Album Review: David Cook - This Loud Morning

David Cook first made his way onto the music scene on the seventh season of American Idol, and later taking home the crown. His debut album made #3 on the Billboard 200 back in 2008, and almost three years later, Cook is back with a brand new album. This Loud Morning was released on June 28th and is everything that Cook represents: rock, soul and progression.

Cook's debut album had songs that went all over the place, all different sounds and styles, but this time around Cook knows his sound and his style for sure with the great, soft rock tracks like "Circadian" and "The Last Goodbye". Cook also shows his sensitive side with the songs "Goodbye to the Girl" and "Paper Heart".



Cook seems to have made a lot of progress with this album compared to his last. As great as his last album was, you can really see the work that was put into this record, each song fitting perfectly together in this album , along with Cook's rough, endearing voice. This is everything a sophomore album should be.

Interview with Guitarist Brian Green

Brian Green has played for many popular artists such as Michael Bublé and David Foster, as well as his own band Montë Mar. Just recently added to his bio is being the newest guitarist for David Archuleta. 

Out of all the members of David’s new band, it’s safe to say that the one we unfortunately know the least about is Brian. So now here’s your chance to learn a little about him as he talks about his music interests, past gigs, pre-show rituals and his reaction when he found out he would now be playing with David Archuleta. 






1. When did you start playing the guitar? .

2. What made you choose the guitar? 
(To answer questions 1 and 2) I started playing guitar when I was eight years old. My dad plays as well (not professionally) so there were guitars around the house, which must have intrigued me from a young age. I also had a crush on a girl who played guitar and I figured that it could be my in.

3. What kind of music do you listen to? What other artists are you into?
I cast a wide net with the music I listen to and draw from many genres and moods. Here are a few of my all time favorites and artists that I am currently listening to: Deerhunter, Rufus Wainwright, The Beatles (of course), Fleetwood Mac, Johnny Marr, The Beach Boys, Radiohead, Bjork, Milton Nascimento, Brad Mehldau.

4. What was your first reaction when you found out you’d be getting to be a part of David Archuleta’s band?
I was really excited upon hearing the news that I would be playing with David! I always thought he had a terrific voice and presence to him.

5. What other gigs have you had before playing for David?
Some of the other artists I have played guitar for in the past include Michael Buble, Jessie Baylin, Julianna Raye (opening for Rufus Wainwright), Andrea Bocelli and David Foster.

6. The Archie fans have tagged you guys as the “Archuband”. What do you think of the response from the fans ever since you started playing for David?
What a great network of fans you all are. Everybody has been very welcoming and supportive. Thanks everybody!

7. So far you’ve done two shows with David, one acoustic and one with the full band. Which do you prefer?
I like playing acoustic shows but prefer playing with the band. Those guys are all killer musicians and great people to hang out with, so it makes the show a bit more lively for me.

8. What prepares you for each show? Any pre-performance rituals?
Pre show rituals, oh gosh... I'm pretty low maintenance and try and stay relaxed and positive before shows. I'm happy with a quiet room to unwind in and if Pringles (BBQ or original flavor) happen to be in that room, you are guaranteed a good show out of me.

9. When I interviewed Steven he said you do an “awesome guitar riff” during Elevator. What are some of your favorite songs to play with this new band?
Ahhhh, lets see. The competition for my favorite song to play with David would be between Crush, Complain, and a great cover we started doing of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears. I also love watching the other band members tear it up on "Gotta Get Through This". I think that Ben and Steven melted some faces during our last show.

10. What are some of your hobbies when you’re not doing music?
I love to surf, hike, travel, read and be around my friends who I can laugh with.

11. Where can people catch up with you? Website? Facebook?
The best place to keep up with me and what I'm doing is through my band website: www.montemarmusic.com. I put up blogs, music, shows, and everything I'm up to on there including links to twitter and facebook so you know what I'm up to.

