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Debut a record-breaking 11 songs in one week on the Billboard Hot 100 — easy.

Embark on a 50-plus date, cross-country tour — done.

Work on a debut disc with heralded rock producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day) and collaborate on tunes with Our Lady Peace's Raine Maida and Collective Soul's Ed Roland — check.

This weekend, Cook reaches another milestone — visiting Houston, where he was born. He'll perform alongside David Archuleta, Carly Smithson, Kristy Lee Cook and the rest of the gang Sunday at Toyota Center.

"That's definitely right up there — to see where I was born and really get a firm memory is something that is really important for me," Cook says, calling from a tour stop in Charlotte, NC.

"I've got a couple family members buried in Houston that I'm hoping to get to see. We moved when I was really little, so I don't really have a lot of memories.

"To be able to get out and kind of see if there are any mental images buried that might resurface as a result of being out there, that's all the stuff I'm excited about getting into."

Earlier this month, Cook donated a white stage jacket to the local Snowdrop Foundation auction, benefiting patients and families at Texas Children's Cancer Center. It sold for $5,000.

His post-Idol debut disc is due later this year, and Cook promises lots of rock twists and turns:

You're on a pretty insane schedule these days, touring, writing and recording.

I'm very, very much enjoying myself out here on the road. I've got nine of my best friends (with me), traveling the country and doing music for a living. The pay's not bad, either. It's fun — 99 percent of the time.

What happens that other 1 percent of the time?

I've never slept so little in my entire life. But I've been able to do a lot of things that most people only dream about in the last year. I think as long as I'm able to maintain that perspective, it's pretty easy.

Is there any time to actually relax and take a breath?

I haven't had a full-on day off in probably two months. You find ways to get through it. I think to decompress would probably take more than a day. What little free time I do get is usually just spent trying to catch up on sleep.

Three months have passed since your Idol win. Have you been able to fully appreciate the experience?

When I was there and going through that experience, it was very much an out-of-body experience. I didn't process it internally at all. I really felt like I was watching it along with everybody else. I haven't really been able to process it any differently than I did at the time, which is kind of like, 'What just happened?'

What songs are you performing on tour?

I'm doing Hello (Lionel Richie), Billie Jean (Michael Jackson via Chris Cornell) and I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing (Aerosmith) from the show. I'm doing the single, Time of My Life, and I'm doing a song called My Hero by the Foo Fighters.

Are you happy with that rigid setlist?

Obviously, I'd much prefer to be playing original material. But I think the set that I have is fun, and I've been able to cater it toward some crowd interaction. Really, I just want it to be entertaining for the audience. The crowds have been great. Very loud.

Has there been a standout city on the tour so far?

I think with Glendale (Ariz.) being the first (show), there was a real cool energy there. Everybody just came out with 20 pounds of energy. I'd say since then, probably the most responsive crowd for me was our second Newark date. They sang all my songs back to me. As a performer, nothing beats that.

Does your solo disc seem like the light at the end of the Idol tunnel?

It definitely feels like the next horizon. It's strange, I grew up playing in bands and playing original music. For the last year of my life, I haven't played any original music. In that regard, it's been a long time coming for me, just to be able to get back to creating music and really investing myself in a record. I'm certainly stoked about what happens after this tour.

David Archuleta (Crush) and Kristy Lee Cook (15 Minutes of Shame) are already on the radio with slick new singles. Does that add any pressure for you to succeed?

Look, you only get one shot to come out with a great first record. I can't speak for Archie or Kristy, but maybe they just work faster than I do. I've spent a lot of time in the writing process and really trying to make sure that these songs are me. Whenever my record comes out, as long as it's good, I'm happy. And hopefully, everybody else will be.

How's the sound shaping up so far?

It's a rock record, but I also feel like it's not going to be a standard rock record. There are some twists and turns on it. I kind of forced myself to be more open as a songwriter than I think I ever had been before. These songs might be of a vague nature, lyrically, but they'll also be pretty firm snapshots of my life — just overall. The last year of my life been's great, but I think to discredit the last 24 would be a waste.

Article courtesy of chron.com

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