Skillet have reached mainstream success with their 2009 album, Awake, but it definitely hasn't gone to lead singer John Cooper's head. With a soda in hand, Cooper sat down with me to talk about the evolution of Skillet, keeping old school fans happy, being a good parent and Four Square. The actual schoolyard game; not the stupid app that will get you killed one day by a crazy stalker.

Skillet's 2006 album Comatose and Awake have both went gold, selling 500,000 and 700,000 copies respectively. Cooper admitted that he does feel pressure matching, if not exceeding, the success of those records.

"Our record Comatose did so good that there was a lot of pressure for Awake when we were making it," revealed the singer. "So I knew if we made a record to where we got some radio love, that it would be like the last piece of the puzzle. That's why Awake has done so much better than even Comatose."

"Now yes, there's a lot of pressure. I'm a little stressed out," laughed Cooper.

Cooper and I also talked about the departure of long-time guitarist Ben Kasica, raising his two young children with wife and bandmate Korey Cooper, dealing with new fans surprised by Skillet's Christian Rock roots and more. I'm also happy to know that I taught John what a playoff beard is. Watch the interview in its entirety below.

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