An Interview With Musician, Actor and American Idol Season 7 Winner DAVID COOK About His Brand New Song, ‘Reds Turn Blue,’ Staying Busy During This Pandemic and More!

Rock singer-songwriter David Cook is back with a new single called “Reds Turn Blue.” Released just yesterday (6/26), this track is a reference to the manic highs (reds) and lows (blues) of anxiety, something that David has struggled to over since his season 7 win on American Idol. It premiered on People Magazine accompanied by a feature on 6/25 and he was also featured on Sirius/XM Volume yesterday as well.

LISTEN TO “REDS TURN BLUE”

PURCHASE “REDS TURN BLUE”

When asked about the meaning behind, “Reds Turn Blue,” Cook explained, “Lyrically, this song touches on my experience dealing with an anxiety disorder.  I began having anxiety episodes in 2010, with no real rhyme or reason.  Once those began, I noticed I also carried a lot of worry about whether or not another one was coming.  The crux of “Reds Turn Blue” is a letter to myself, I guess.  A reminder that whatever is heavy in the moment, will pass.  Lean into it, breathe through it.”

This is the first new music David has released since 2018s EP Chromance. That same year, Cook made his Broadway debut in “Kinky Boots” as Charlie Price. “I’ve had conversations about finding creative outlets outside of being a musician, but the timing was never right. I love the collaborative aspect of theatre, the idea of being part of a creative team and working it out in front of an audience each night.”

Check out David Cook’s Music Here:

Connect With David Cook Online Here:
https://www.davidcookofficial.com/
https://www.facebook.com/davidcook
https://twitter.com/thedavidcook
https://www.instagram.com/davidcookofficial/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4SQxI8xg6LcSWL3KuGVHLa

Learn more about David Cook in the following All Access interview:

Thank you for your time. So given these unusual Covid-19 times, what does a typical day look like for you? How have you adjusted to these times?

 A typical day for me, right now, is a mixture of more writing, and overdue home projects.  The adjustment has been about what you’d expect, although I’ve enjoyed spending more time with my wife and our pups, for sure. 

What has been the hardest/most challenging part about being quarantined? Is your city starting to open up more now?

 The hardest has been the lack of socialization.  Especially as it pertains to songwriting.  Those little moments of social interaction that you would normally derive inspiration for a song have been put on pause. Tennessee has been pretty quick on the re-opening.  But we’re choosing to lay low for now.  Better wrong and safe, than wrong and sorry.

What has it been like having to reschedule so many of your spring, summer and most likely fall shows? What shows in 2021 are you are already excited for?

That part has been tough.  I hate cancelling shows, but this pandemic and this moment are demanding it.  Hopefully, we can chase all those lost “live show” moments down once things return to normal.   

Since we are all desperately missing live music, can you recall a favorite show of yours from the past? What do you think ultimately makes for a great show for you?

I always revert back to a couple shows:  2009 in Manila, Philippines, and 2011 at Irving Plaza in NYC.  The former was due to sheer crowd size.  110K-ish people.  It was visually, just insane. And the Irving Plaza was… different.  The energy in that room, that night was perfect.  I’m forever chasing that particular high, I think.

How have you been able to use social media this year to stay connected to your fans? Does it seem like it’s becoming even more important? 

Social media and I continue to be strange bedfellows, but it has been so beneficial with all this.  Adding StageIt to the mix has allowed me to still get the “performer fix”. 

Let’s talk about your brand new track, “Red Turn Blue.” What was the inspiration for this track? I understand that this is your first new music since your 2018 EP, “Chromance” so what was like getting back in the studio to record this song?

Reds Turn Blue was written as a letter, of sorts, from my anxiety to me.  I found out a couple years after Idol that I had an anxiety disorder.  This song began as a purely therapeutic exercise, trying to personify my anxiety as something different than a part of me. Trying to make it the “other”.  Which has helped me navigate my relationship with it.  

Getting into the studio was just fun. I think once the decision was made to move past this idea of the song being only for me, the recording process was easy.  I always enjoy that process, though.  Balancing chasing the right sounds and getting the right energy on the finished product is maybe the most fun I have with all of this.

Do you have plans to release more new music soon? A collection that will include “Red Turn Blue” perhaps? Have you been writing new songs lately?

I have another song on deck that I’m excited about, and a few more in pocket that might end up on an EP, but I am extremely excited for this song to have it’s moment in the sun. 

Do you find that what motivates you to be a musician has changed at all over the years? If it has, then how so exactly? 

I think the motivation for me is to chase better.  I want each song or album I put out to be better than the last song or album I put out.  And that hasn’t really changed.  Where I’ve changed, I think, is that I allow more of the peripherals to enter into the creative process.  I’m at my best when I take the blinders off and just try to be a conduit, as opposed to chasing an idea down. 

How do you think future music is going to be influenced by this incredible and absolutely necessary Black Lives Matter movement that the US and even the world is going through now? Is it inspiring you and your music today?

I’m not sure, to be honest.  But no matter what future music becomes, this moment and these conversations are so important, and I’m glad they’re happening.  It’s overdue.  As far as how it’s inspiring me and my music, it’s allowing me to assess things from a slightly different vantage point, and as that continues to materialize, I’m sure it’ll augment what my lyrics are about.