Davids Ponder Their Next Moves

Two days after the "American Idol" finale, the two Davids are still talking about music.

Not what they sang on the Fox reality show, but the albums they'll produce in the future.

"Idol" winner David Cook, sounding rested despite 48 hours of interviews and appearances, including a visit Thursday night to the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno," wants to ensure his CD is "solid."

"I want to make a record that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up," he said Friday morning in a conference call. "I want it to stand the test of time."

Cook, known for his unique arrangements of popular songs, said he doubts his album will include any of the covers he sang on the show.

"I think it will be a mixture of my work and my work with others," he said. "I'll put out a rock record because that's the music I love playing.''

He said you'll likely hear songs from the show during the upcoming "American Idol" tour that comes to the Forum in Tampa on Aug. 21.
Runner-up David Archuleta said he's definitely going to produce a pop album.

"I'm a teenager," he said. "On the show I was getting mature with my songs. I want to relate to kids my age.

"I want to have meaning in my music," said the 17-year-old who is hoping for long career in music, but is keeping his options open.
"School is real important and I want to make sure I have something to back me up if I can't make a living," he said.
What other career choice might he consider?

"Lately I'm into the ear, nose and throat doctor thing,'' he said. "I can relate to people with those issues."

Other than music, the two also spoke about their overwhelming fan support and their admiration for each other.

"If you were basing it on Tuesday, [Archuleta] deserved to win," Cook said. "He handled himself with a lot of grace. He's an amazing person."

As for the people who gave him a 12 million-vote victory, with more than 97 million votes cast, he said "the fans are awesome. I can't thank them enough for the offers of support."

Archuleta said as happy as he was with his "Idol" performance, Cook was deserving of the "Idol" crown.

"He proved it week after week," he said. "He deserves to be the 'American Idol.'"