Jason Castro is a singer/songwriter from Dallas,TX who rose to national appeal as a top contestant on Season 7 of "American Idol". Since then, has been touring around the world and has shared the stage with many top mainstream and Christian artists. His latest album Only A Mountain was releaed on January 15, 2013. 

Jason is performing at Cantinas Music Festival with Michael W. Smith and Francesca Battistelli on Saturday, August 24, 2013. General Admission tickets are available for $35 and Premiere seating for $100. You can purchase tickets at: http://www.cantinasmusicfestival.com/

We'd like to thank Jason for taking the time to speak with BreatheCast.

BreatheCast: Your album Only A Mountain has been out for little over half a year now, how do you feel the response has been?

JC: "It's been great. We've had an amazing year touring and everywhere we go, nothing but good responses to it. So it's been really awesome to see that."

BreatheCast: What was it like working with Ben Glover on your album?

JC: "It was a great experience. I've worked with Ben before but mainly just with songwriting. I've always loved his intuition, I feel like he has a great and natural sensibility with music. So when I found out he was starting to get into producing stuff I really jumped at the chance to work with him because I believe the same instincts he has with songwriting will come out in a recording project. I think it went really well, I really enjoyed it."

BreatheCast: Do you tend to play more full band gigs or acoustic sets when touring?

JC: "It kinda just depends on the show. I try to have as many people with me as I can. It just makes it more fun and gives a different version of the song depending on full band or acoustic. My favorite set to play is probably a full band acoustic set where everybody is on acoustic instruments, but a full band."

BreatheCast: What is one thing that happens during the course of the show (on or off air) that people wouldn't realize?

JC: "I think what you don't realize is how much time you spend sitting around waiting, even on the live part of the show. A lot of the day we would just spend inside waiting on our turn to rehearse, or our turn to meet with the vocal coaches, or our turn to meet with the mentors. It was just a lot of sitting around. I loved to practice, so you could just sneak into a hallway and work on your songs." 

BreatheCast: How has it been working with I Am Second? 

JC: "I Am Second started in Dallas about six years ago now. It was right after I had been on American Idol and somebody from our church knew somebody who was working there and got in touch with me. At the time, when I saw the first video that they had shot I just thought it was an amazing way to share my testimony. After all my time on American Idol a lot of people got to see me and got to know me but I really wanted a place to share the reason for my hope and my joy and I just loved what they were doing. They have such an artistic, creative and meaningful way of reaching the world. So I got involved early on and I've done a few events throughout the years with them and most recently I actually did something new and traveled with them to Columbia on a missions trip, they call them 'expeditions'. They are actually launching I Am Second all throughout South America now. So I got to go out for 10 days and we did everything. We had I Am Second youth rallies and did door to door evangelism helping out local churches there starting up. It was an amazing time and I just love helping them out in any way I can."  

BreatheCast: If you could collaborate with one Secular Artist and one Christian Artist, who would you choose?

JC: "You know, I might just combine the two and say Switchfoot and Jon Foreman. He really has been such an inspiration as someone who has been true to their art and true to their faith and how God uses that. I just love what they have done and he is so talented as a songwriter. So that would be my collaboration of a lifetime."

BreatheCast: Do you guys have a favorite scripture as a band or a truth that you guys use a lot? If not, what are some personal favorite verses of yours?

JC: "That really changes by the week, I try to stay constantly in the word and let God speak to me. But one verse that has carried me through when I'm feeling unsure on what to do next is in the book of Proverbs. It says 'In his heart a man makes his plans, but the Lord determines his steps.' I've always just found great confidence and peace in that just knowing that the Lord knows my heart and He's got a path already planned out for me. I can make my plans, but at the end of the day, God will guide my steps. I really love that and it gives me a lot of peace knowing that."

BreatheCast: What are your touring plans for this Fall 2013?

JC: "I'll be going out on tour with Matthew West and Side Walk Prophets and I will have a full band with me which will be exciting. Also it's about that time to start writing and working on songs for a new record coming up."