Anyone still wondering if Chris Daughtry is for real needs to consider the cold, hard facts: his self-titled debut album—one of the most anticipated albums of 2006—hit the streets in November ’06 and reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 on two non-consecutive weeks. According to Billboard, it was the top-selling album of 2007, and the fastest-selling debut rock album in SoundScan history. To date, the album has sold more than five million copies, and two of its singles, “It’s Not Over” and “Home,” have sold nearly four million copies worldwide.

Of course, following up a release of that magnitude is no simple task, yet Daughtry’s second effort, Leave This Town, released in July ’09 and recorded with musicians who now represent the name Daughtry as a band, debuted in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200. That’s two consecutive No. 1 albums—something no other American Idol alum has ever accomplished. Oh yeah… you remember, right? Daughtry was the fourth-place finisher on American Idol’s fifth season.

In addition to its success, the new album is also the record that sheds light not only on Chris Daughtry’s raw talent, but also on the phenomenal playing ability of his entire band. He is joined on the album by fellow guitarists Brian Craddock and Josh Steely. Their combined work on Leave This Town is nothing short of a work of art. Steely’s lead work is ultra smooth and showcases a playing ability of dynamic proportions, including a killer vibrato hand that highlights many of the album’s solo guitar parts.

Craddock’s rhythm playing provides a strong inner structure and shows his keen sense of knowing exactly when to lay back and when to add tasteful embellishments. With Steely and Craddock laying down such a solid foundation, Chris makes his presence known not only on vocals, but also as the band’s third guitarist. He may always be recognized more for his singing and songwriting abilities rather than his talent on the fretboard, but his guitar playing undoubtedly anchors an important role in defining Daughtry’s sound. The guitarists have proven to be a big force in music, and should continue to do so for years to come.

Guitar Edge caught up with Chris and his band on their tour bus as they made their way towards Birmingham, AL, for a soldout show at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.

Tell us about the new record, Leave This Town.

Brian: I am really pleased with how the new album turned out. The band and Chris got together and wrote five of the tracks, then Chris wrote the other half of the record with a plethora of amazing artists. We have this really cool vibe going on with Leave this Town, and that vibe helps everything connect and melt together. A good example of this is that Chris wrote a song with Chad Kroeger [of Nickelback] called “Life After You,” which has a rock-country flare, and the song that Chris and I wrote called “Tennessee Line,” which has a more traditional country feel. They both have common threads and it still feels right on the album.

Josh: It’s so cool. We spent so much time writing and recording the album, and now that we’re out playing it we can see how special it really is, especially after seeing people singing the songs with us in the very first show. There was so much pressure because the label wanted to make sure this record was a grand slam just like the first one. We had something to prove as a band because we had to outdo the studio musicians and outside writers that Chris used on the last record. This time we had a chance to put our writing and playing skills to the test. The record is a great vindication of a lot of hard work and pressure. We feel like it’s a grand slam.

Chris: It was a very fun record to make. We all got to work together a lot in rehearsal studios writing and arranging the songs. We also didn’t have a deadline, so we got to take all the time in world to get it right, and we really did.

Being that this was the first time writing and recording as Daughtry without session players, how was that experience for you guys?

Brian: That experience, because of the amazing crew we had to work with in the studio, was such a pleasure. Howard Benson and his team were so pro, and the vibe was never intimidating. They were our brothers while we were there. If you had any little idea to try out, nothing got shot down. If I wanted to be a guitar nerd, just geek out and track a guitar army, I could do that. [laughs]. That was a great feeling. We also had tons of great equipment to use, along with just about every amp imaginable. We were running my PRS singlecut hollowbody through a TopHat Amplifier… just these insane combinations that sounded amazing. However, my favorite amp in the studio was a 200-watt Marshall Major. That thing sounded like God!

Josh: We actually recorded “Feels Like the First Time” with Howard for CNN. We went into the studio to record it, and at the end of the day he was convinced that we could put out a great record as a band. I think a lot of people were wondering if we were just a group of guys the label put together or a group of musicians that work hard together and play together as a band. After we rearranged that song, it gave our producer a lot of confidence in us. When we recorded it we felt very comfortable and at home.

