The Voice Season 8 just wrapped up, but one of the most memorable contestants from Season 7, Luke Wade, hasn’t stopped grinding since he left the show last year. He just recorded the duet “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” with Season 8’s Mia Z for the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s 2015-16 fundraising campaign; he’s been touring nonstop (see his latest dates here), playing South By Southwest and other festivals; he recently released a new independent album, The River; and he’s already hard at work on that album’s follow-up.

Luke clearly understands that being on a talent show, even a massive one like The Voice, doesn’t mean anything is guaranteed. After playing his single “The Runaround” and two songs never performed live on the Internet before, “Don’t Be Rude” and “Kiss and Make Up,” he sat down with Yahoo Music’s Reality Rocks to speak incredibly frankly about his struggles before, during, and after The Voice. It’s a must-watch for anyone considering auditioning for a singing competition.

And his performances are a must-watch for anyone who’s a fan of good blue-eyed soul music. Enjoy!

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This article originally ran on Yahoo Music.