Idol Chatter & Voice Views

David Luning was one of the San Francisco golden ticket recipients who auditioned with an original song.

Jennifer whispered “love it” early on in his performance but also called it “interesting” for American Idol.

David Luning at the San Francisco auditions for American Idol. (FOX Photo)

That’s probably because the 26-year-old singer-songwriter from Forrestville, Calif., doesn’t match the very youthful pop vibe the show seems to strive for.

But he’s got the best original music of any Season 13 contestant I’ve come across so far.

So good, you wonder if he didn’t stumble into the wrong singing show’s audition room. (Hey, David, if this doesn’t work out, try The Voice.)

But in his Road to Hollywood video, David made it clear why he was standing in front of Jennifer, Harry Connick Jr. and Keith Urban.

“As a singer-songwriter,” he says, “one of the main things you want is exposure. And Idol is by far one of the most amazing opportunities for that. Getting a golden ticket is a huge step toward getting my music out there.”

David says he specializes in Americana music and thinks he’ll stand out on Idol because he’ll be the only contestant wearing a fedora 24/7.

If you liked David’s original song on Idol, rush over to iTunes and check out his 2012 album, “Just Drop on By.”

I’ve embedded a video of one of the songs — “Whiskey Bottle” — below. Other standouts are “You and Me and the Devil in Between,” “Northern California” and “Ode to the Poorest Man on Earth.” At least they’re my favorites; you might like others.

You can also check out more of David’s music on his YouTube channel. And here are links to his Facebook page and Twitter account (@DAVIDLUNING).

“Bed of Roses,” original

“Whiskey Bottle,” original