Chris: It was a blast. During the first record, I was in and out all the time and only there for certain things like tracking vocals. It was my song writing, so it essentially sounded familiar because it was still my vision to begin with. This time, it was all that and then some. The guys all incorporated their own influences and styles. It was a fun process for us to be together with no egos. I would sometimes sit with my guitar, and as I played I would mouth some lead parts that I thought Josh should play because I couldn’t play the crazy parts I was picturing. [laughs] There was no real formula to it; we just had a lot of fun.

What are some personal highlights on the album?

Brian: From a listener’s perspective, my favorite song is “Every Time You Turn Around.” That song has such a different vibe for Daughtry. My favorite song as a player is “You Don’t Belong,” because I had such a good time working on that track. It was also the song where I got to lay down a simple solo. [laughs] When we’re playing live we can just shred, but in the studio I normally just play straightforward, since Chris was vocally following what I was playing.

Josh: From a listener’s standpoint I’d have to say the song that Chris and I wrote together called “September.” I’m so proud of that song, because the whole idea of the song came across so perfectly and organically. I think everyone we talk to agrees that it tells such a simple story that everyone can get into. From a player’s standpoint, I would say my favorite is “Open Up Your Eyes.” I get to play a Gibson Baritone Les Paul Studio on it and it feels so fresh. It’s not the heaviest or the fastest song and I don’t get to shred on it but, in terms of just grooving, we hit the sky with that song. It’s really inspirational for me to play.

Chris: As a listener, my favorite song on the record is “September.” It’s one of those songs like “Home” from the previous record that’s very personal to me—about growing up in a small town. It always brings back those great memories of growing up there. I remember playing the song for my dad without telling him what it was about, and he instantly started to tear up because he got it. I’ll never forget that moment. As a player, we actually do a cover of “Helter Skelter” by the Beatles. For that song I get to break out my Gibson Explorer, so my inner Hetfield comes out. [laughs]. We don’t use any Piezo pickups on that song, so it’s all banging out chords and having fun with the guys on stage.

What were you guys doing before Daughtry?

Brian: I was working a day job from 8 to 5 as a manager and graphic designer for a print shop. Then from 5 to 8 in the evening, I was a guitar teacher. I did that for eight years and had over 400 students, which I still can’t believe. Finally, from 8 to 1 in the morning I was producing records, which is how the Daughtry opportunity came about. I recorded a band [Under the Flood] whose bass player knew Chris when he was young. I would always call Ken and joke with him about putting in a good word for being in Chris’s band. Well, when the first guitarist quit Daughtry, Ken actually called Chris, and the next day Chris called me and flew me out for auditions. All of this came at the perfect time because at that point in my life, I really needed something to happen. Crazy!

Josh: I was working construction jobs and playing three or four gigs a week with my band after work. I also was trying to be a daddy. I had a baby on the way, a five year old, and an 18-year old son, so I was right at the verge of saying, “Gosh, this music career thing isn’t making any money for me.” I was working really hard and making good money, and my wife and I had just started up a business. It was starting to look like I was pulling away from music, even though I was still playing a lot of gigs, but I was saying it was time for something to happen in my life. The fact that this opportunity came up was perfect timing for me.

Chris: Mentally, I was in that phase of the gig process where I kept getting gigs that felt promising, and that’s what kept me hanging on. Every time I’d get to the point of frustration, I’d tell myself, “If I don’t get a record deal this year, I’m just going to give up.” And then a big event would come across my plate that would keep me motivated. Eventually, it got to the point where no one was coming out to see me other than the people I put on the guest list, and I couldn’t afford to generate a buzz by jumping into a van and traveling the East Coast. So my wife told me I should go on American Idol, and the rest is history.

When was that pivotal moment for you… when you realized you’d made it?

Brian: That moment for me was the first show at Slims in San Francisco. It was a weird thing, the previous guitar player, Jeremy, agreed to stay on for a few shows to make sure there was a smooth transition with no hitches. He and I worked for two days on the songs to make sure I got the structure of the songs, so that later I could elaborate on them. After just the first show, the band said that I was ready, which was so cool.