12. Any message to all of the Archie fans who are now supporting you? 
My message to all of the Archie fans is to keep it up! We love the enthusiasm and support and it makes us want to rock even harder for you all! Thanks for being so warm to all of us.


So look forward to seeing a lot more of Brian in his band Montë Mar and also more upcoming concerts with David Archuleta! I want to thank Brian for an awesome interview and we can’t wait to see what the future holds!

Interview with Bassist Ben Shepherd

Ben Shepherd is the creator and bassist for the up and coming band Mr DanZ. Aside from playing in that band, he is currently the new bassist for pop artist David Archuleta, with another Mr DanZ member, Steven J. Robinson. 

Amidst a busy schedule of booking shows for Mr DanZ and rehearsing for David Archuleta, Ben took the time to answer some questions about his musical background and his goals for both his band and his new gig with David.


1. When did you start playing the bass?
When I was 7 years old. I've been playing for 14 years, I started out on drums when I was 5 but gave up after seeing another kid absolutely destroy me on drums lol.

2. What made you choose the bass?
Well like I said there was that kid but mainly what made me choose bass was that when I was playing drums I was feeling the rhythmic aspect but I needed some sort of melodic aspect too but still have the responsibility of controlling the groove. Bass was the answer, but then it can also be a lead instrument too!!

3. Have you always been interested in music?
Absolutely! I grew up in a household where music was played all the time and my parents had a pretty diverse record collection too!

4. Who are some of your favorite musicians?
Too many to name but I'll name a few in no particular order:
Alphonso Johnson (bassist)
Jaco Pastorius (bassist)
Stanley Clarke (bassist)
Herbie Hancock (Pianist/Keyboardist)
Bill Evans (Pianist)
Christian McBride (Bassist)
Chick Corea (Pianist/Keyboardist)
Darek Oles (Bassist)
Pat Metheny (Guitarist)
Ray Brown (Bassist)
John Coltrane (Sax player)
Steven J. Robinson (You've probably never heard of him, some crazy drummer!)
Milen Kirov (Crazy Bulgarian Peasant!)
In terms of composers I love Debussy, Ravel, Charles Mingus etc.

5. You’re currently the bassist for David Archuleta, what’s it been like getting to rehearse with David and the rest of the band members?
Well its no different to any other rehearsal I have with other groups. We meet at the rehearsal space, chat/setup, talk about what we should rehearse, play the songs, joke around etc.

6. You’ve done one show with David so far, what was your favorite moment from that show?
My favourite moment was when the mixing board that ran our in ear monitors died before we started playing. Our monitor man Beau Burchell was so calm and focused on getting that thing working again. People who have that work ethic are the reason why a lot of these events are very successful.

7. What's been your favorite song to play with David and this new band?
I like Complain because we all do 5 part vocal harmonies. Singing and playing bass is very difficult.

8. Aside from playing for David, you also play in the band Mr DanZ with another “Archuband” member, Steven J. Robinson. What’s that been like? 
Mr. DanZ is a project of mine that I put together a year ago. The music we play is based around Jazz/Fusion but just like any group we have a lot of influences outside of that genre. It took me a while to get my own group happening because I was looking around for musicians who would fit best. Steven, Neil and Milen are the guys that make up this band.

9. As David mentioned at a recent show, you’re from New Zealand. Is there anywhere you’d like to visit or revisit while traveling with David?
Well it'd be cool to perform in New Zealand, maybe Europe?

10. What are your goals for the future playing with David Archuleta and Mr DanZ?
Well it's nice seeing people grow and David has definitely grown since his Idol days. A lot of Archie fans were saying after this Myrtle Beach show that David's sound and songs sounded more mature which is pretty nice because it definitely appeals to the older audience as well as the younger. Another thing was that they got another fresh perspective of David's older tunes that some may not have been a fan of but after hearing the way we played it in Myrtle Beach it became at the top of their list. So pretty much helping David grow musically is definitely a goal as well as creating a unique experience for the show.

