Photograph by K Mazur/TCA 2008/WireImage.com

Got a minute? Last season's American Idol winner David Cook and runner-up David Archuleta dish about their upcoming albums (out November 18 and today, respectively) and panty-throwing fans.

Q: You guys are putting out albums right after a huge election. Do you keep your political beliefs to yourselves?

Cook: I think voting is a personal right and a privilege. For me it's less about alienating anybody and more about not trying to be a persuasion. People need to vote based on their own ideas.
Archuleta: I try to stay away from taking sides in politics, sports—anything competitive, really, because fans get so into that. I don't want people to base their opinion of me on a small comment I make.

Q: So you'd rather have them judge you on your new albums. What can we expect?

Archuleta: It's a pop album with a little R&B flavor. There's a nice variety, because I didn't want to pigeonhole myself. Being a teenager, I'm always changing my mind.
Cook: Mine is very eclectic, although it's a rock record for sure. There are heavy, guitar-driven songs, very delicate piano songs, and everything in between. I had a chance to work with people I admire, like Raine Maida from Our Lady Peace, Kevin Griffin from Better Than Ezra, Johnny Rzeznik, Zac Maloy. It was great for them to treat me as a peer.

Q: What albums did you look to for inspiration?

Cook: I tried to keep outside influence to a minimum. I found myself relying more on self-evaluation than anything. I wanted to be fresh and untainted.
Archuleta: I listened to Jordin Sparks' first album, because she's another artist my age and she mixed it up, which allowed her to do more with her next album. The guy who wrote "My Hands" on my album actually wrote "No Air" for Jordin.

Q: What's the craziest fan experience you guys have had?

Archuleta: My fans don't do freaky things. They throw stuffed animals. One time, Cook got some underwear, and he threw them on me. I was like, "Oh, nasty!" I freaked out.
Cook: For the record, yeah, I did. But they were thrown at me by a fan first. Katie Hintz