Daughtry's Still Figuring It Out

Chris Daughtry, center, and his namesake band are slated to take the stage Saturday at The Paramount in Huntington.  

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

Growing up Chris Daughtry never considered himself a musician, but he did always seem to have a creative side.

“I was a bit of a loner,” Daughtry said. “I was always doing creative things, but I didn’t really fall in love with the idea of performing or writing songs until I was about 16.”

Daughtry, 38, said he was influenced by the grunge music scene that was popular in the early ‘90s and “kind of got the bug.”

The musician gained national attention in 2006 when he auditioned for season five of American Idol. Daughtry went on to finish fourth in the competition, and earned himself a record deal with RCA Records.

Daughtry said his memory of the post-American Idol period is defined by hard work.

“I just remember working, working, working,” Daughtry said. “There wasn’t a whole lot of time to really thing about anything… it was just go, go, go.”

Daughtry formed his namesake band in late 2006, and their first single “It’s Not Over” reached number four on Billboard’s Hot 100 charts.

Daughtry said he never really got a chance to think about the transition from the national recognition of American Idol to forming the band Daughtry.

“I don’t think there was ever a time where I got to sit back and really think about what was happening and process that,” Daughtry said.

Since the release of “It’s Not Over” in 2006 and “Home” in 2007, Daughtry said he has grown as a performer.

“I feel like now I’m not really thinking about what I’m doing up there,” he said. “Before I felt like it had to be a certain way and look a certain way.”

Daughtry released its fifth studio album “Cage to Rattle” earlier this year, and the frontman said the music is a reflection of his development as a person.

“I feel like in the last few years I have really figured myself out as a human being, and that’s carried over into my music, personal life and how I conduct myself in general,” Daughtry said.

Daughtry is slated to perform at The Paramount in Huntington on Saturday, and he said the band’s goal is to create an atmosphere where everyone feels welcome and can find an escape.

Tickets for the show range from $44-$104, and can be purchased at the box office or online at Paramountny.com. Doors open at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. show.