Quote:Do you see yourself going in a more growly or more jazzy direction on the album?

H: I would love to mix it up. I'm really going to try to sneak jazz in. I know Interscope itself has lots of pop artists and hip-hop artists. I know I have a lot of that soul R&B in me so I definitely want to try to get that across but as well as funk, rock and a jazzy flavor. I think I told you before it sounds like a lot but I mean all of these things compact into one. As long as your style comes through, I think it's easy to tell.

So are you just writing now, you haven't hit the studio or laid down any tracks yet?

H: Right, no, I haven't. I know a lot of the other Idols are jumping into it and that's fine. To each his own. For me the style I'm going for, I'd rather make it right than to rush it. I have lyrics and melodies for songs I've written years ago, and those are complete. I just don't have the chords behind it, the instrumentation. Casey has helped me out with a few of them. We'll see if they make it on the album. I really hope they do.

So there's no timetable for the album or single release yet?

H: Not at all. I'm still just getting ideas. When I'm in New York City, I'm supposed to meet with a couple of producers to start talking about it.

Talk about your relationship with mentor Jimmy Iovine. Sometimes he really seemed to get you, but at other times, your relationship seemed contentious.

H: I think Jimmy and I got each other especially toward the end when he picked “Rhiannon” for me. We had our moments on the show, but he's there to fight for all the contestants. There's a lot of moments that they don't show on TV, a lot of ways they edit things. But when we were off camera, things could be a lot different.

Will you be working with him on the album?

H: Now that the show's over, I don't really see him much. He's the guy at the top, he's overseeing everything, but I'm not working with him at the moment, no.