SUPER SEVEN: Dan Cook

Middlesbrough songwriter Dan Cook’s new track, When The Morning Comes, revisits a moment many of us will be familiar with; meeting someone on a night out and then having no recollection of the night the morning after, with Dan’s anthemic indie rock vibes making the track stand out. In celebration of the release, we dig into his psyche as he answers seven randomly generated questions…

1. What is the most unusual food you have ever tried, and did you like it?
I’m quite the foodie, so I’ve eaten plenty of unusual food over the years. Trying to pin-point just the one is quite the task to do. What I would say was the most unusual food though is more to do with the setting that it was served in. I was at an all-inclusive hotel in Lanzarote some years ago, and for breakfast, amongst the likes of your sausage, bacon, eggs, and pastries etc was shark. It wasn’t good. It had the texture of chicken, and tasted like a really strong salmon. I had it that once, and never again.

2. If you could travel to any place in the universe, real or fictional, where would you go?
This isn’t even a question I have to think over the answer to. Orlando. I went two years ago for the first time, and I’m wanting to go back again soon. The theme parks, the sun, the food, the shopping, it’s just great. I was never fussed on the idea of Disney World, which is one of the reasons we went to Orlando, but it really is as good as people say. If you get the chance to go, do!

3. What is a hobby or activity you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t yet?
Something I’ve wanted to do for a while now is some for of content creation. Specifically food vlogging. The idea of travelling the world, and eating the local foods, and creating videos about that appeals to me, but I’m not the most interesting of people to watch/listen to. I think I’ll stick to watching my favourite channels on YouTube for now.

4. What is the most memorable trip you have ever taken?
The most memorable trip actually links in with the answer to a prior question, and it’s more memorable for the wrong reasons than the right. Towards the end of my Orlando trip two years ago, my partner, Zoe, tripped over a kerb in a restaurant car park and shattered her knee. Said fall resulted in a night or two stay in hospital and a very hefty hospital bill. Here’s hoping next time is memorable for the right reasons.

5. What is your favourite way to relax and unwind after a long day?
I’m very basic in what I do to unwind after a long day. I get home, put my feet up, order some food and put either YouTube on, or I’ll watch a couple of episodes of a TV show. I’ve just reworked my way through Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Netflix, so I’m kind of in that space where I’m looking for something new to start.

6. If you could have any animal, real or mythical, as a pet, which would you choose?
I’d love to get a dog. My two year old loves dogs, but the work schedule between myself and my partner means it wouldn’t be practical at the time to get one. Here’s hoping that sometime in the future we can change that, and get a four-legged friend in the home.

7. If you could swap lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?
I would switch my life with someone who is ridiculously rich to realise how boring it would get when you have the power to buy/conquer anything, anything but satisfaction. Then I’d return to my life knowing that I have something to chase and aim for.