Several months later, his songs attracted the attention of
Desmond Child, the massively successful tunesmith whose catalog included hits for everyone from
Kiss and
Bon Jovi to
Kelly Clarkson and
Katy Perry. Impressed with Hummon's work,
Child signed him to a deal with his publishing company, and he began working with a number of noted artists and composers, including
Steven Tyler, with their tune "Red, White, and You" appearing on
Tyler's first solo album and becoming a major hit in Europe. While Levi had limited experience as a performer, after seeing him perform a show with this father, Scott Borchetta of
Big Machine Records signed the young performer to a recording deal, and in April 2016 he released his debut EP, a self-titled five-song effort. One track from the EP, "Love You Hate You Miss You," became a hit on streaming services, and in April 2017 Hummon dropped the single "Don't Waste the Night," which Levi said was inspired by the work of
Ed Sheeran. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi