Alexis Grace Had a Feeling She Was in the Bottom 3

Alexis Grace was the last of the Top 13 who didn't make the "American Idol" tour. Click below to get her thoughts on her edginess, the judges' save and her love of Tom Jones.

Back home you have a band with your dad. Are you going to go back fairly soon and are you going to continue with the band?
I'm going to go back home and spend some time wtih my family, then I'm going to get to work and talk about recording some msuic and trying to get it out there. Just continue singing.

The performance the second night of "Jolene" seemed to be pushing a little harder. Did you purposely make it a little harsher the second night?
No, it was just what I was feeling. It wasn't like I was trying to do anything a certain way. I just wanted to show them that I wanted to stay.

What did you learn from your experience on American Idol?
I learned that if you want to do anything in life, if you want to pursue a dream, you've gotta work hard at it and believe in yoruself. Just have fun with whatever you want to do. All the cliches are really true.

What did you find most challenging in your time on the show?
Probably being away from my family, my daughter especially. I went from being a stay-at-home mom to not seeing her at all so it was really tough to be away from her.

Do you think the singer should be given a chance to sing any of their previous songs [during the judges' save portion]?
Yes, I do. If I sang "Never Loved a Man," maybe I'd still be there. "Jolene" is a beautiful song and I love to sing it but I don't think it was their favorite performance so I didn't get to show them and remind them why they picked me and why America picked me.

Did it make you feel better or worse that you knew the judges considered using the save?
I liked the fact that they told me they thought about saving me because it let me know they actually believe in me and thought I could do it.

When you look back in hindsight would you still sing "Jolene" or is there another song you think you would've done better with?
I had a couple I considered. I did consider doing a Carrie Underwood song but there were already 2 people doing a Carrie Underwood song and I thought that would be too much in one night. I felt like "Jolene" was a good song for me to do.

I was reading up on your love for Tom Jones, so tell me a little bit about that.
I think it started a long time ago, my mom likes Tom Jones a lot. I just like his voice, it puts me in a good mood. I probably should've listened to some Tom Jones last night.

Did you make your roommates in the mansion listen to Tom Jones at all?
I should've but I didn't. We were gone all the time but if we had some free time I definitely would've put some Tom Jones on and had a dance party. Everybody would have to do "the Carlton."

How do feel about not getting to go on tour?
It would've been fun to do duets and I'm gonna miss everybody. There will be other tours, though.

I think your voice would be so great with so many different artists. Who would be your dream duet?
Wow, that's a good one. Maybe Pink or Sarah McLachlan or Joss Stone even. I would love to do something with them.

What kind of CD do you see yourself releasing?
I think kind of some soul mixed in with blues and country, I like the three combined together.

How did you feel when the judges were considering using their veto rule on you? Was it flattering?
It was flattering, I was really happy. I just wish I could've done a better job than I did, but in all honesty I don't know if they still would've chosen me. It's so early in the game and they probably wanted to use the save later on in the show.

How did it feel when you were standing up there and they told you no?
I was disappointed because I had imagined myself going farther than that. Not surprising because I had a feeling I would be in the bottom, but I never imagined myself going home that early. I figured I'd stick around longer and I wanted to make it a little bit farther at least.

What was the conversation like when you met with them backstage [friends and family]?
They were probably more upset than I was. They believe in me and they just really wanted me to go far and they believed that I could, so it was upsetting to not go farther.

The judges said they wanted to see you dirty it up, Why do you think they specifically targeted that for you [as opposed to the other women]. Why did they seem to want you to be that kind of a persona?
I think because they saw something in me at the beginning, a little edgy but I hadn't quite touched on it yet. They really wanted me to become an artist and I did that.

Did they have a party for you last night, like Jorge and Jasmine?
They were really busy last night, so there wasn't one.

You were one of the first people to get put in the Top 13. What did you do for those 3 weeks?
I relaxed a lot, made sure I got some sleep and just took it easy. I had a good time while I was here with everybody and I practiced a lot. It was very nice to sit easy and watch the show.

When you were choosing songs for country night, did you debate at all doing an old song versus something more contemporary?
Definitely. I feel like everybody knows "Jolene" and it's such a great song that I thought I could get away with it, as opposed to doing something more contemporary like Carrie Underwood. You pick the songs you think will work and sometimes they do and sometimes they don't.

The tour is so time-consuming, I think it starts in June and ends in September. Was there any part of you that is relieved that you can spend time with your family? Did you understand what a demand on your time it is?
I did understand but I want to be in this business as long as I can and I have to make sacrifices to do what I want to do. I want to take care of my family and provide for them.

Who were you closest to in the Top 13?
I would say Megan and Matt G. Matt, for one thing, he cracks me up. He's always making jokes and doing riffs and runs all the time. And Megan because we both have kids the same age and we joked about how on tour our son or daughter would be boyfriend/girlfriend.

How about a message to your fans?
I just want to say thank you. Because of you I made it this far. You guys rock and I want to not disappoint you and get out there and keep singing and keep making music.

Did you have an inkling something might be up when Ryan singled you out for questioning at the beginning?
I knew before I got there that I would be in the Bottom 3. I knew before the show. I just had a feeling, from what the judges said and... I just had a feeling.

There were fewer women than men this year and before it had been evenly balanced. Did you guys feel you had to fight harder to prove the women are just as good?
Of course you do. You really have to do your part and show those little girl out there who are voting for all the boys that "hey, we're still here too!" It was fun. I loved the girls and all the guys and I had a great time while I was there.

What did you learn from this experience, what did you take away from it?
I think I'm going to take away a lot from this experience. I know who I am, I know what I want to do, I know what career path I want to take. It's given me a lot of confidence in myself. It's given me a lot and I can't wait to see what's next.

Did you consider playing the guitar with "Dirty Diana" or "Jolene?" I'm so disappointed we didn't get to hear you play.
I considered doing it on "Jolene" but I wasn't very sure of myself. You get out there and you get nervous, so I decided to stay away from any accidents happening.

Closing remarks?
I just want to say thank you guys so much for your support and how you feel about me and my singing. I'll be back and hopefully you'll hear more from me.