JB- With so much happening at the same time - like you were saying other contestants going out, you being rushed here and there - how do you focus on what you're about to do in a few minutes? How do you keep that the centre of your attention?

HS- Um, very carefully. You really just kind of have to sit down and …what I did, I would just sit and pray. I would just take some time to myself, and then just say, "Alright, let's go, let's do this." And that was what I would do, but we all prayed together, too, before we even would go downstairs. So it was a tight family group, and we did. We all cared for each other and we still do, so it's really nice to have that support system there.

JB- It is very important having that support. Does the criticism from the judges, and I guess being in the bottom group, ever get you down? Just where you think you don't have what it takes. Obviously, you do at that point because you've made it so far in the competition, but does it make you question your abilities as a performer at all?

HS- A little bit. It makes you question what you're giving them, because when I was on there I was trying to stick to who I was and who I am, because that's the best way that I know how to perform. It felt like they wanted to do this, or wanted me to do that, and I just didn't want to budge to that as far as. . . Like my vocals, I didn't really have a range and stuff like that and I was, like, "OK." But next to LaKisha (Jones) and Melinda (Doolittle) maybe I don't have their range. Stuff like that, and you don't want to step out of your boundary and it is kind of hard to stay true to who you are when you're being told that what you just did was crap. So it was, like, "Oop, well, now what do I do?" But I just kept with it and I'd ask people that I knew who loved me and would give me honest criticism. I'm not saying that the judges didn't, but they didn't know who I was. They don't know how I perform, and so I'd go to people who had taught me years ago, and have known and seen what I've done prior to Idol. Because there's only so much you can do on Idol, so I asked them and they would give me criticism, too, and that was that. And you just take it and use it, and if you can't, you just keep going.

JB- What's one thing that you took from hearing the judges' comments about your performances?

HS- I guess, it's really hard, because it never really seemed like they were giving me any constructive criticism, like, Randy would say, "Well, that was a little pitchy," and Paula would say, "Well, you look cute." There wasn't really anything constructive, so the only thing I could really take from them was, well, the fact that, "OK, I'm getting a thicker skin," and I'll be back next week, and let's see what you can tell me. But I think one comment that Randy said to me was after the finale, and he was like, "Man, I had no idea you could sing like that." I had a line in the finale, and I was thinking, "What? Where were you when I was singing every week?"

JB- They were all drinking is what I think it was.

HS- (laughing) I don't know. It was just kind of weird. I was, "OK." Well, whatever. I mean, I will always thank them, because they got me there for America to vote. It truly is a blessing to just have been where I was and have the experience. No regrets.

JB- Yeah, it's quite the opportunity. Now, we see that every year, that you don't need to win the show to have a successful career in music. I mean, you certainly branched out. I understand you had the opportunity to do Broadway.

HS- Yes, I did.

JB- And that's huge, and you didn't want to do it? How come?

HS- It's huge. I thought about it so much, and I would do Broadway, and I love it, I want to do it, for sure. That was hard. I have a lot of friends in New York who are trying to be on Broadway, for me to get the offer and I was (scoffs), I felt bad because I didn't want to look like that kind of person. But my focus is really on my recording career right now. I just know in my heart that I just want to be in the studio and I just want to hammer out an album, and I want that out. So I don't want to lose focus on that. For me, being where I was when I got voted off, it was very hard for me. I mean, I did get far, but people knew me from my legs; they didn't know me for my voice. So I have to show America that I can sing, and I think that's why I wanted to do it with just recording, because that's all singing. You're not going to see my legs. You're just going to hear my voice. So I really wanted to focus on that, and I can hammer out and get out an album. I'm starting to do some writing with it, and I'm having a lot of fun, and I thought to myself, "I can go and perform on Broadway, and I can record here and there, but my focus just wouldn't be there." And I really wanted to give it my all, my 100 per cent into my album right now, and hopefully later, they'll ask me to do Broadway again, because then I would jump on it.

JB- I'm sure there'd be a role in Cabaret for you.

HS- That would be fun. Cabaret would be great.

JB- So obviously then, you're roots are planted while you're staying in the south, I guess. For the next little while.

HS- Yes.

JB- And you've got some new music, and a video coming out. Well, I'll let you talk about that. What have been up to since American Idol?

HS- Oh, my god. Well, a lot. I've been doing a lot stuff. I went to Nashville. I ran into this manager here in my hometown, and she's amazing, and I love her, and she's really helped me a lot, and she's booked me everywhere. I'm just non-stop booked, and she's one that knows what I can do, and I feel like I'm in really good hands, because she knows what I can do, and not just what she saw on Idol. So I'm sticking with her, and we're getting ready to do a video for our single, "Girls' Night Out," so the single just came out, finally. So we're doing that, and then the video and the concert next weekend with Mark Chestnut. I might be doing a USO tour, so that's exciting. I'm doing a show in Branson with some former Idols, so that'll be fun. I'm really excited about that. But, yeah, it's just going crazy, I'm just here and there, and half the time she just calls me and says, "You're doing this right now," and I'm like, "Oh, OK," which is great. Busy is great, and I'm just trying to take it all in, just like when I was on Idol.

JB- And then you end up on the phone with us here in Canada.

HS- (laughing) I love it. It's great.