David Archuleta may be serving his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on a two-year mission in Chile… But he’s giving fans new music to hold them over until his return.
Even though the 22-year-old Honduran/Spanish American singer and former American Idol runner-up isn’t expected to return until spring 2014, 10 Archuleta tracks have been collected for a new album, which fans can stream on Billboard.
Before heading on his Mormon mission, Archuleta recorded several songs that were never placed on an official album — some unfinished demos, others hard-to-find cuts that had only been shared on international releases.
Due to his dedicated fans, many of the tracks were shared online, catching the eye of the label Entertainment One, which decided to compile them into a proper album: No Matter How Far.
The album’s lead single, the sentimental ballad “Don’t Run Away,” is one of two selections (along with “Heart Falls Out“) that hasn’t been released before in any format.
With help from British producers The Nexus (David Sneddon and James Bauer-Mein), the incomplete demo was polished into one of Archuleta’s finest moments.
No Matter How Far, the follow-up to Archuleta’s Begin. album, can be pre-ordered on iTunes here. It will be released officially on Tuesday, March 26.