Chris Daughtry is on a creative high — and he’s primed to keep climbing.
When Revolver catches up with the veteran rocker, he’s fresh off his eponymous outfit’s run on Creed’s massive “Summer of ‘99” tour, and bracing himself to hit the road on an upcoming co-headline trek with post-grunge favorites Seether.
These dates are all in support of Daughtry’s pair of Shock to the System EPs — the first installment arrived in 2024, while the follow-up dropped last week. Each release has been marked with some of the heaviest riffs in the band’s catalog, and they come complemented by emotionally raw and resonant vocal performances from Daughtry.
While an arena-rallying spirit ultimately drives the material, the frontman admits he had to plumb through the depths of his soul before he could resurface with singles like “The Bottom.”
It has been a particularly tough few years for Daughtry. His family suffered the tragic deaths of his mother, Sandra, and his stepdaughter Hannah Price, both in 2022. Around that time, the musician also began spiraling in artistic self-doubt. Feeling adrift, he began writing Shock to the System songs as a way to process the despair he’d been facing.
With the “The Bottom,” in particular, Daughtry contemplated his musical legacy — batting themes of hopelessness and thoughts of being “lost and forgotten” against a primal urge to keep fighting. He escapes his nadir while soaring through an anthemic chorus.
“‘The Bottom’ represents a huge period of time in my life where I felt like I was somewhere where I wasn’t supposed to be — or didn’t want to be — and I felt stuck,” Daughtry says.
“There was a time where I was second-guessing everything that I did, [and] everything that I wrote — a lot of self-doubt. This is kind of my way back to myself, climbing my way back to a place [where] I felt like I was supposed to be — living my purpose, speaking my truth and being fully me, unapologetically.”
Dark, candid thoughts are a major theme on Shock to the System (Part Two). Early single “The Day I Die” battles depressively intrusive thoughts, while “Terrified” similarly contends with the “beast” lurking within him. Daughtry admits there’s an innate bleakness to his lyrics at the moment, but he also says confronting these feelings have lightened up his mood in the present. He hopes the honesty of his System can similarly bring comfort to people facing their own unique challenges.
“I definitely do not want to put the pressure on myself to be the vessel [or] the voice for everyone, but hopefully people will feel not so alone in their struggles by listening to these songs.”
Speaking with Revolver, Daughtry discusses darkness, his love of modern metal, and what it’s like to duet with his daughter Adalynn for a crowd of thousands.
Darren Craig
“The Day I Die” plunges us into some serious depths. You’re singing about escaping the darkness of one’s mind. What compels you about exploring that feeling?
CHRIS DAUGHTRY That was written in a period where it felt like life in general was just hard. It could be simple, mundane things — you know, the fucking washing machine broke again, we just got a flat tire, my kid’s principal is calling me from school again about some bullshit that I gotta deal with.
I remember going into the studio that day, and I was like, “If I could just sleep all of this off, [and] take a really long, indefinite nap and dream myself away from all of this shit that’s happening…” I’m naming petty shit, but when all of that starts to pile on you, and you feel like the world is closing in around you… the idea of escaping that in any way possible sounds like a great idea. I’ve never been personally suicidal, but I’ve certainly had days where I felt like, “If I died in my sleep, then this is one less thing I’d have to worry about.”
When we got started on this EP, I allowed myself to say the things that I was thinking without worrying about people going, “Is he OK?” Because that’s the knee-jerk reaction of anyone who reads this stuff, like, “Are you alright, dude? You’re saying some pretty dark shit here.” But I think we are all capable of thinking those things, and we all have days where those thoughts are more easily accessible than others.
The past few years of life broke me open and really allowed me to see some things within myself that I had been sweeping under the rug — because maybe it was too taboo, or maybe it was going to be looked at as crazy. I came to the conclusion that we’re all crazy, and [that gave] me permission to talk about those things.
What did you learn about yourself in the process of making the EP?
I found that I’m stronger than I realized I was, for sure.
All of [the songs] are very personal, but some of them cut a little more than others. Seeing things for what they were when I wrote it — versus how they make me feel now — makes me grateful that I’m on this side of it, and also that I was brave enough to put these things out that were so deeply personal to me. [But] I do think that everyone will get their own meaning or truth out of these songs.
Have you communicated with anyone about what these songs mean to them?
We’ve heard numerous stories, [about] how [Shock to the System (Part One) songs] “Pieces,” “The Dam” or “Nervous” affected them, and how they were able to get through their own hard times based on the lyrics.
When we were premiering the “Pieces” video on YouTube, some of these fans were incredibly brave in the stories that they were sharing [in the comments]. These were traumatic experiences — things that I’ve never experienced, or can’t even imagine experiencing — and they were so willing to put that out there and talk about how this song helped them through it. It reminded me of the power of music and how sometimes, as an artist, we can take these things for granted. You don’t realize the power and effect that it can have on someone else.
Maybe that’s a good thing? I never write a song and go, “This is going to do amazing things for people,” you know? That seems so arrogant. But I think the fact that I’m being honest [with] my own experience… people can see that, and people can feel that and relate to it in their own way.
Somewhat on the idea of how music can affect someone: There’s a recent Instagram post of yours where you’re backstage, dancing around and strumming an acoustic guitar as an Architects song is playing on the speakers. Is that the vibe backstage? Are you learning other people’s songs while you’re prepping for your own concerts?
