On performing at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury on Long Island, Daughtry said, “It’s good. It’s going to be interesting. This is the first and only rotating stage of the tour. You can expect to hear songs from all four of our previous albums, and we will be playing some new songs from the new album. There may also be a few covers and surprises.”
Regarding his plans for 2018, Daughtry said, “We are going to be on the road a lot. We just finished the album, and we are getting that mixed now. We are working on getting the single put out to radio, and we will shoot a video, and then we will do some promo. Once we finish this tour, we will take a little break, and then head back out. We are working on a release date.”
While his personal favorite song from his catalog changes all the time, he revealed that his favorite, at the moment, is a new tune called “Back In Time.”
The rocker shared that his songwriting is inspired mainly by life in general. “Whatever is going on around us, in our personal lives, and whatever is real to us in that moment,” he explained. “I try hard to stay motivated on the road. I force myself to work out a little while ago, I want to take care of myself and be around for my kids. My family keeps me motivates to be better and better every day, and my band motivates me, and just wanting to be a good human being.”
When asked how he balances a music career with a family life, Daughtry said, “I am still trying to figure that out.” “It’s literally a day by day, case-by-case,” he said. “We try hard to face-time when we can.”
For Daughtry, he is equally comfortable performing live and recording in the studio. “When you are in the studio, you are in the creative mode, and there is no pressure. When you are performing live, it is the sum of all that work. I think it does become more fun performing it than creating it. There is something special about being in the studio too.”
He acknowledged that his proudest professional moments include being nominated for four Grammy awards, as well as his chart-topping songs on the Billboard charts. “Those were fun,” he admitted. “There were a lot of moments that were pretty rewarding. Just being able to do this for over 10 years is rewarding enough.”
For Daughtry, the key to longevity in the music business involves “Keeping your core fans, and hopefully picking up more fans along the way, so that you can continue to grow a touring base.” “At the end of the day, that’s how any musician survives, and you are playing for your fans,” he said.
Digital transformation of the music business
On the impact of technology on the music business, Daughtry said, “Technology certainly gives way more people access. Not only does it give consumers access to music, but it gives more artists exposure. There are so many avenues (such as YouTube and Spotify), and there is so much music out there, that it is hard to know what to listen to. It is coming from every angle. There is something new every single day.”
Regarding his use of technology in his daily routine as an artist, Daughtry said, “We use our social media formats to connect, and we stream live parts of the show every night to the fan club. We use it to show the fans that we appreciate them, and it gives the people at home a snippet of what they are missing.”
Daughtry shared that he is a fan of vinyl and he hopes to put all four of his studio albums on vinyl someday. “We have been talking about doing that for our entire catalog,” he said.
In his spare time, Daughtry enjoys working out and keeping himself healthy for the tour. “A lot of Netflix too. I enjoy watching Jessica Jones on Netflix,” he admitted.
The North Carolina native listed Bishop Briggs and Pink as his dream female duet choices. “Bishop is incredible. Her voice is sick,” he said.
On his wish list of songs to cover, Daughtry revealed that he would love to someday cover “Zombie” by The Cranberries, which was penned solely by Dolores O’Riordan. “I was always a fan of ‘Zombie.’ I love that. Dolores was great. What a sad story,” he said.
Aside from Chris Daughtry on lead vocals as well as rhythm and lead guitar, the band Daughtry is made up of Elvio Fernandes on keyboard, Josh Steely on lead guitar, Brian Craddock on rhythm guitar, Josh Paul on bass, and Brandon Maclin on drums.
For their fans, he said, “Thank you for keeping us alive, and for continuing to tell other people how cool we are.”
Chris Daughtry defined the word success as “Being happy with what you do, and being able to make a living doing what you absolutely love.” “At the end of the day, you feel fulfilled, and you are doing what you were made to do,” he said.
To learn more about rock group Daughtry and their 2018 touring schedule, check out their official website.
Read More: Digital Journal reviewed Daughtry’s headlining show at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury on Long Island.
