Chris Daughtry releases new song “Pieces” ahead of fall EP release
After nabbing their first No. 1 at Active Rock and first No. 1 single in 15 years with their Big Machine debut, “Artificial,” Daughtry returns with a biting new follow-up in “Pieces,” out now on all platforms via Big Machine Records.
Written shortly after the passing of both his daughter and mother, frontman and American Idol season 5 alum Chris Daughtry’s vocals carry the weight on a universal tale of strength in loss. The hard-hitting track continues to usher in a fine-tuned and razor-sharp new era for the GRAMMY®-nominated group, as they make a return to their hard rock roots.
“Pieces” and “Artificial” will both be available on the band’s new EP, due out this fall. “We’re still working very, very, very diligently on this record,” he revealed to Loudwire in a recent interview. “I’ve got half the record finished and I’ve got the third quarter of it written.”
“I went through quite a bit, losing my mom and then losing my daughter a week later back in 2021”
“At some point in our lives, we will all experience trauma of some kind—something that chips away at the essence of who we are,” Daughtry explained in a press statement. “Sometimes, it’s an event so devastating that it shatters our reality and rips a hole through our soul. This is about finding the strength to pick up those broken pieces, face the darkness head on, and fight your way toward the light. “
He told Loudwire: “I went through quite a bit, losing my mom and then losing my daughter a week later back in 2021,” he said. “It did a number on me and I think this song really deals with the things that those kinds of events in your life bring up in you.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever be the same as I was before those events and I’m okay with that,” Daughtry said.
Daughtry will tour with Breaking Benjamin this spring
Daughtry has sold out concerts across the globe. After Chris’ run on American Idol, the band’s debut album, the self-titled Daughtry, was the top-selling album of 2007 and was the fastest selling rock debut album in Soundscan history. The record was nominated for 4 GRAMMY® Awards and won 4 American Music Awards, alongside 7 Billboard Music Awards, including “Album of the Year.” Subsequent albums, Leave This Town (2009), Break The Spell (2011), and Baptized (2013) have all gone Platinum, with Cage To Rattle (2018) certified Gold.
In 2021, the band independently released their record Dearly Beloved, with singles “World On Fire,” “Heavy Is The Crown,” and “Changes Are Coming,” all cracking the Top 10. Following yet another Top 10 success with their 2023 smash cover of Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” featuring Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, Daughtry ushered in a new sonic era with their debut Big Machine Records single, “Artificial.” The return to their rock roots scored the band their first No. 1 single in the Active Rock format, laying the groundwork for their new EP, set to release this fall.
Catch Daughtry on the road this spring for their stateside tour with Breaking Benjamin. For tickets and more information, visit daughtryofficial.com.
