLA, the singer said,
"I am a believer in Joseph Campbell's philosophy that we are all here to 'follow [our] bliss.'
It is through my own personal bliss state — the
writing and performing of original music — that my offering is made."
Reinhart made her name performing everything from Led Zeppelin's "What Is and What Should Never Be"
to Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" during her 2011 run on "American Idol."
So you could say that joining a covers band would be an obvious next step.
Of course, Postmodern Jukebox is no ordinary cover band.
A collective that's boasted over 200 different performers since its formation in 2011,
including a sad clown named Puddles, creator Scott Bradlee's band has become something
of a web phenomenon thanks to its retro-styled renditions of contemporary pop hits. And in 2015,
Reinhart joined the fold with distinctive takes on Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass"
and Radiohead's "Creep," the latter of which has racked up more than 100 million YouTube views.
The singer also toured across Europe, Australia, and North America with the band before roping in
Bradlee for her 2017 third studio effort. "What's That Sound?" was also a nostalgic
affair which saw Reinhart pay tribute to her favorite songs from the 1960s.
When asked by Atwood Magazine about how the pair first connected, Reinhart replied,
"I sat in one night at a club called Hyde, a residency they had going in L.A. After I got up,
Scott said, 'We should really do some videos and touring together.' The feeling was mutual."
2018 was a particularly fruitful year for Reinhart when it came to collaborations.
Not only did she provide guest vocals on Vicetone's "Something Strange" and open
for Steven Tyler; she also duetted with none other than Jeff Goldblum.
Yes, the former Idol contestant joined the actor on covers of "My Baby Just Cares for Me"
and "Gee Baby (Ain't I Good to You)" for his debut album "The Capitol Studio Sessions."
The pair showcased their natural chemistry with a performance of the former track on "Jimmy Kimmel
Live," too, while Reinhart also presented Goldblum with the "Man of Style" award at the InStyle
Awards. When asked by Daily Bruin what it's like working with the star, Reinhart responded,
"He is just as fascinating a person as he is an actor. What you see is what you get. He's never
really putting anything on — he's just as wacky and fascinated by the world as he appears to be."
"F Is For Family"’s resident 12-year-old boy Bill Murphy is voiced by a fully-grown woman.
Yes, that's Reinhart's smooth tones you can hear in Bill Burr's
foul-mouthed Netflix animated series as the bullied Charlie Brown-esque figure.
"Goodbye life we used to know."
In a 2019 interview with the Dallas Observer,
Reinhart revealed that she spent much of her youth preparing for such a role. She explained,
"I grew up doing Cartman [of 'South Park'] a lot for my friends,
that was pretty fun. I mostly make up a lot of my own wacky voices.
I'm actually super inspired by Mo Collins from her 'Mad TV' days,
and now I get to work with her and she's a good friend of mine, so that's pretty full-circle."
Although Reinhart had appeared on the "American Idols LIVE!" tour in the wake of her talent show
stint and joined Postmodern Jukebox on several global treks, it wasn't until 2016 that she
hit the road for her own run of headline shows with her sophomore album "Better."
The singer has since made up for lost time, launching tours to support her follow-up
albums in 2017 and 2019. In a chat with the Dallas Observer in the middle of the 2019
tour, Reinhart admitted that she'd well and truly caught the performing bug. She said,
"I'm obsessed with touring right now. I'm in love with my band,
they're mostly new guys and they're flawless musicians."
Unfortunately, Reinhart had also caught an actual bug at the start of the tour. She explained,
"I was the sickest I think I've ever been, so it was a crazy rough beginning where I was
crossing my fingers and saying a prayer, but they really just stepped it up and we worked it out,
and it came together kind of miraculously. And now I'm just straight cruising."
Reinhart scored something of a viral hit in 2015 when her rendition of Elvis Presley's
"Can't Help Falling in Love" was chosen to soundtrack a Wrigley's Extra Gum commercial.
Titled "The Story of Sarah and Juan," the campaign video racked up 20 million views on YouTube and
helped the "American Idol" alum enter Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart for the first time.
