If Constantine Maroulis fails in his mission to become the next American Idol, at least he'll have something to fall back on.
The unkempt rocker's band, Pray for the Soul of Betty, has signed with Koch Records and will release its self-titled debut album on May 10.
The album was recorded in 2003 and 2004 and was completed before Maroulis tried out for Idol--a move that didn't sit well with his hardcore rock crew.
Ever on the watch for meaty storylines, Fox made the most of the ensuing drama by filming the singer's struggle to tell his band he was heading to Los Angeles to compete in the talent search and using the resulting footage on the show to play up Maroulis' angst-ridden image.
Besides frontman Maroulis, Pray for the Soul of Betty is made up of Joao Joya on guitar, Taylor, C.R. on bass and Hamboussi on drums.
The band claims to draws its inspiration from bands such as Led Zeppelin, Queens of the Stone Age and Soundgarden. In a review of a live performance, the Hartford Courant compared the band's sound to "old-school Black Sabbath."
While their vocalist continues on his quest for super stardom, the other Betty bandmembers waxed enthusiastic about their record contract.
"Being with a company as dynamic and independent as Koch is ideal for Pray for the Soul of Betty--we've always carved our own path, just like Koch has," Taylor, C.R. said in a statement.
Koch Records General Manager and Executive Vice President Alan Grunblatt was positive about the band's prospects.
"Pray for the Soul of Betty is one of the best rock bands I've heard in years," Grunblatt stated. "Considering how popular Constantine Maroulis is, we should go gold for sure!"
Maroulis and friends aren't the first Idol-related act to sign with Koch. The label also served as home to Idol reject William Hung, who released his jaw-droppingly bad album, Inspiration, in 2004. Not that anyone's drawing comparisons...
It remains unclear how Maroulis would juggle his band duties with his Idol-mandated solo contract, should he win the contest.
Quirky song choices and fashion decisions (um, eyeliner?!) have cemented Maroulis' status as a fan favorite on Idol. At one point, he was even deemed "astonishing" by Simon Cowell.
With the pool of Idol wannabes down to a mere six contestants, Maroulis' chances of becoming the next Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard or Fantasia Barrino are increasing each week.
However, he'll have to outsing worthy competitors Bo Bice, Vonzell Solomon, Carrie Underwood, Scott Savol and Anthony Fedorov and earn America's votes before he can lay claim to the Idol crown.
Should it elude him, his fans may all be praying for the career of Constantine.