David Cook, who is currently traveling across North America on tour, recently spoke with Lindsey Parker of Yahoo Music about his new album, his time on American Idol and what it means to carry the title of a past winner, releasing music independently, and his work as a songwriter for other artists.
Below are highlights from that conversation. Read the full interview with the season 7 winner on Yahoo Music for the complete discussion.
Cook acknowledges how much American Idol has evolved since his season, when he and David Archuleta competed for the title. He believes the show would benefit from refocusing on the contestants themselves rather than allowing attention to drift toward rotating judges and manufactured drama. According to Cook, when the spotlight stays on the artists, audiences form a genuine investment in the contestants’ musical trajectories — and that connection fuels both the performers’ careers and the show’s long-term success.
“I try to watch enough to keep up, but I can’t name all that many contestants. However, I can name all the judges,” he says. “You watch these shows, especially with the judge turnover, and the storylines become about the judges instead of the contestants. So it’s harder for the American public to invest in [the contestants] as artists. I benefitted from the fact that when I came off the show, there were people invested who wanted to see what was going to happen, wanted to see what kind of music I was going to put out and what kind of music Archie [runner-up David Archuleta] was going to put out. And [Idol] seems to have strayed away from that format. I honestly feel like if these shows doubled down on the contestants and allowed the viewing public every week to really, truly invest in these contestants, the contestants’ success would become the show’s success, just like it did with Idol in the beginning.”
He also addressed the recurring label applied to many white male singer-songwriters — the catchall phrase “white guy with guitar.” Cook finds that shorthand reductive and unfair, arguing that it flattens distinct musical identities into a single stereotype. He points out that recent winners and artists who might be lumped under that tag — including Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze, and Phillip Phillips — each bring unique styles and creative visions, and deserve to be judged on their own merits rather than dismissed by a convenient label.
“There’s nothing like manufactured outrage, huh?” he says. “It’s dumb. Yeah, we are all white men. And yes, we all play guitar; that is another fact of the group. But I think to lump us all into one pile based off those two things is more than a little dismissive. I mean, look what Kris Allen does; it’s not the same thing as what I do. Look at what Lee DeWyze does; it’s not the same thing. Look at Phillip Phillips; it’s not the same! We’re all our own artist, we’re all our own kind of musician. I don’t know if it’s the incessant need to put labels on things or what, but man. I think Kris Allen’s new album is fantastic, such a great record, and then that ‘white guy with a guitar’ label gets thrown around and it runs the risk of causing people not to tune in to that record, which should be heard. So I think it has a detrimental effect. Jesus, we’re all just putting out music, and if you like it then listen to it and if you don’t like it then don’t listen to it, but I think to lump us in preemptively is, again, kind of dismissive.”
On the subject of new material, Cook confirmed that his next studio album is on the way and that it will arrive sooner rather than later. Freed from the constraints of a major label, he says the creative process for this follow-up to This Loud Morning has been more satisfying overall. While he wouldn’t confirm an exact release date, he revealed that he’s narrowed the album title down to two options and hopes to “get it out pretty quick.”
He described a variety of songs that will appear on the record, including the propulsive groove of “Criminals,” the blue-eyed soul of “Better Than Me,” and larger-than-life anthems such as “Broken Windows,” “I’m Gonna Love You,” and “We’re Not in This Alone.” Cook suggested that, compared with his last major-label album, these new recordings better reflect his artistic intentions and the freedom he has now to pursue his own sound and vision.
Cook will release his third post-Idol studio album independently and has an official working relationship with Warner Chappell Music for publishing. Outside his own projects, he continues to write for other artists — he co-wrote David Nail’s top-20 country single “Kiss You Tonight,” and mentioned having “two or three other songs on hold right now,” indicating a busy schedule with co-writes.
On the road, Cook is balancing touring with the creative work of finishing the new record. The combination of regular live performances and focused studio time appears to be fueling his next steps as an independent artist. Fans can expect a record that leans into dynamic grooves, soulful vocals, and broad, emotive anthems — material Cook says better represents where he is musically today.
Overall, the interview paints a picture of an artist who values authenticity, creative control, and the opportunity to let his music speak for itself. As he prepares to release new music independently and completes his tour, Cook seems intent on building on the momentum from his Idol years while embracing the freedom and responsibility that come from making and sharing his own art on his own terms.