Speaking to Billboard about how the audio and visuals complemented each other, Reinhart said,
"It was a nice, pleasant surprise, because you have to really get an
intimate vibe, and Extra is all about the small moments that lead up to the
big finale and one journey of life and love. I wanted to make it sound
as if I was talking to or whispering to a loved one next to me, that kind of vibe."
Perhaps the most unique distinction that her tribute received was an 'Extra' gold record. Yes,
to say thanks for helping their ad go stratospheric, the chewing gum company
presented Reinhart with a special personalized disc celebrating half-a-million sales.
In 2017, Reinhart was charged with and found guilty of a battery count,
according to The Wrap. She described the incident as:
"A very unfortunate circumstance."
"I understand you got in a bar fight, is this true?” “Oh no! I didn't do it!"
The trouble began when cops were called out one particular night to a bar in Illinois over some
unruly guests — Reinhart and others reportedly knocked over a table and were asked to leave.
And it was then that Reinhart was reported to have punched a security guard in the head.
Through her attorney, Reinhart claimed that she'd been the victim in the case.
But the judge believed her testimony to be, quote, "evasive, argumentative, and sometimes
implausible." As a result, Reinhart was fined roughly $650, although she was also told that
her conviction would be cleared within two years if she avoided any more run-ins with the law.
The Postmodern Jukebox regular later insisted to TMZ that this
had been a miscarriage of justice. She explained,
"I didn't see it going this way. The judge was wrong in
his interpretation and had a cold and unfortunate perspective on the case."
Reinhart has continued to pay things forward ever since she
first appeared on the tenth season of "American Idol." In 2016, for example,
she staged a benefit show in her native Illinois to help the Erin's
Law and PAVE organizations develop a multimedia curriculum on the prevention of sexual abuse.
Speaking to the Chicago Tribune, Reinhart revealed that it was a cause close to her heart. She said,
"[It's] something I've really wanted to put energy and time into since I was a young girl. Plus,
April happens to be Sexual Assault Awareness month. I'm just happy to be a part of it."
A year later, she graced the stage of Rally Idol, an event designed to boost funds for
research into childhood cancer, and the fourth annual Pongo Environmental Awards. In 2020,
Reinhart performed at money-raising efforts for the Australian bushfires
and homeless charity Homeward Bound. In a 2014 interview with StarryMag, she said,
"Helping people has always been one of my callings. If I can brighten somebody's day in even
the slightest way, I've done my job. I appreciate them and want to continue to move them."
Early lockdown life appeared to suit Reinhart down to the ground,
judging by the interview she gave to Lapalme Magazine in 2020. When asked about whether
her creative streak had been stifled during the beginning of the pandemic,
the "American Idol" graduate replied that her creativity had, in fact, blossomed. Reinhart said,
"I'm feeling inspired and reacquainting myself with my short and long term goals as an artist.
We are living through some seriously wild times, and I feel as though I'm here to
continue to put out empowering messages to the universe and all of you listening out there!"
As well as reacquainting herself with various goals, the singer also managed
to enjoy some downtime. And it seems as though Reinhart really
is the free-spirited hippie she's always presented herself as, telling Lapalme:
"My hobbies include taking walks around the neighborhood,
literally smelling the roses, learning guitar, laying in the sun, playing vinyl
and dancing around my casa lighting Palo Santo to purify and cleanse energy [in] my space!"
Reinhart might have finished in third place behind Lauren Alaina on Season 10 of "American Idol." But
she reportedly now has nearly twice as much money in the bank as the runner-up. Yes, thanks to her
various commitments in the entertainment industry, Reinhart has amassed an estimated fortune of $1.5
million since leaving the former Fox juggernaut — and Reinhart is satisfied with her path.
"I have my own agreement where I can't do anything inauthentic."
She went on to tell the "Take Your Shoes Off" podcast,
"That's why I'm here; that's why I'm not signed with a major label and all the
labels that try to. It's why I'm not selling my soul. It's why I'm doing the music I am,
and it's why it's taken me slower to climb the ladder that some have just taken an escalator to."
"I've made that peace and that decision within myself."
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