Q&A with American Idol Casey Carlson

Eden Prairie�s own Casey Carlson will be performing the national anthem at Tuesday�s game against the Washington Mystics as part of the Lynx�s Minnesota Idol Night. Carlson made it to Hollywood and reached the semifinals of this past season of American Idol. She was one step away from reaching the top 10.

Carlson talked to LynxBasketball.com�s Philip Rossman-Reich about her life after American Idol, her upcoming work and, of course, her upcoming performance at the Lynx game.

Casey Carlson

LynxBasketball.com: The first question I have is what did you take away from your American Idol experience?
Casey Carlson: You know, I would like to say I learned a lot about singing and performing. But I honestly think I learned more about reality television. But it was an amazing experience and I think I learned a lot about myself as a person.

LynxBasketball.com: I think everyone wants to know what did Simon have to say to you?
Casey: I think Simon thought I was pretty cute and probably liked my looks more than he liked my singing, unfortunately. It was an honor just to be able to stand up there and sing in front of him and get some critiques from him because it�s kind of fun. I will always have that to remember.

LynxBasketball.com: American Idol is such a phenomenon with so many people trying out, so many people voting. What was the reaction like when you came home in between performances and even afterward?
Casey: It was a dream come true. I�d be walking around the mall or walking around a Target store and people would come up and congratulate me and wish me luck and ask for autographs. That was definitely a surreal experience. And something I hope I will be able to do many more times in my life.

LynxBasketball.com: Is it still something that kind of happens where people come up to you and say, �Hey! You�re Casey Carlson from American Idol!�
Casey: Yeah, actually I was at the grocery store the other day and someone said that. They were a high schooler and they were like, �My whole high school was rooting for you.� It was just so sweet.

LynxBasketball.com: What are you doing now that American Idol is over? I know you are working on a new album and a new single coming out. Tell us a little bit about that.
Casey: Basically I have been working with my friend and produce Paul Peterson, who has given me some ins with Masters Recording Institute. We have done two songs so far and both of them have been cover songs, one of which being the first song that I sang on American Idol which was �1,000 Miles� by Vanessa Carlton. You can check both of those recordings out on my Myspace which is caseycarltonmusic or at my Web site CaseyCarltonMusic.com. Those hopefully will be something leading me in to working on an album in the future. I�m not signed with a label right now, but that�s the ultimate goal. Hopefully this summer we will be able to record some originals as well.

LynxBasketball.com: What is your favorite song to perform? Is it �1,000 Miles� by Vanessa Carlton?
Casey: That�s probably not my favorite song to perform. My favorite song to perform would be �Somebody Like You� by Keith Urban because it�s just really feel good and it gets everybody really excited.

LynxBasketball.com: You are going to be singing the national anthem at the Lynx game on Tuesday night, are you getting excited for that?
Casey: Totally! I really love singing for Minnesotans because everyone is so supportive. I think that when I get out there on Tuesday night and sing for everyone the national anthem, it�s going to feel really good to be in an environment again that�s so encouraging. I�m really really excited.

LynxBasketball.com: Have you had a chance to follow the Lynx? Are you a huge basketball fan? What are your thoughts on the team so far this season?
Casey: I would be totally lying if I didn�t say I am not really that into sports. But I do love all teams from Minnesota. I�m such a Minnesota girl through and through that I like to support our teams as much as I can.

LynxBasketball.com: What advice do you have for future American Idols � people who want to follow in your footsteps, so to speak, and get on the show?
Casey: I wish I would have known what I know now before trying out. I guess one of the biggest things is it�s not a singing competition. I really think that they�re looking for more than just a singer. They are looking for someone who stands out, someone who�s marketable, someone who has an interesting story, an interesting background, something that will set them apart from everyone else. There are so many people that initially audition that you really can�t just have a good voice. You have to either do something that makes you stand out, or have a look that makes you stand out or have a story that makes you stand out to get noticed.

LynxBasketball.com: Thank you very much for your time Casey, we look forward to seeing you at the game Tuesday.

Casey and fellow local American Idol contestant Jesse Langseth, who will be performing an acoustic concert after Tuesday�s game, will be meeting fans and signing autographs before the game in the Skyway outside the Target Center from 6-6:45 p.m. Be sure to get your tickets today!

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