When Chris Isaak [ tickets ] isn't surfing, he's quite a busy guy. Although his Showtime television show may be history, he's in the John Waters film "A Dirty Shame"; is performing special Christmas concerts to support his new CD, "Chris Isaak Christmas"; and has spent time in Afghanistan, Korea and Iraq, performing for American troops.

The Christmas album features 11 traditional songs (including "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," with Stevie Nicks) and five originals, including "Gotta Be Good," "Christmas on TV," "Hey Santa!" and the lonely-at-Christmas "Washington Square."

Isaak spoke with liveDaily while preparing for a Christmas benefit concert--KFOG's 19th Annual Concert for Kids at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco.

liveDaily: How did visiting the troops affect you? Why did you go?

Chris Isaak: I don't have this feeling about many things. People always have that thing where they say, "It's my way of giving something back to the community." I always felt like, I'm trying to take everything I can from the community. If I could, I'd steal the park benches, you know? [laughs] That's the kind of person I am. But I have to say, I actually feel like, these are young kids. They're over there in harm's way, for right or wrong, on behalf of us. We asked them to go. And I feel for them.

Some people start talking politics when you talk about going over to a U.S.O., or seeing kids in a hospital, and it really goes across any kind of political lines. It's a lot bigger than that. I went to Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington DC, and Susan Sarandon is, I guess you would call her [liberal], and I walk in and see this young guy laying in bed, and he's got a picture of him and Susan Sarandon. Big smile on his face. I thought, "That's really cool of her." She goes in and visits these guys, even though she doesn't believe in the war, I suppose, but she tries to support them. And then I see a picture of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who's got a picture with this guy. So people who have different beliefs are still trying to support them.

It's not a political issue, it's a human issue.

Yeah, it's very much a human issue. You go in there and you'll see guys that … I mean, I went to Iraq, and I thought they were pulling my leg. I saw people in uniform, and I didn't say anything because I thought they'd get teased, but I thought, "Is that somebody's kid or is that a soldier?" I swear to God, they looked like they were 13 to me. You could give them a shaver and it would last them the duration.

On a lighter note, have to ask about the TV show, although I should admit I don't get Showtime.

[laughs] I don't either. I have to say, I don't get cable. I've been gone on the road for the past three years; maybe I've been home for two or three weeks in a year. I literally live--it's like one of those old movies where they show a train, and pages of a calendar are peeling away like leaves, and then there's a picture of me with gray hair.

We did three seasons; we just finished our last season. I might do another show for another network, but I'm not sure. I have to say, it's a lot of work doing a TV show. When I got done doing the show, I did the John Waters film "A Dirty Shame" and went back on tour, and I felt like I was on vacation, compared to being on TV. I didn't know there were two 6 o'clocks in a day until I did that TV show.

Are you actively shopping around for new stuff?

I think I'm in a really nice position, where I'm sure I could do another show if I wanted to do one, but right now the main thing in my mind is writing songs. One thing, when you're an actor, you finish something and then you have to worry about what the next gig is. When you're a musician, you can always write your own stuff, and I'm working on new stuff for a new album right now.

Sounds like you've got enough things going on, anyway.

You know something, I've got enough stuff, and part of me is trying to have a good time now. I'm not in San Francisco enough, so every time I'm back here, I'm like, "I am so lucky to be here." I'm talking to you right now, looking out at the ocean, it's a sunny day, waves are peeling off, my surfboard is in the back of my car … damn, I love it. I'm a songwriter. Pop singer. What a great job.

So many people whine, "We've got to go on tour, the label wants this."

You know something? It's a job. But … "Chris has good study habits and penmanship." The things that got me through grade school are helping me out later in life. It's like, I show up on time. If you buy a ticket to one of my shows, I'll show up. I'll be there. And if it says 10:00, I'll be on stage at 10:00. I talk to people who are musicians, and they go, "Oh this is hell." And I go, "Are you kidding me? You never put tar paper on a roof, did ya?"