Amanda's exit interview.............

A tired and philosophical Amanda Overmyer took the Thursday phone call that no “American Idol” contestant wants to take – the “eliminated contestant call” with TV writers from across the country.

The rocker nurse said she knew she was out of her element, calling herself a “square peg in a round hole.” She knew she wouldn’t win, but she was grateful for the opportunity.

Amanda, who’d been doing interviews since 4 a.m., Pacific time, with no end in sight, definitely stood out as an “Idol” contestant who actually said what was on her mind, which is sometimes rare. She candidly fielded questions about what she liked, what she didn’t like (one guess as to which category those group numbers on elimination nights fell into!), and how she failed to – or never really wanted to – fit in to the “Idol” mold.

Here’s what she had to say:
On her general mindset and optimism about life and her career…Yesterday wasn’t the most traumatic thing that’s happened in my life. I just got voted off a TV show. I was thankful to be there and privileged to have that many millions of Americans vote for me to keep me on, for someone like me who’s completely different from what’s been on. I’m kind of a different mold than everyone else in the competition. I found it very warming that I had that much support.

On what her favorite and least favorite performances were…The two on the big stage were equally my favorite, just because I was more in my element there with the crowd and everything. The least favorite one would’ve been all the group numbers we had to do [she said with a laugh]. But if I had to pick one, I’d have to pick the Kansas one. Personally, I liked it. I got it, but that’s the one I got slammed on, so let’s go with that one.

On those group numbers…I didn’t like performing them and doing all the choreography and stuff. But we recorded them and did that, I was actually very strong at that. I had a choir background in high school.

On whether “Idol” actually favors or disfavors people with truly unique personalities…It benefits anybody with any kind of distinction because it gives us that platform to start from and get the biggest exposure that we could ever get. As far as winning it, you just have to look at the demographics of the voters and the people watching AI versus the demographics of your particular genre. They may not necessarily correlate.

On what was going through her head when the judges gave their comments…When I was done singing, I was done singing. It’s kind of like when those judges would give their comments, I just wanted to be respectful and listen, but the comments weren’t going to sway me one way or the other as far as what I was going to do. The objective of being on the show was just to go up there and show America me, perform like me, look like me, and see how well it would take. The comments of the judges are based more on the idea of trying to win, and I just had a different agenda.

On whether her “rocker chick” distinction helped or hurt her…Being my own personal style helped me, as far as being the quintessential rocker chick. But as far as the competition itself, I wouldn’t say that it necessarily helped me because young kids aren’t going to relate to me as easily as they do the other ones.

On what she was thinking when she landed in the bottom three…(I was thinking) that more than likely I would be done. I know how different I am, and I know that I target an older audience and a different audience, maybe, than “American Idol” provides.

On whether her song choice (“Back in the U.S.S.R.”) or singing first on Tuesday hurt her…I don’t think the song choice had anything to do with it, because if it wasn’t that song it was going to be another song that sounded like me singing it. And you’ll never hear me, you know, pissing and whining that I was first (to sing) or anything like that. I definitely had hopes for maybe position six or seven, but that’s not how it worked out so, it is what it is.

On whether she was aware she was the pick on “Vote for the Worst,” and whether that hurt…I had heard that I was their girl. But, no, it didn’t personally hurt me at all. Votes are votes. And, from what I hear, they weren’t too harsh on me, or anything.

On whether her “outsider” status extended to the social side of the “Idol” experience…I tend to keep pretty sheltered and, you know, stay away from anything. I can count on two hands my friends and family that truly matter and other than that, I’m kind of standoffish. But in any situation where a group of people go and do something like this, there’s an element of camaraderie there where everybody’s going through the same thing, so they’re the only people that understand what everybody’s going through.

On whether she was disappointed she didn’t make it on the “Idol” tour…It was somewhat of a goal, but I’m not extremely disappointing that I am not doing the tour. The ultimate goal is to get my own (tour). But, I think for it being an “American Idol” tour, it is what it is. I think that they’ve got the best group for it. I think I kind of, like, stuck out. I didn’t always fit in with it.
On whether her roommate, Carly Smithson, gave her advise about the music industryShe was so young when it happened that a lot of it her parents took care of for her and she just kind of went where they told her to go. She never went out and promoted anything. The record company imploded before she had the opportunity to do that. So this is kind of like the first time for her, too.

On whether she was surprised by her departure…Kind of, but not really. I didn’t really go in with any pre-conceived notions with what I would be or I wouldn’t be, because it’s such a crap shoot being a square peg in a round hole.