Chris Daughtry

Chris Daughtry - Vocals

Josh Steely - Guitar

Brian Craddock - Guitar

Josh Paul - Bass

For nearly three years, the only thing keeping pace with the growing number of miles on Daughtry’s tour bus has been the band’s list of achievements.

After charting three #1 songs from its five-times platinum debut and spending more than two years on the road, Daughtry with their already platinum Leave This Town (19/RCA). The album entered at the top of the Billboard 200, making it the band’s second #1 album. The album’s first single, “No Surprise,” extended the group’s extraordinary streak of #1 singles to four. The band’s third and current single "September" is following the same path.

Singer Chris Daughtry says it feels like the band has lived a lifetime in three years. “We’ve come so far so fast, working our way up from clubs to headlining arenas,” he says. “The best part is that it feels like we’re just getting started.” Guitarist Brian Craddock adds: “You couldn’t have scripted these last few years any better.”

Leave This Town is the first album to feature Chris with bandmates. Together, they deliver a dozen inspired performances held together by anthemic hooks, impassioned vocals, and lyrics laced with wisdom earned on life’s journey.

The band recorded the album with producer Howard Benson (All-American Rejects, My Chemical Romance), who produced Daughtry’s Grammy-nominated debut, which was the biggest-selling rock release two years in a row and the fastest-selling rock debut in Soundscan history.

A work of remarkable creativity and range, Leave This Town smoothly shifts gears from powerful rock (“No Surprise,” “Everytime You Turn Around”), to hushed ballads (“September”), and emotional mid-tempo rockers (“Life After You,” “Learned My Lesson”). The album also includes the country-influenced “Tennessee Line,” a track Chris wrote with Craddock that features vocal harmonies by country-music superstar Vince Gill.

In addition to writing with all his bandmates, Chris also collaborated with some of rock’s savviest songsmiths for the album, penning “Learned My Lesson” with Mitch Allan and “Ghost of Me” with music producer Brian Howes; both of whom co-wrote songs on Daughtry’s debut. Leave This Town also includes stellar contributions from Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger.

Last summer, the band returned to the road for the opening leg of Daughtry’s first-ever headlining arena tour. “A few nights it sounded like everyone in the arena was singing along,” Josh Paul says. “It was so loud that I couldn’t hear the band over the crowd. I’ve never experienced anything like that. It was unforgettable.”

The massive production, which requires a caravan of equipment and crew, adds another dimension to the band’s electrifying stage presence and musicianship. The unique stage design showcases album artwork by legendary comic book artist Jim Lee, which wis featured in the Leave This Town album packaging.

Daughtry made a number of memorable appearances, including performances on national television, NFL’s Super Bowl Tailgate Party, NCAA Men’s Final Four Coke Zero Countdown and Pep Rally American Music Awards and the 2009 Country Music Awards, where they were joined by Vince Gill to perform “Tennessee Line.” Daughtry also played live in New York City’s Times Square for Dick Clark’s New Year Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest and are invited back for the second consecutive year on the Today Show Toyota Outdoor Concert Series.

While those high-profile gigs were definitely highlights, Josh Steely says the most satisfying was the band’s performance during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day game, where they raised money and awareness for the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Drive. “We’re blessed to be in a position where we’re able to inspire people to make the world a better place. It’s something we’re serious about as a band,” Steely says. In addition, the band is also an active supporter of the ONE Campaign.

The second-leg of Daughtry’s headline arena tour launched in March. To keep the shows fresh, Chris says fans can expect a few surprises in the setlist. One song likely to make an appearance is “What We’ve Become,” a track the band wrote together that was released as an iTunes exclusive. “We’ve written a couple of new songs that we’ll start working into the shows,” he adds. “It keeps us sharp and is a good way to give people an idea of where we’re heading for the next album.”