'American Idol's' Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta: Adam Lambert doesn't surprise them

"American Idol" finalists Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta are performing live from Las Vegas for New Year's Eve. Read what they had to say about their music, the concert and fellow finalist Adam Lambert.

This interview was a conference call and it took until the seventh questioner for Adam Lambert to be brought up. We're surprised it took that long. Kris and Allison both expressed their lack of surprise at Lambert's recent headlines and moved on to talk about their own New Year's Eve memories.

What was some of your favorite music from the past year, barring your own albums of course.
Allison: I have to say The Weepies "Take it From Me" and Kings of Leon
Kris: I would have to agree and I'd put a Mayer CD in there too.

Do you guys have any New Year's resolutions?
Kris: For me, just work harder on music stuff. Just writing and performing and all that.
Allison: You're gonna make my resolution sound like crap... My resolution is to not have a New Year's resolution.
Kris: There ya go.

What made you want to be performing live as the clock ticks down for New Year's, as opposed to being at home with your family or at a party?
Allison: Who wouldn't want to be in Vegas performing? It's pretty much a performance of a lifetime for me.
Kris: I'm excited about it, I've never actually been to Vegas.

Do you have a set list already? You get to perform more than one song, right?
Kris: I'm playing a couple songs from the album
Allison: Same here. I haven't really chosen what songs yet.

Twitter is a big part of your daily activities. Why is speaking to the fans through that forum so important?
Allison: I guess cause it's an easy way to actually get in touch with them. I don't see any other way besides fan mail. Twitter's definitely an easier way.
Kris: I think fans see a different side of you. For me, I think that there's a lot of stupid crap that goes on in my head and Twitter's a good way to get that out. With the technology these days, fans get to see more of the artists that they like.

What one bit of advice would you give for "American Idol" hopefuls?
Kris: Just rock. Just do your best.
Allison: Stay true to yourself

Were you surprised at all by Adam Lambert's recent performance?
Allison: No. I don't think it's surprising.
Kris: Anybody that knows him is not surprised at all.

Do you think it hurt him at all?
Kris: Obviously it hasn't hurt him.
Allison: I was going to say the exact same thing.

Has anything changed about your music since you've left Idol?
Kris: I think for me, I've been going through this whole process of starting to really learn who I want to be as an artist.
Allison: Being on Idol has helped us all find out who we are as artists.

Have your musical tastes changed since being on Idol?
Allison: It's opened more doors to new music, for me. I've been listening to new stuff that I wasn't listening to back then.
Kris: I would say the same. When you meet new people, especially people who like music, you  get introduced to a lot of different kinds of music, whether you are introduced to the actual artists or make a new friend who listens to different music.

Take us back in time and talk about your most memorable New Year's Eve.
Allison: Damn. I don't know. Most past New Year's Eves I've had are just huge-ass family just eating our faces off.
Kris: Last year, we had a party at my house on a small deck on the roof. There were like 45 people at my house and and we all had sparklers and somebody's pants caught on fire.

Kris and Allison's rockin' New Year's Eve concerts will be airing live on FOX Thursday, Dec. 31 (11:00 PM-12:30 AM ET live; CT/MT/PT tape-delayed).

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Photo credit: FOX