Katie Stevens and Andrew Garcia were the next contestants to be eliminated from “American Idol” in the first double elimination of the season, after Michael Lynche was saved by the judges the previous week. Stevens, a 17-year-old high school student from Middlebury, Conn., and Garcia, a 24-year-old musician from Moreno Valley, Calif., shared their thoughts about being the next to go in a recent conference call. Excerpts are below.

Katie Stevens

Q: I guess I’m kind of wondering what’s next for you.  Is it back to school as a teenager?  Do you get to go to prom?  Did you pick a date? 

Katie: I actually don’t think I will be able to attend prom or graduation because that’s when tour rehearsals will start.  But definitely, I’m going to go back home; hang out with my friends; keep up with school so that I can graduate and get my diploma.  But I’m really looking forward to the tour and, hopefully, after that writing an album.  We’ll see how it goes.  I’m excited for what’s to come.

Q: Adam Lambert was the mentor this week.  What piece of advice that he gave you are you going to take with you? 

Katie: He told me to always stick to what I love and what I believe in.  It was great to have him as a mentor because he’s been through the “Idol” process, so he was able to give us feedback on what he did and how he was able to evolve throughout all of the pressures and everything, so it really helped us kind of to try to hone into that and do the best that we can.

Q: I know Simon and Kara particularly had a sort of tug of war the whole time you were there.  You know, “She should do country.  She should do pop.”  I’m curious as to where for you do you feel most comfortable and then also, was that sort of frustrating as a contestant to sort of have that happening?  Because it seemed like if you made one happy the other one would criticize you. 

Katie: I think where I went at fault in the beginning of the competition, during the top 24, when I was getting all of the bad comments and stuff, I think that was when I was trying to please the judges and I wasn’t pleasing myself and doing what I love.  So I decided going into the top 12 that I was just going to be myself and so everything that I did at that point was what I love to do …

Simon telling me that he thought I was country; I mean they all know what they’re talking about, but ultimately I need to, again, do what I love and do what I feel is best for me.  I kind of side more with Kara in the pop with R&B leanings.  In an album I would like to record things like Kelly Clarkson, where she has the soulful voice, kind of R&B, soul, pop, with rock background.  I hope to record that kind of album soon. 

Q: I was wondering – this is the first week that the save wasn’t available since Michael Lynche was saved last week.  Did you feel like you were happier that you were singing at the end without having that pressure or were you sad that that opportunity wasn’t available anymore?

Katie: I love Big Mike and I was so happy that he got saved and all of us contestants were able to spend another week with him.  I mean it was weird, because I had this feeling that it was going to be me when I was standing next to him.  I’m so proud of him and all of the other contestants.  They’re amazing.  I was so privileged to be able to spend time with them and work with all of them.  I was definitely happy to sing at the end.  I mean, obviously, it’s a little emotional, but I tried as best I could and that wasn’t the last time that America is going to see me, so (I’ve) just got to keep that in mind.

Q: Did you see yourself in a no-win situation this year?  I mean the judges kept telling you, “Be young.  Be fresh,” but then you were made to sing Elvis and Beatles’ tracks. 

Katie: I mean it definitely was difficult getting the whole young comments and then having to do older songs, but I’ve never been afraid of a challenge and I was happy to sing those songs.  I mean, obviously, everybody wants to win, but I still wanted to keep myself in check and say, “You know what?  Don’t forget where you came from.”  It was definitely the experience of a lifetime and it has helped me so much learn who I am as an artist and as a person.  I mean I didn’t see myself in a no-win situation, but you’ve always got to be prepared to go home, because everybody is going to go home but one. 

Andrew Garcia

Q: I’m going to ask about what’s actually turned into the most popular YouTube video from the entire show right now.  Your “Straight Up” performance got over three million hits across the board.  When you were performing this were you ever thinking it was going to take off like that? 

Andrew:  No.  I was looking through a list.  I saw “Straight Up” (Paula Abdul) and I was like, “You know what?  She’s not on the show no more, so I could do my little twist on it and see what happens.”  It really took off.  It went crazy. 

Q: I want to know how the show has changed your life or your approach to life anyway.  I mean did you always know you were going to go strongly into music or does this just make you realize that there’s a place for you in music? 

Andrew:  I always felt the need for me doing music and just having fun with it and just pursuing it.  Idol has changed my views just because it showed me so much more to music and just how amazing the industry is from the inside point of view.  I’m so glad ... (I had the) opportunity to work with amazing people and have such an amazing experience on “American Idol.” 

Q: I know you were not able to live down that “Straight Up” performance and the judges kept reminding you of it and they acted almost like it was your thing to take songs and make them super original and different.  Is that your thing?  Is that what you are able to do?  Is that what you want to do going forward as an artist?

Andrew: Going forward as an artist I have my own music.  I love doing whatever I can to do my originals.  I do take songs and put my own twist on it just like I did.  I did “Straight Up” and then I did the “Forever”/Chris Brown.  I take pop music, pop/R&B, pop/pop and just make it acoustic and put my twist on it.  I love doing it. 

Q: Going back just a little bit about how your life has changed, tell us, before all of this started what were you doing at that point?  What was your day job and kind of what was your life like before you got on “Idol?”

Andrew: My life before I got on “Idol” was just taking care of my son.  I was a stay-at-home dad; and on the weekends go play shows.  That was my income; going out and playing shows for like $400 a gig. 

Q: I was wondering what’s the best piece of advice that Adam Lambert gave you that you’ll be taking with you?

Andrew: The best advice Adam Lambert gave me was he said to let go and just have fun and put my twist on it … he puts his twist on everything he does and he’s amazing at it, so that kind of inspired me.

Q: I was wondering, with your performance of Chris Brown’s “Forever” you had been bashed again and again and again before that.  Were you kind of expecting more of the same or were you expecting that this would be the turnaround, that the judges would finally give you some praise after weeks of getting on your case?

Andrew: I kind of knew that it was going to be a good night just because I’m a guy that does current music and puts my acoustic twist on it.  I saw that song and I was like, “Man, I’ve got to do something with that song.  It’s current and it’s my field, too.”  I’m a  R&B/pop kind of guy, so I put my twist on it and I kind of felt it 100%.  I was just like, “You know what?”  At that point I know the fans and supporters and people are going to love it.  Then I went out there, confident and it showed and they loved it.

Q: Last night when you sang after your elimination were you kind of happy that you didn’t have the pressure of the judges possibly saving you or did you wish that that was still in play after Michael Lynche got saved the week before?

Andrew: At that point I was just happy where I was at and how far I had gotten.  The save, they couldn’t have done a better save.  Michael Lynche, that guy is a warrior and I love that guy. 

Q: Do you think it’s easier or harder being judged by this season’s panel?

Andrew: I felt like it was harder just because they were being really hard this year. 

Q: Do you wish that Paula was there this season? 

Andrew: I do, because I would wonder what she would think about my song.