David Cook talks with Examiner about tours, future plans, and mysterious tattoos

Okay, okay, so when interviewing an AI alum, some people worry about asking them too many questions about American Idol.  But, considering David Cook admittedly owes a lot to the show that has launched his already-successful career, it makes sense to ask him about his pre-Idol pursuit of music.  So that's exactly what I did when I had the chance to interview him the other day.  Not surprisingly, he said he would have never considered giving up music, Idol or not.  He might have perhaps considered moving it to a hobby, but he'd never give up his first love.  And that is why his whole experience on the show was hard for him to believe, as he admits to thinking to himself every week "I'm done."  He even went so far as packing his bags before every results show but, as we all know, that was never needed.  His career has soared as he, along with his many fans, take it all in.

Although his tour is winding down, David is busier than ever.  He recently finished his part on Carrie Underwood's upcoming holiday special, calling his performance of "Lie" a "cool, live version."  He calls Carrie "great," and goes on to say that she's "one of the really good friends I've gained through the Idol process."  He also recently wrapped an episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition in which he auctioned off one of his guitars to help the affected family, along with personally pitching in on the makeover process.  David said "It was good to do something that wasn't about plugging in my guitar or talking about myself" but, instead, helping someone else.  David is no stranger to philanthropy, and has done a great deal for cancer research after losing his brother, Adam, to the disease.  As far as the tour thus far, he said the most surreal moments were performing before 115,000 people in the Philippines as well as playing at an old venue in his hometown back in Kansas City.  

When asked about how his songs have evolved from the album as he has been on tour, David said that it's a bit of a combination of his band purposefully doing so, and it happening as a natural process.  As he points out, no one wants to go to a live show that sounds exactly like the album.  He also notes that this album was really made on the fly due to time constraints with the AI tour but, as he says, "I really like the niche we've carved," calling it "high energy."  When it comes to writing songs, David says he lets the producers consider the current musical trends, but he simply writes what's personal to him.  As he put it, "It's my job to be artistic and it's somebody else's job to rein me in." 

David doesn't have much free time these days, but he doesn't complain, as he says that is he and his band members get along extremely well.  They hang out when not performing, and had even gone out for band mate Andy Skib's birthday the night before.  The self-declared "word nerd" also reads when he gets the chance, and recently finished Michael J. Fox's Adventures of an Incurable Optimist.  And, of course, David can't get enough music.  When asked what he's listening to these days, he listed Erin McCarley, Crash Kings, Green River Ordinance, and Chantal Kreviazuk among the many artists he favors.

Of course, all of us Cookie fans are wondering what's next and, although David says a live album is not out of the question at some point, he really wants to focus on making music for his sophomore effort.  Although David says he's hesitant to call it "more of the same," he does say it will be an extension of what they've already started with the hugely successful debut album.  As he put it, they'll be "broadening the scope, " creating "more of a sense of urgency" as well as giving it a more "up tempo" feel.  They'll be incorporating some piano-driven pieces, as David says he's intrigued by using different instruments to create new sounds.  David also said he'd like more "riff-based guitar work," and, surprisingly, calls himself a "mediocre guitar player at best."  A modest musician to be sure!  As far as the band name goes, he threw out The Anthemic to let it happen organically, and he thinks it's going to stick.  If David can make it happen, he also plans on keeping all the band members the same for the next CD. 

As for some of his unreleased songs, such as "Souvenir" and "We're Only Honest When We're Sleeping" making the next album, David doesn't rule it out.  He doesn't want to commit to it either but, as he said, they are "all in the running."  Another thing he doesn't rule out is the possibility of seeing him on Idol once again (in the mentor capacity).  But don't ever expect to see him at the judges' table, as he doesn't think he could dish out any harsh critiques knowing how hard it is to do what they do.  When asked if there were any other current TV shows he'd like to guest star on, he names Dexter, House, and Family Guy among his faves. 

While few can deny that David Cook is an open book when it comes to giving his fans some great scoop during an interview, he does say there are some things he'd rather keep close to the vest, such as the meaning behind the new "14" tattoo he has on his right forearm.  David said he'd rather keep that private and, besides, he's truly enjoyed all the speculation.  Speculate away, fans!