Scotty McCreery

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Two years ago, country singer Scotty McCreery found out he lost his record deal with Mercury/Interscope while shooting an episode for “American Idol,” the show he won in 2011. He had come back to mentor new contestants on the show, but his own career was at a precipice.

McCreery, who is from North Carolina, had started his career on a high at 18 by becoming the youngest male artist and first country artist to debut his first album on the Billboard 200.

Although his albums sold well, McCreery leaned toward the more traditional side of the genre, when bro-country ruled the airwaves.

He managed to get some Top 10 radio hits with “See You Tonight” and “Feelin’ It,” but he also dealt with the bias that many talent-show competitors run up against in the industry.

“I think we’ve had to work hard to establish ourselves away from ‘American Idol,’ to not just be the TV guy, but to be the country music artist that writes songs and tells stories and can sing songs,” said McCreery, who adds that he’s always been proud of his “Idol” roots.

But McCreery feared that after losing his record deal, he was losing the rights to the songs he had recorded while he was still signed. In particular, he wanted to get back a song called “Five More Minutes,” which he wrote after losing his grandfather in 2015.

McCreery spent a year negotiating the purchase of those songs, still out touring as an independent artist.

McCreery’s rebound effort worked. He released “Five More Minutes” last year while still unsigned.

The song became an emotional part of his live shows, earning standing ovations. He signed to independent Nashville label Thirty Tigers Records, which pushed it to the top of Billboard’s country airplay chart this month, just in time for “Seasons Change,” coming out Friday.