Josh: Wow, it took awhile for that to sink in because the audition process was so brutal. There were like 40 or 50 other guitarists trying out for two positions. I have always been the lead guitar in a three-piece band my whole life, so I was always busy doing everything on the guitar. I really thought I excelled on picking those moments that people could feel when I built up a solo. A lot of the guitarists I’ve loved, like Neal Schon or David Gilmour, or even Lindsey Buckingham, they could take a pop ballad and make it a killer guitar song. I really knew I’d made it when I could put my own vibe into it. It took awhile before I was comfortable and said, “Wow, this is what I was hoping for.” Just making it in a band and going out on tour wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. I wasn’t just hoping I could get away from my family and kids and go on the road and play the same songs every night. It really came down to when we all gelled as a band, and when there was enough room for everyone to breathe and be ourselves. That really came after the first eight or ten months of playing together. In that first year we played some really interesting shows, good and bad.

Chris: There have been many nights that have brought on that feeling. Recently, when we performed “Tennessee Line” on the CMA’s with Vince Gill, that was a moment where I looked around and asked myself, “How did I get here?” That was something we never visualized would happen to us as a band when we started.

Any thoughts on today’s guitar-driven music?

Brian: I think guitar-driven music has taken a good turn. Take Them Crooked Vultures—that band to me is like the coolest thing ever. I like the fact that they’re doing things completely retro without being so over-compressed. You can hear the amps breath, you know? If that’s a sign of things to come then I’m jazzed up, because I love riffs, and TCV are all about some serious riffage! [laughs]

Do you guys have any new techniques you’ve learned that you would like to share with our readers?

Brian: One thing that I have to do a lot of now, and this is something from the early 80’s, is use the EBow live. I have to somehow make that work in our scenario, because it’s usually just a studio trick that I’ve used. Now, I’m doing a lot of legato lines using the EBow, which is very interesting and weird, but it was something new that I’ve never done. It makes me revisit some of my old shred licks that I was weaned on as a kid. I was the biggest Steve Vai fan; I literally cut my teeth on the tab book for Passion and Warfare. It’s just so cool to get up onstage and play that kind of stuff. I don’t know if people get it, but I sure enjoy playing it.

Josh: For me, I try to find the cleanest way of getting things across with the least amount of effects, at least until a solo or some other embellishment part. Tone-wise, it’s the ability to get your feelings and your ideas of music across, especially with a band like ours where everyone is involved and there’s an album we have to emulate. It’s really fun for me to use the least amount of technology to emulate that sound and take it out of my hands more than my gear. I like to get the guitar to work hard instead of just stomping the pedals and using the rack stuff. If you can master your parts and your tone with the least amount of gear, it really stands out when you finally do step on that pedal. It’s so hard to do when you have 12 pedals in front of you. You’ve got to stay true to the song and yourself more than anything.

Chris: I’m always looking for something new, or for something that the guys are doing that’s cool. I’ll just hang out on the bus and listen to riffs, and that opens my brain to something new that will broaden my skills. We’re writing new stuff on the road right now and tracking it in Pro Tools, so I get to play a lot. Most recently, I honestly was listening to the theme of [HBO’s]True Blood on the bus and working on figuring that out. [laughter] What? I think that’s a killer song.

What’s your favorite piece of gear in your current rig?

Brian: My 2x12 Bad Cat combo. I like it so much because it’s custom made just for me. I talked to the guys at Bad Cat and told them I wanted a Fender Twin-type setup for cleans, because that sound has always moved me. They told me that they would make their version of a Twin. It has switchable gain staging on the back, no reverb, and it is so loud. I use that combo, and combine that sound with the Marshall JMP-1 rack system. It’s crazy because the reverb doesn’t come from the tube amps; it comes from the digital side. It’s a big distinct tone, and I love it. I couldn’t be happier with my current rig.

Josh: I’m a Les Paul guy, and I recently bought a Les Paul Baritone Studio. I use it on the song “Open Up Your Eyes,” and it’s tuned down to C, so it’s deep and low. That thing has the most growl of any guitar I’ve ever played, and it’s so much fun to play. I also recently bought a ’58 Les Paul Junior. I have a bunch of reissues, and recently found a guy on Craigslist that was selling an original ’58 for a price that wasn’t even fair. I spent the next couple of days going to ATM’s maxing out my cards to pay that guitar off, since I don’t have a checkbook on the road. I love everything in my rig, but those two guitars are really new and exciting.