As for Mr. DanZ, I'm in the process of writing more material for that group and trying to get gigs around town. It's very hard getting gigs around LA even though this sort of music came out of LA. Sometimes club owners aren't interested in having a loud fusion band at their jazz club or some just don't return your calls or emails at all. Some even aren't interested because you're a new upcoming band and don't have much of a following, others ask for a deposit to play and ask you to sell tickets and if you don't sell all the tickets you have to pay them the amount you couldn't make, that is what we call pay to play which I strictly don't believe in at all! So as you can see Mr. DanZ' goal is to get gigs because it is a great band and needs to be seen!

11. Where can people catch up with you? Website? Twitter? Facebook?
My girlfriend is re-designing my website so that will be up pretty soon. I have a Facebook but I only accept people I know and are my personal friends mainly because that page is my personal page. So if you add me I will decline but you can join the Mr. DanZ Facebook fan page. I am also on Twitter so instead of Facebook follow me on Twitter. There's also Youtube, Myspace etc.

12. Any message to all of the Archie fans who are now supporting you?
Thank you for all your support and your kind welcomes. We look forward to performing in front of you all and meeting you. This is gonna be a great one!!


I know there’s a bright future for Mr DanZ as well as this great gig with David Archuleta. Thanks so much to Ben for taking the time do to this with me! We all look forward to hearing the awesome bass playing!

Interview with Drummer Steven J. Robinson

Drummer Steven J. Robinson, not even 22 years old yet and he has quite the resume, playing for up and coming artists such as Chloe Pappas, Benny Marchant, The Genetics and most recently, a life changing gig with pop singer David Archuleta. 

I was recently lucky enough to get a Q&A with Steven, where he talks drumming, his influences, getting to work with David and the unexpected response from the Archie fans!



1. When did you first start playing the drums?
I started at the age of 2, in church.

2. What made you choose the drums?
I believe that God (through drums) chose me, because the initial attraction was so powerful. Out of everything that was going on around me, drums were the only thing that got my attention, and held on to it.

3. Who are some of your musical influences?
Great question! I have so many! As for drummers: Teddy Campbell, Brook Alexander, Spanky McCurdy, Gerald Heyward, Dave Weckl, Aaron Spears, Billy Ashbaugh, the list goes on!
As for singers/instrumentalists: Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Tpain, Prince, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Rihanna, Nikki Minaj, Kirk Franklin, Hezekiah Walker, Fred Hammond, Tye Tribbett, Doobie Powell, the list goes on! I'll put it this way-I'm such a huge fan of entertainment, and the entire industry. All of it influences me in one way or another.

4. What other gigs have you had before playing for David Archuleta?
Before David, I'd been apart of a good number of up and coming artists’ careers. -Universal/Motown's Devin Johnson, Goddess, Chloe Pappas, Mariam Suso, Benny Marchant, Denielle Grey, Donavan Luke Henry, Marie Wise-Hawkins, and The Genetics, along with a multitude of independent gospel projects. All of these artists/bands range from hip hop to r&b, to country, to rock. I still do a gig here and there with a few of these artists.

5. You've done two shows with David Archuleta, what was your favorite moment so far?
There have been so many moments. I'd have to say that entertaining the awesome fans has been my favorite moment. The enthusiasm, and excitement of all of the supporters is what drives me, and what gets me to give all I have in a show. Looking from behind my drum kit to an enormous audience going wild is priceless.

6. What's it like getting to be a part of the "Archuband" and getting to rehearse with David and the rest of the band members?
Being apart of the Archuband is the most fun and rewarding experience I've ever had in a playing situation. All of us in the band are friends, and for the most part, have played together before the creation of Archuband. Playing with musicians who you are familiar with personally, and musically is very fortunate!

