Q&A: "Idol" experience "awe-inspiring" for Cook

By Fred Bronson

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - David Cook decided to audition for "American Idol," alongside his younger brother, only at the last minute, but now the 25-year-old is among the last four singers in the Season 7 competition of the Fox show. Having sung everything from Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" to Free's "All Right Now," the Missouri native sat down to talk with Billboard, revealing how he chooses his songs, how former contestant Michael Johns' departure was a wake-up call and how the whole experience has been "vindicating."

Q: You have been in a couple of bands and have released a solo album. How did you decide to audition for "American Idol"

David Cook: My little brother Andrew had wanted to try out for a long time. I didn't really have any interest. I was working on another record and was really content to do it my way, (but) he asked me if I would go as moral support up to Omaha while he tried out.

As we got closer to it, my mom and my little brother were being a little bit more persuasive in trying to get me to audition with him. So at the last minute, I decided to do it. He didn't make the first cut, and we were in the same audition group of four. It was very awkward, like to the point where I turned to him and said, "Is this something you want me to do, because if you don't want me to it, I won't." And his response was, "If you don't, I'll beat your ass." So yeah, it's entirely his and my mother's fault that I'm here, and I'm very grateful for it.

Q: What songs did you and your brother sing at the audition?

Cook: I'd done some acoustic gigs and played "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi, but there's a version they did that was a little more mellow called "Prayer '94" off their "Crossroads" record (that) I played at shows and stuff, so I knew I could do it. Andrew auditioned with "Last Request" by Paolo Nutini. I really thought he would make it through at least the first cut with that song, because he did really well with it. I've given up trying to figure out other people's logic.

Q: How have you gone about choosing songs each week?

Cook: For lack of a better way to phrase it, there's an idiot savant aspect to the way that I pick these songs. When given a theme like the Beatles or the '80s, there are parameters which help because it gives me a limited list of songs. If the vibe of a song grips me and/or if I can immediately hear what I would want to do with that song, that's usually a good indicator that I probably should do that song. As far as arrangement, I operate on the mantra "Just keep it simple, stupid." If I feel like the song needs something to access the vibe that I want to go with it, I'll try it, but I try not to overthink anything. Like with inspirational week, I really second-guessed myself on how I wanted to do that song ("Innocent" by Our Lady of Peace) and so by the time I got to perform it, my head was just going a million miles a second as opposed to just really focusing on the vibe of the song. Another lesson learned. I've had to force myself to trust myself.