Chris: Being a huge Batman fan, I have a custom microphone stand that has Batman emblems on it, which is something really ridiculous, but it’s fun for me. So when Gibson wanted to make me a guitar with custom inlays, I asked for a flat black Gibson 137, which they don’t make. For the inlays they couldn’t do the exact Batman emblem because of copyright infringement, but they created their own cool bat emblem. Years ago, I would have never thought of the day I’d have a guitar made custom just for me. It’s such a huge honor.

Most guitarists have gear they wish they had never let go of. What gear have you guys let get away?

Brian: I was hoping you’d ask this. [laughs] There was an amp I had, called the Fender Prosonic, that they don’t make anymore. The story on those amps is that a guy left Marshall and went to go work at Fender with the idea to combine the classic clean sound of Fender and the Marshall grit sound. It had two gain stages, so that made the amp really unique because you could dial in the exact amount of gain you wanted. You could get anything from the aggressiveness of Slayer right down to Eric Johnson; really smooth and buttery. I got rid of that amp because I was struggling to pay bills one month… [pauses] well my mortgage, if you want to know the truth. [laughs] But I know who bought it from me, and I’m going home and buying that amp back because that was the coolest thing I’ve ever owned!

Josh: Oh yeah. Being a family man, I’ve pawned off so much stuff over the years. I mean, we all have gone out of the way to save up to buy something and then had to sell it to pay the rent once. I had this one amazing guitar… it was a 1937 Gibson acoustic. I don’t remember the model number, but I remember that the top of the guitar was a little broke and the frets were worn down, but it played so nice. I fixed the first four frets and it became my little beater guitar that I’d take down to the beach and play. When I found out that it was worth like three grand, I had to sell it. I only made like $400 a week so that kind of money really helped out. Unfortunately, I took it to the pawnshop and the guy offered me only $1800 for it. We haggled, but I ended up going back in and selling it to him because I needed the money. [sighs] 

Chris: Actually, no! [laughing] There was one guitar I had that was my first electric guitar, and I will never miss it. It was this sparkly green Lotus Strat replica. I think I sold it for $100, and looking back I feel bad that I made this person pay $100 for it. [laughing] I should have just given it to him. My first real guitar was an Epiphone Les Paul that my parents gave me as a gift, and I still have that. The first one that I bought with my own money was an ’88 Gibson Les Paul Standard, which I actually bought from the store that Brian worked at. I still have that guitar, and it’s ridiculously heavy.

Any advice for our readers?

Brian: Just know who you are, and what separates you from everyone else. And be persistent. Whatever you do, never give up. I wouldn’t have made it if I gave up on trying to live the dream I had. I could have very easily done that, but I am very grateful that I didn’t. Now I can share my dream with my children and let them see where hope leads them.

Josh: For the people that know, in the bottom of their heart, that playing music is what they want to do—stick with it. For the people that are wondering if this music thing is really for them, and are unsure about everything, make room for the people that have it in their heart. Music can be played and enjoyed, and it doesn’t always have to be in a professional situation. Not everyone is meant to make it in a “big time” way. Not everyone would enjoy the feeling of being gone nine months out of the year, and only get two hours of satisfaction every night going onstage. That’s the reality of it. You have to love it enough where it’s not an extension of who you are. It’s who you truly are. That’s how I was raised, and that’s who I am. These are really some hard times in music right now, and a lot of people are going to fall by the wayside, but the ones who were born to do this, the ones who can’t sleep at night because that riff is running through their head, I’d tell those people to never, ever give it up.

Chris: I never aspired to be the greatest guitar player, nor will I ever be. For me, it was always about writing great songs. Could I learn enough to write a great song… that was always the most important thing for me. I always play what I feel, or what I hear in my head, and I never ask if I know a certain scale or anything. It’s not always about how great of a guitar player you are, it’s about how well you can write a song. I do, however, get jealous watching Josh and Brian play like they do. [laughs]

THE GEAR

Chris Daughtry:

Electric Guitars: Gibson ES-137, silver; Custom Gibson ES-137, flat black, with bat inlays; Gibson ES-137, Blueburst; Gibson ES-137, Vintage Cherry Burst; Gibson ES-335, Tobacco Burst; Gibson Explorer, Ebony. All electric guitars are equipped with stock pickups and a Fishman PowerBridge piezo pickup, and all are tuned to various alternate tunings.

