Jules turns his career into gem

Gary Jules was a victim of record-label politics that almost doomed his career.

But instead, Jules found his way in the music business through the back door of film.

After the Los Angeles singer-songwriter signed to A&M Records in 1996, the label shelved his debut album for more than a year. When “Greetings from the Side” was finally released, there were next to zero promotions pushing the album.

A blink later, the label was swallowed and Jules was left with no vehicle to get his music to the public.

“Two weeks later the label disappeared under a corporate merger,” Jules states in a news release. “It happened so fast I couldn’t get copies of the record, which meant I was unable to go on the road and sell it. To make matters worse I was still signed, which meant I was unable to make a new record elsewhere.”

It was another year before Jules’ contract was reviewed and he was finally dropped from the label.

Discouraged and disillusioned, he went back to college and finished a degree in English.

Jules in 2001 hooked up with childhood friend Michael Andrews, who also produced “Greetings from the Side.” The two recorded a stunning rendition of the Tears for Fears hit “Mad World,” for Andrews’ soundtrack to the 2002 film “Donnie Darko.”

Recorded in less than an hour as a demo, the single sky-rocketed to No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart and sold more than 650,000 units while maintaining a peak position for five weeks.

After that, Jules and Andrews went to work on a batch of songs that eventually became “Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets,” released independently.

In “Wolftickets,” Jules has crafted a spare but compelling album filled with deeply sung meditations on faith, hope and love. From “Mad World” and the mandolin-driven “Princess of Hollywood Way” to the upbeat “DTLA” and the soothing breeze of “Barstool,” “Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets” is being hailed by critics on both sides of the Atlantic as a diverse album with rich songwriting.