[Laughs] If that guitar was plugged in, it would have sounded absolutely nothing like Architects. I just thought there was this hilarious juxtaposition between [holding] an acoustic guitar and “Seeing Red” playing.
I love Architects, and that’s always the vibe before the show — either that or “Artificial Suicide” from Bad Omens. We crank it up pretty loud in the dressing room before the show, and that’s more of a “me” thing. I love being in an excited environment before the show.
Can you see yourself injecting Bad Omens or Architects vibes into Daughtry?
Musically? For sure. I don’t think I’m the screamer that [Architects’] Sam [Carter] or [Bad Omens’] Noah Sebastian are, but I like to dabble in that world a little bit. I definitely did that on this record, and used parts of my voice that I had never really had before. It was fun to experiment with that sort of thing, and a lot of that does come from being backstage and fucking around listening to these songs, and then mimicking it and going, “Oh, that would be kind of cool to throw in my own stuff.”
I did learn [Bad Omens’] “THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND,” and that started in the dressing room. That’s why I decided to cover it and post it a few months back. I’m a huge fan of those bands, and I’m pretty sure that there’s some influence sneaking in there somehow.
What can you tell us about performing songs with your daughter, Adalynn? You recently recorded a cover of the Bring Me the Horizon and Sigrid collab, “Bad Life,” and you’d sung together at the Ottawa Blues Fest in the summer. How’s it been to connect with her on that level?
She makes it easy, because she’s so good. Ever since she was little, we’ve heard her singing all the time. She’s never been afraid to sing in front of anyone, which is crazy because she’s 14. When I was 14, I was terrified to sing in front of anyone — that was two years before I even started a band. So, she’s ahead of the game in that regard.
But she texted the acoustic version of [BMTH and Sigrid’s “Bad Life”] a while back and said, “Can we cover this?” And I was like, “I would love to produce you.” It was a great experience. I was super proud listening to her in the cans, just trying to hold back tears.
And she’s sung with me onstage a couple times. “Waiting for Superman” [from Daughtry’s 2013 album Baptized] is the one we tend to gravitate towards. I love sharing that experience with her. She’s now played in front of crowds of 20,000-plus at the age of 14. Her confidence level is through the roof.
On the idea of sharing an experience together, you’re about to do these co-headline dates with Seether. How did you first connect with them?
I’m probably going to botch the date, but we did a show together around the 2011-2012 era. It was us, Seether, Three Days Grace and Stone Temple Pilots — this was when Weiland was still around. It was a great show, [and] I got to witness Scott Weiland totally rip it out there.
[Seether vocalist] Sean [Morgan] and I hung out and watched the show together, [but] we never really kept in touch.
So, we’ve never toured together [before], but we’re very much looking forward to it. I’m a huge fan of those guys — I did one of their songs [“Broken”] when I was on American Idol, you know? So I thought this would be a cool, full-circle thing.
It’s a few months off yet, but we’re coming up on the 20th anniversary of you being on Idol, and likewise the 20th anniversary of the first Daughtry album. How do you reflect on that period in your career?
In some ways it feels like I’m watching somebody else’s movie, because I feel like I’m such a different person now than I was in my early 20s. I look back on it with very fond memories, but it feels like a lifetime ago, and I barely recognize that guy anymore. [But] I have no regrets.
[American Idol] was a huge stepping stone for me — to [be able to] get in front of as many people as I possibly could, in a time where YouTube was nowhere to be found and there was [barely any] social media. Barely any cell phones, for that matter.
I look at new artists doing it now, and in so many ways there’s unlimited access [to music fans]. There’s TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify… so many ways to build an audience. But on the flip side of that, how do you break through the noise?
In some ways, I’m envious of this new generation because they have so many tools, but in other ways, I’m glad I got in when I did. Like, I don’t know if I went on [Idol] now [whether] the same thing would happen. Who knows? So, I look at it as that moment in time happened the way it was supposed to. And I’m very grateful that it did.
This interview has been edited and condensed for flow and clarity.
Daughtry and Seether 2025 tour dates:
Oct. 01 – Virginia Beach, VA – The Dome
Oct. 03 – Atlantic City, NJ – Hard Rock Hotel And Casino
Oct. 04 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summer Stage
Oct. 07 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Oct. 08 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater
Oct. 10 – Huber Heights, OH – Rose Music Center at The Heights
Oct. 11 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
Oct. 12 – Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Pavilion
Oct. 15 – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
Oct. 17 – Charlotte, NC – Skylo Credit Union Amphitheatre
Oct. 18 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
Oct. 20 – Youngstown, OH – Covelli Centre Arena
Oct. 22 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
Oct. 24 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater
Oct. 25 – Atlanta, GA – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park
Oct. 31 – Kansas City, MO – The Midland Theatre
Nov. 01 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium
Nov. 05 – Chesterfield, MO – The Factory at The District
Nov. 06 – Pittsburgh, PA – UPMC Events Center
Nov. 09 – Pikeville, KY – Appalachian Wireless Arena
Nov. 10 – Dallas, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
Nov. 12 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
Nov. 14 – Port Charlotte, FL – Field Of Dreamz Country Classic Music Festival (no Kami Kehoe)
Nov. 15 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – FTL War Memorial