Acoustic Guitars: Five Gibson J-185EC acoustics, all tuned to various alternate tunings.

Straps: Levy’s leather straps.

Amps & Cabs: Bad Cat Lynx 50, 2-channel head, running through one Bad Cat 4x12, 8-ohm cabinet with 30-watt speakers.

Effects: Furman PL-Plus D Series II power conditioner; 2-Shure UR4D wireless receivers; 2-Whirlwind Multi Selectors with customized footswitch; Ebtech Hum Eliminator; Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor; and a Radial Rackmount DI.

Picks: InTune GrippX picks, size .60mm.

Strings: Electric: Dean Markley NickelSteel Electric, .012–.056 and .011–.048; Acoustic: D'Addario EXP11 Coated, .012–.053.

Electric Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Junior DC, Faded Cherry with a single P-90 pickup; Gibson Les Paul Junior DC, TV Yellow with a single P-90 pickup; Gibson Les Paul Standard, Ebony; Gibson Les Paul Standard, Cherry Burst; Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional, Honey Burst; Gibson Les Paul Baritone Studio, Ebony; Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess, Gun Metal; Gibson Les Paul Axcess, Tobacco Burst.

Acoustic Guitars: Three Gibson J-200 Acoustic/Electrics; Gibson Super Dove Acoustic/Electric.

Straps: Levy’s leather straps.

Amps & Cabs: Bad Cat Lynx 50, 2-channel head; Bad Cat BC 50, single-channel head with a Bad Cat “The Leash” attenuator; each head runs through a single Bad Cat 4x12 8-ohm cabinet with 30-watt speakers.

Effects: Boss TU-2 Tuner; Boss PS-5 Super Shifter; MXR Stereo Chorus; MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay; MXR Wylde Overdrive; Crybaby 5350 Wah; MXR Dyna Comp; Whirlwind Selector; Dunlop Power Brick; Furman PL-Plus D Series II power conditioner; 2-Shure UR4D wireless receivers; Whirlwind Multi Selector with customized footswitch; Ebtech Hum Eliminator; Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor; and a Radial Rackmount DI.

Picks: InTune GrippX picks, 1.0mm.

Strings: Electric: Dean Markley Super V, Vintage Nickel, .010–.046 and .010–.052; Dean Markley NickelSteel Custom .013–.060; Acoustic: D'Addario EXP10 Coated, .010–.047.

Electric Guitars: PRS SC 245, Sunburst; PRS Mira, Custom Burnt; PRS Singlecut Hollowbody with piezo, black; PRS Hollowbody 1 with piezo, gold; PRS Flametop SC, gray; PRS Flame Top SC, blue; PRS SE250, silver; PRS Mira, blue; PRS Mira, aqua green. All guitars have stock PRS pickups.

Acoustic Guitars: Breedlove Pro D25/SR Herringbone; Breedlove Atlas AD25/SR Plus; Breedlove Atlas AC25/SR Plus; Breedlove Pro C25/CR and a Gibson Jam Master Standard F-Style mandolin.

Amps & Cabs: Marshall JMP-1 MIDI Guitar Preamp; Marshall EL-34 100/100 power amps; Marshall 1960 Lead 4x12 cabs with Celestion G12T-75 speakers; custom Bad Cat 2x12 combo.

Effects: Furman PL-PRO D Series II power conditioner; Shure UR4D wireless with Shure UR1 wireless packs; Whirlwind Multi-Selector 4-way switcher; Voodoo Labs GCX audio switcher; TC Electronic G-Major; Radial DI; Boss TU-2 Tuner; Voodoo Labs GCX Ground Control Pro MIDI Foot Controller.

Picks: InTune GrippX, .70mm for playing acoustic, and Dunlop Tortex Jazz M3 for playing electric.

Strings: Electric: Dean Markley NickelSteel, .010–.052; Acoustic: D'Addario EXP11 Coated, .012–.053. Other: EBow; Dunlop 228 Chromed Brass guitar slide.