Andrew Garcia was No. 9 on your American Idol roster this season.

He lasted past a few hundred thousand entries and was eliminated from the show on Wednesday night. Over and out on Elvis Week. Announced and gone from the show probably before guest mentor Adam Lambert had a chance to put on his makeup for his performance.

But Andrew will still be gracing us with his talent this summer on the American Idol Tour. Here is what Andrew had to say Thursday morning on a 15-minute conference call:

Your ‘Straight Up’ performance got over 3 million hits on YouTube. When you were performing it did you ever think it was going to take off like that?

AG: “Well, I saw that by Paula and I thought, ‘You know what, she’s not on the show no more and I can do my little twist on it and see what happens. And it really took off, it went crazy.”

We watched as your friendship wtih Lee (Dewyze) blossomed. What were your common interests and did you have a song you both liked together?

AG: “We didn’t really have a song we did. We just jammed a lot together. Hopefully, we’ll write a lot on Tour. We did find ourselves doing the same thing at the same time which was really weird. Like, ‘What the heck?’

What do you see happning in your future?

AG: “Making an album, getting ready for the Tour and becoming the best that I can be.”

How did the show change your life or your approach to life?

AG: “I always felt like I would be involved in music. Having fun with it, pursuing it. The show showed me how much more there is to music, how amazing the industry is. I’m so glad I got to work with some amazing people and have this amazing experience on American Idol.”

Are you going to propose to your lady?

AG: “I’m going to, I just haven’t decided when just yet. I am for sure gonna marry her.”

The judges made it sound like it was your thing to take a song and make it super-original like you did with ‘Straight Up’?

AG: “Going forward as an artist I have my own music. But I do take songs and put my own twist on it like I did with ‘Straight Up’ and then I did Chris Brown. I take pop music and put my acoustic twist on it.”

What was your life like before you went on Idol?

AG: “I was stay-at-home dad and on the weekends I’d go and play show. That was my income. For like 400 bucks a gig. Me doing acoustics. It was cool. Then Idol, I tried out and look where it got me.”

What was the best piece of advice that Adam Lambert gave you this week?

AG: “He said to let go and have fun and put my twist on it. I knew where he was coming from because he puts his twist on everything he does and he’s amazing at it.”

Which of your first Hollywood performances turned out most like you have planned?

AG: “I’ll have to say Chris Brown and the Adele song. I love to do my thing with acoustic.”

How did you feel about the fact that Simon said you were boring, and Adam Lambert said you were boring. But your fellow contestents said, ‘Andrew, boring?’ Why do you think that part of your personality never came across?

AG: “I don’t know. On stage I was focused more on performing. Talking about my personality, they don’t hang out with me. Talk about my personality … if they hang out with me they’ll love me. Guaranteed. I did inject my personality into my performances but they still bashed me. But you know what you can’t win everybody over. I’m just supportive to all my fans.”

Did you and Lee get to have a moment last night after the show?

AG: “Yes, we did. That’s my buddy right there. That’s my brother for life.”

Was it kind of an odd moment, being eliminated yet still being in the Top 10?

AG: “Not really. I didn’t expect to go as far as I did. I didn’t know how far I would get. Being in the Top 9 is incredible. I’m just thankful that I got that far.”

Were your parents emotional about your elmination? They seemed to be really close to you.

AG: “They saw that I wasn’t mad or bitter and I was thankful for all the opportunities I have had and that is why it didn’t really affect them. They were happy for me.”

When you sang last night after the elimination were you kinda glad that the save wasn’t in play and you didn’t have that pressure?

AG: “At that point I was just glad that I was at that point. And the save … there couldn’t have been a better save than Michael Lynche. That guy is a warrior and I love that guy.”

Do you think it was easier or harder being judged by this year’s panel?

AG: “I think it was harder because they are being really hard this year. I don’t know why. They are being really hard on the judging.”

Do you wish Paula (Abdul) were there?

AG: “I do because I would like to know what she thought of my songs.”