Rehearsing with David is incredible! One thing I appreciate about David, is that yes, he's a superstar, but he doesn't portray that image to the maximum capacity in rehearsals, or anywhere for that matter. I've rehearsed for artists in the past who would have the biggest heads and ego's without having an 1/8th of the fan base David has. David’s very cool, easy to talk to, and he knows what he wants to hear, while simultaneously being open for suggestions-which makes our jobs that much easier. In this group, we're all family, and we're all in it together.

7. What's been your favorite song to play with this new band? Favorite David song to play?
I definitely have a few! I enjoy playing “Something Bout Love” because David gives me freedom with the bridge section -I’m able to play with the groove, and do some pretty big fills going back into the chorus. Another favorite is “Crush”. That drum groove is totally me! I also like “Elevator”, specifically the last few minutes of the live arrangement. We go into a reggae feel, while David has the audience sing. Brian does an awesome guitar riff during that section that gets me every time!

8. At the first show you did with David, you played the congas. Do you play any other instruments?
I can play most percussion instruments, but I don’t play any melodic instruments (piano, guitar, etc). I do play enough keyboard to write and produce my own material! But by the time I realized I wanted to play those instruments, drumming had taken completely over.

9. Is there anywhere you would want to visit while traveling with David? 
England!! I’ve been wanting to travel there for years! Who know’s, I may even pick up an accent once we get there!

10. There's been quite the response from Archie fans ever since they found out you're the new drummer. What do you think of all the new-found attention?
I couldn’t be any more appreciative of everyone who’s reached out to me on Facebook, Twitter, etc. My dream is coming true-entertaining an audience, and having them leave the show happy. I don’t take any of this for granted. That’s why whenever someone writes me, or contacts me in anyway, I make it a priority to respond, and show my thanks. Without their support, I wouldn’t be doing this. The attention is awesome, and I love it. But more than that, I respect and cherish it, because it didn’t have to be me.

11. Where can people catch up with you? Website? Twitter? Facebook?
Oh yes! You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and on my webpage.
Facebook: “Steven J. Robinson”
Twitter: @StevenJRob
Webpage: http://www.wix.com/sjrobinson22/site

You can also search “Steven J. Robinson drums” in your favorite search engine, and links will come up, including Youtube videos. My webpage is still under construction, but fans are able to log on, and visit.

12. Any message to all of the Archie fans who are now supporting you? 
Thank you so much, and God bless everybody!!!!!!!! I don’t get speechless a lot, but the Archie fans have me at a complete loss for words! This is just the beginning for Steven J. Robinson, by the way! I also sing, write songs, and I’m currently building up my acting career. Along with drumming, I hope to add TV and film to my repertoire very soon.


Looks like we’ll be seeing a lot more of Steven, not only playing with David Archuleta, but as well as a future singer and actor! And a big thanks to Steven for setting this up for me! We all look forward for what’s ahead with the Archuband, as well as your solo career!

Concert Review: David Cook - This Loud Morning radio tour

Just weeks before This Loud Morning was released, I was able to go see David Cook in action at a radio stop he did to promote the new album. It'd been years since I had seen him live and though I wasn't sure what to expect, I wasn't too surprised to find out that he hasn't changed a bit. Still the same sweet rocker he was during his Idol days, except now with a lot more experience and obviously excited for the release of his sophomore album.

Cook walked out cooler than ever as he sat in front of the small group of fans who were lucky enough to get tickets to this event at The Grill on the Hill golf course in Massachusetts. Intimate, yet fun as Cook performed an acoustic set against a beautiful river and the sun setting in the background. Cook sang some old favorites like "Come Back To Me" and "Light On", as well as his new single "The Last Goodbye", which has become one of my favorite songs by him, and a cover of The cars' song "Drive."




In between songs Cook would go into his famous banters, apologizing to golfers for being loud and talking about his new album. As cute as he is in between songs, once he starts hitting those notes, it's mesmerizing. Cook has a uniqueness and endearing tone to his voice like no other rocker I've heard. He can go from rough to emotional to both all in one song, and that's the greatest part about watching him live.