“‘Fire’ is about starting over,” Cook shares. “Taking something, or someone, important to you, and building something new around it. The song actually started as more of a slower ballad. It wasn’t until we got into the actual recording process that my producer, Andy Skib, pushed for it to be sped up. It gave the track such a different energy. One that I can’t wait to dig into live.” Watch now: Cook’s highly anticipated EP will be released on April 16, 2021. The six-song set is preceded by three singles: “Reds Turns Blue” and “Strange World” in 2020, and today’s single “Fire,” officially releasing on March 19, 2021. The EP was recorded in Nashville with producer Andy Skib. Although the songwriting and recording process began before COVID, its effects were felt throughout the process and are reflected in some of the songs. With touring on hold for the moment, it will be a while before fans can hear these songs in person. But, Cook has continued to perform online. Cook’s first album, Analog Heart, came out pre-Idol, and his last album, Digital Vein, nicely book-ended that chapter of Cook’s career. With Chromance (2018), he started fresh. “I was a ‘rock’ guy, but the further away I’ve gotten from that, the more I’ve opened up and found inspiration in the peripherals. I wouldn’t have had the courage earlier in my career, but now I have the confidence to go after the sound I want.” A fan of both Massive Attack and Nine Inch Nails, Cook always admired how they pushed the envelope and brought pop elements into rock music. If putting out his 2018 EP wasn’t enough to keep Cook busy, that same year he headed to the Great White Way for his Broadway debut in Kinky Boots as Charlie Price. Another passion of Cook’s is his work with the National Brain Tumor Society, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that drives cutting-edge research and treatments for brain cancer and brain tumors. “I’ve been very involved with the charity and am very grateful that my career has allowed me to do that. I lost my brother Adam to a brain tumor in 2009; every year I am part of the Race for Hope-DC and my fans alone have raised over $1.5 million for this charity. Far and away, that is the proudest of all my achievements.” You can pre-save the song “Fire” here and the Looking Glass EP at https://ingroov.es/the-looking-glass Next, do people who are tone-deaf hear music differently?
