JB- Now on the subject of criticism. People are always commenting on Idol saying it's everything from a karaoke contest to a popularity contest. How did you view it before going on the show, and while you were on the show, and now while you're off the show?

LC- Well, like I said before the show I didn't really watch it very much, so I wished I would have.

JB- I'm sure you'd heard about it, though.

LC- Right. Definitely heard about it. While I was on the show . . . I mean, we had one of the most talented seasons. Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice - everyone knows who they are. It was a great season. There were a lot of questions, a lot of discussion boards, a lot of things about popularity or "really a singing contest?" or things like that. But everybody brings something different to the table. Whether you want to look at it as popularity or whether you want to look at it as singing, it's all really how people take it, and it's all about America and who wants to vote for who.

Now that I'm off of the show, I watch it religiously now, of course. I've heard a lot about popularity, and Simon himself has made a comment about "if this were a singing competition rather than a popularity competition you would win it." So I don't even remember who he said that to, but that's been a big thing about that show. But like I said, everybody's there because they're great. If one person has that many fans to where they pull them through and they win, hey, that's the person that deserves to be there in that spotlight. It's the way I look at it.

JB- Where did that spotlight get you? How have you grown? What did you take from your Idol experience?

LC- I don't know. I've taken so much from this Idol experience. I've gotten so many shows and gigs. Just charities and appearances. There are so many things that I could list that I've really gotten to do. I've met so many wonderful people in the music industry, and it's definitely been a great, great experience for me as far as singing, as far as learning. Stage presence and learning how to present yourself in public and not singing. . . . There are just so many things that American Idol has given to all of us not just myself, and I mean, I could literally write a book on it. I've actually thought about it.

JB- Well, there you go. There's something if this whole singing thing isn't . . . I guess you could do that when you're on the road touring. You could definitely be jotting notes.

So, let's fast-forward about three years then. You're doing work in Nashville. Well, I'll let you tell us what you're up to.

LC- I'm actually working on a few things right now. I'm still under contract, so I can't really say much about what's coming out. I do have a movie that's in progress right now that I will play a part in. I have to do a lot of acting classes now because, as you know I'm a singer I'm not an actress by any means. But I'm always willing to learn new things, and I love this kind of industry - just entertainment in general. But also, those are things that are in the make and will be a couple of years possibly. I'm not really used to the movie thing, so I'm ready to do the album and let it be out. But in the movie industry it's a little bit different. I'm learning. As far as music, I'm still performing. I'm also a full-time student. Back in college now, but I go to school online. Just writing a little bit, and picking some songs that I want to go on my album that will hopefully be out within the next year.

JB- What's the sort of feel that your album's going to have? Is there going to be a mood to it? What sort of an album do you have in mind?

LC- It's definitely a country album with a few acoustic songs. I'm a huge fan of acoustic music. I love to play guitar, so there will be a couple of those with just me and the guitar. I've always wanted that, and with what I'm working with now I'm pretty sure that that's what I'll get. So it's definitely country. I couldn't ever try to step out of my roots, or it would probably not sell. (laughing) It's going to be great country album. I'm hoping I've got a lot of writers that are lined up and writing some of my songs.

JB- If country is where your heart is -- on Idol they have the rockers doing slow ballads from the '60s, or big band stuff. What do you think about that? Because some people just say that it shows your diversity or your versatility as an artist. Other people say, "Well, if I have no plans of doing anything other than country, why do I need to do something like that?"

LC- Everybody has mixed feelings about it. It's a thin line between the two, though. Because on American Idol you're obviously competing for that one spot. You want to win, and if you look at it like that it does show versatility. It does show that you can learn a song that's completely out of your comfort zone in five days. Everybody has their own genre obviously, but what shows talent in itself is learning a song and performing it in your genre, if that makes sense. If I performed a rock song, obviously that's not what I'm comfortable with. But if I can go out there and make it my own, as the judges say, that's when people look and say, "Oh, my gosh. That's really cool that David Cook or whoever sang a country song." And just for example, I know a lot of times when people go to concerts nowadays and they sing a cover song that's not theirs. It's just. . . It wows the audience. So I really think that it's a good idea that people . . . they make them step out of comfort zones, because it just shows that you are able to do other things, although you have your one zone that you love to sing. So it's a good thing.

Sometimes the weeks can be kind of boring. Nobody really wants to hear '60s when they'd rather hear their favourite rock singer or country singer, but that's what it's all about. It wouldn't be hard if all these great singers got up there and sang what they can and blow everybody away every week. It's got to be a little bit of a competition. It's got to put you at the edge of the seat. It's all about competition and what each artist can do and what they can bring to the table that's different from everyone.

JB- So really then to the average lay person, people listening right now who don't understand the music biz: when they're saying make it your own it's not like you're going to see David Cook all of a sudden be accompanied by banjos and stuff like that. He can take a country song, but do it in the style we know as David then?

LC- Absolutely. When you're on the show, if you don't really like the arrangement you have somewhat of a say, so let's make it this way, let's make it that way, which most of the time when you pick the song they're ready for you. They know what you're comfortable and they jam out. They know what they're doing. Sometimes it doesn't work out in their way as far as the judges opinions. But hey, they went out there. They did it. They gave it their all, and that's what they're supposed to do.

JB- Would there be anything that you would change about your Idol experience?

LC- No, definitely not. I wish that I was still there.

JB- So you'd do it again?

LC- I would definitely do it again any day, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves to sing and wants to be an artist. It's a real good experience, and I would love to go back, and if I could do it all over again, I would've been there season 5.