Lee DeWyze is the next American Idol! The 24-year-old paint sales clerk was crowned the winner on the Season 9 finale, beating out runner-up Crystal Bowersox. DeWyze shared his thoughts about his win in a recent conference call. Excerpts are below.

Q: What do you feel America saw in you that kept viewers voting for you?

DeWyze: I think that throughout the show, even in the beginning, when I was a little more reserved, that I'm a real guy.  Whether it is on the show, on camera or off camera, you know, I stay true to myself.  I really wanted my experience in the show to be about me and my performing and my music.  I think I can connect with an audience because I know what it's like to be on the other side of it and I really remember all of that.  I know what it's like to be starting, trying to do something and have a goal and trying to reach it.  So, throughout the whole show I was just trying to just be myself and make it about the music and not so much about things in the past …

Q: (Your original song) “Slumberland” is actually on the billboard ... speakers chart right now.  How thrilled are you that some of your music that you wrote, even way before this Idol experience, is still getting so much exposure and people out there (are) listening to it?

DeWyze: You know, as far as anything I did before the show that was a stage in my life that I'm, obviously, proud of and I've learned a lot from a lot of my past experiences through music.  It's cool to hear things like that, obviously.  But I'm really looking forward to the new album I'll be making now.  It's nice that the fans have reached out and found interest in other things I've done because that's what I'm about.  I'm about being as original as I can and staying true to myself.  But, you know, this experience has given me a platform.  It's really on a major scale, making an unbelievable album.  That's really what I'm looking forward to right now …

The show is interesting because you go each week and you have a song, and you're given this much amount of time.  I'm the kind of person that when I'm on stage I like to build, I like to build up to something.  But, you know, we get a minute and a half and that's the game.  That was the challenging part of it all.  So, for me, I'm just excited to get on the big stage and really put on a performance, put on a show without time limits, without judging and going through the process that I did really helped because those are like the scariest conditions to be under, being judged by people in front of national television.  It's a rough thing to do.  But I'm psyched to make a new album, man, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Q: When you went to the party, did you get to have a final drink with Simon?

DeWyze: I did see Simon and we (did) "cheers" and he said congratulations and he told me he's proud of me.  He's excited to be working with me and I told him thank you for the opportunity because without American Idol, obviously, I wouldn't have had this platform to start a career on a major level.  It was cool.  We got to spend a little time together and talk.  It was a moment I won't forget because that was a big moment for me.

Q: Interesting night because besides being the announcement of the winners it was also Simon's last night.  Do you feel like that stole the spotlight a little or did it give you a little bit of a relief?  Did it take a little pressure off at points during the night?

DeWyze: Well, you know, he definitely shared the spotlight and that's okay because you know he's been a huge part of the reason the show's been a success and all of that.  Of course it's his last season they're going to definitely have to make mention of that, it's kind of expected to be that way.  But as far as the pressure being off, you know, the night before it wasn't about that.  The night before was about us performing and for them to say goodbye to him, the way they did, was really cool and I thought they did a good job.  I got a chance to talk to him and he was just really happy for me.  He told me, "I'm proud of you" and he's like, "I saw something in you and I'm glad you won and I'm happy for you."  So, he's a really nice dude.  I don't feel like he stole the spotlight or anything like that.  It was two big things going on in one night and I thought that was pretty cool actually.  I think it made the night a little bit better.  It made the night really big and it was fun to be a part of that.

Q: What kind of album do you want to make?

DeWyze: First, I want the album that I make to be something I'm happy with.  I'd like to have a folk rock, kind of, alternative, vibe to it.  I want it to be very earthy but at the same time be able to reach out to a lot of different people.  I think that I've expressed that to the people that are in charge and they're all for it.  They're all ready to work with me and it's really a good relationship.  Working with the 19 Entertainment guys, they're just a great group of people and they really know what they're doing … We have a lot more things to talk about but I was looking to make an album that could really speak to everybody and good stories and good music to back it up because that's the kind of stuff I like to listen to.  I want a song that someone could listen to and say, "That was a song that reminds me of this time in my life."  It's going to be really cool to put a lot of my experiences in the song and just be able to make something new.

Q: Are you going to have to move to L.A. to work on all these things you're talking about, (to) work on the album?  Obviously you'll be on the tour but do you plan on settling in L.A. after that?

DeWyze: I think for a while I'm going to be doing the tour thing like you said and I'm going to be doing the tour and also recording at the same time, which is going to be intense but it's going to be fun.  I think that I'd like to stay in Chicago but have maybe a place out here as well, or visa versa, just because I'd like to really be able to go back to where all my family and friends are … So as of right now I'll be probably hanging out here for a while. But Chicago and Mount Prospect, everybody out there has just been so amazing and the fan support is just incredible.  So I definitely want to remain close to home as best as I can.  But the fans, not just at home either, everywhere they've been just so awesome and if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be here … But I definitely think that I won't be staying there.  I'll be all over the place.  I'm definitely going to make my rounds in Chicago as often and as much as I can.