Kalan Porter, who stole hearts and broke records with his Canadian Idol win and eight-time platinum single, Awake in a Dream, is about to unleash his talent and display his depth as a singer-songwriter with the release of his debut album, 219 Days, on November 23.

 The 18-year-old from Medicine Hat, Alta., didn't miss a beat when he headed straight to the studio to immediately begin recording after running away with the Idol crown in mid-September.

Porter, who's about to embark on a promotional blitz for his album, admits the transition from being a Canadian Idol finalist to a recording artist was tough.

"It was kind of hard because you really grew close to everyone on the show. Just when you really start feeling like you can trust these people, you're thrown into a whole new family," Porter says.

"It was definitely a bit of an adjustment but it's just been great…kind of the same way the show worked, you're under so much pressure and stress to get this album out as soon as possible that you really grow close to the people here at BMG."

With his whirlwind musical journey, the 5-foot-11 violin player has had to adapt quickly to the hectic schedule of 16-hour days, writing and recording new material.

"A lot of days I'd get up at seven or 7:30, be in the studio by eight or nine and usually recording, writing until midnight or, some nights, later," Porter recalls.

But when he's not in the studio or doing press rounds, the laid back singer prefers to relax and watch TV in his Toronto pad. Having some down time to clear his mind is important to Porter, who admits having been nervous his first day of recording as he faced some unique challenges during the process.

"It's hard when there's not that audience to feed off of to really still get that same energy in the music," he explains. "Another thing that's kind of difficult is in a live performance the audience has the visual to give them the emotion of the song. Here it's just in the voice. You have to put all the emotion and all the feeling into your voice. It was definitely a challenge and it was definitely a learning curve for me."

Porter promises some surprises for his fans with the release of 219 Days, which, he's proud to say, is infused with his personality through its mixture of rock songs and ballads.

Since joining Canadian Idol and recording his first collection of songs, Porter has learned a few lessons about himself, his artistry and the music industry.

"I've just learned a lot more to trust myself and trust my instincts and really just go with how I feel. At least at the end of the day, whether it was a good choice or a bad choice you can have comfort in knowing that you did what you thought was best at the time," says the singer, who wrote and co-wrote five songs on the album.

With Porter now a popular recording artist, he'll be facing new issues that come with success and fame, including the reality of music downloading on the Internet -- a fact he doesn't deny, but a practice with which he disagrees.

"It's definitely hurting the entire industry. The more and more I get into this side, I realize how, really, it is stealing. There's so much work that goes into these albums and so much time and effort that it really is kind of a shame," he says.

Despite Porter's rapid achievements in only several months, he's well aware of the dangers of losing one's sense of direction, especially for a young performer like himself.

"You have to really be sure of yourself or you can really get lost and caught up in stuff. But, it's not impossible. I think what's helped me is, really, my family and my friends and surrounding yourself with the right people that really keep you grounded," says Porter, whose earnest answer seems to display a maturity beyond his teenage years.

The soft-spoken singer, who recently paid a visit back home to Medicine Hat, admits he still gets homesick but tries to battle the blues with daily phone calls to his family.

"Yeah, I need a good long-distance plan," jokes the currently unattached heartthrob.

With his 19th birthday coming up on November 11, there'll be plenty more reasons for Porter to celebrate -- besides becoming old enough to buy a drink.

However, with the release of his album not even two weeks later, Porter will have to hold off on some of the festivities as he begins promoting what has become the culmination of his hard work and the realization of a life-long dream.

Eye on Idol