"It's actually harder to sing in front of a small crowd than it is to sing in front of 40 million people," said the former "American Idol" contestant.

She'll be performing at the 25th anniversary of Hillsborough's Hog Day festival of all things porky.

Cox, from Jonesville in Yadkin County, made the top 24 on "Idol's" season five. She was one of four North Carolinians to do so that year. The other three -- Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry and Bucky Covington -- advanced further in the TV contest and now have successful albums out.

Cox, 23, is recording a pop-country album of her own. Otherwise, she is hanging around the homefront, spending time with her family.

"There is not much to do," she said of Jonesville, population 1,464. "I think we have a few stoplights."

She can't believe it has been almost two years since she flew to Denver to audition for "Idol."

"I was so nervous and thinking about backing out," said Cox, who has no formal vocal training.

She had spent a year practicing in secret after deciding to try out. "I would go out to the shed and sing in private," said Cox, a minister's daughter who grew up singing in church.

Her favorite judge on the show was Randy Jackson; Paula Abdul made weird comments about her eating habits, Cox said.

She also had a blast hanging out with the other contestants -- Rockingham native Covington would always jokingly try to buy teetotaling Cox a beer on flights to and from North Carolina.

"I still have Chris Daughtry's phone number in my cell phone," Cox said. "But he's so busy."

After a lazy start to the summer, Cox should be pretty busy herself in the coming months. She'll be singing at the Reality TV Convention in Nashville on June 30. Her album of "positive" pop-country should be out by the end of the year. She plans to build a house for herself, in the goat pasture behind her parents' property.

And she'd like to settle down and start a family soon, she said, expressing what may or may not be joking concern over being "old."

"I have had just some quagmire experiences in the dating department after 'American Idol,' " she said, groaning. "Therefore, Heather is extremely picky."