Country music is me, it's what I've grown up with, and it's what I do.
I wanted people to see that I really am a real person. I'm not just some guy who was on a TV show, some guy engulfed in the Hollywood life. I'm just a normal guy when it comes down to it.
Somebody described it to me the best as when you go in to write a song with two people that you've never met, you're pretty much going in and taking off your pants in front of strangers, so it's a really weird feeling.
I gotta get a truck.
When you're out there talking about your faith and what you believe in, you'll face some backlash. But mostly, I've received support.
What makes me unique is that I'm normal.
I don't want to put anyone down, but you won't see any twerking from me.
I want to go to Nashville and get cracking on this album.
I've dealt with losing close ones before, and I've been around friends that have lost friends at a young age. I think it's important to think about - not necessarily death, but about life and think about where you're going and how you want to be remembered and the legacy you want to leave.
'Something More' is a song that I wrote not necessarily about country radio, more so about a lot of songs that were being pitched to me. I wrote that after song after song after song was just the same song, just a different melody, so I was just looking for something more to put on the record.
I'm a pretty low-key North Carolina boy. I like to go fishing and hang out with my friends.
For me, the best vacation is just relaxing on the couch!
You gotta 'be' country music - you can't just sing it.
The minute I get a big head and start acting like the big man on campus, it's all downhill from there.
Just the title of 'American Idol' is something that people can look up to. I'm not Saint Scott, I'm not Mr. Perfect, but I want to be that role model.
I'm in college at North Carolina State University. I'm about to start my sophomore year and have an apartment on campus with three buddies I've grown up with. I get to be normal when I'm there, and then I tour Thursday through Sunday.
When they first said I made it through it was just crazy, I mean all kinds of thoughts were going through my head, and you know to be watching the show for nine seasons and to be on it now is surreal, it's so surreal.
It's a new game now, you know, you have to bring some fresh stuff.
It's so surreal being here.
That's the last thing I want to do is go on up there and mess up, you know, in front of America.
