Jennette McCurdy’s new EP, Not That Far Away, is out on iTunes now and rising on the country charts.

The 18-year-old actress/singer dished on just why she’s not a pop princess, meeting Faith Hill at a young age and telling a story with her album. Check it:

On why she chose country over pop: “It’s always been my favorite. I found that I could relate to it more than any other genre and I felt like it was so honest. It told stories like nothing else and it spilled everything right out on the table. There’s hardly a country song that plays that doesn’t make you smile and want to dance or want to make you have a tear trickling down your cheek, so for country music to evoke those kinds of emotions, I guess that’s what drew me towards it.”

On playing Faith Hill’s daughter: “I was into Faith Hill when ‘Breathe’ came out. I love that song. When I was seven, I actually did a music video where I played her daughter and was able to talk to her and see how nice she is. She really encouraged me at a young age.”

On her album telling people who she is: “I really wanted to just be honest to myself, stay true to myself with every song and deliver a CD that I felt reflected who I am as a person and tell the stories of my life because I feel that that’s what people will relate to the most. Country music strikes a chord in peoples hearts that makes you think ‘wow! I know exactly what they’re talking about. I felt that before.’ I wanted people to be able to feel the same thing and I felt that could only be accomplished if I really wrote what I knew.”