Interview with Chris Daniels

Jenn Cohen | July 1, 2012 | 0 Comments

by Torch

CMB: How long did it take you to make this album?

CD: Nine months, and we did it kind of backwards. We started with acoustic guitar and voice, and the last thing we added was, drums. The other thing about the record that is kind of fun is that there are no fade-outs; each song does come to an end.

CMB: What inspired you to do a singer/ songwriter album?

CD: It was basically my son who said “You know dad, I like it when it’s just you and a guitar, why don’t you do an album like that?” I realized it had been 30 years since I’d done a solo album, so I figured why not? Not to be morbid about it, but it was also because I got Leukemia and I felt like these were songs that needed to be recorded. There’s nothing like facing death to get you motivated about life.

CMB: What is your personal favorite song on the album?

CD: I think that my favorite song is, “I Still Think of You.” All of us have somebody missing in our lives for whatever reason, death, distance, or whatever, but they come to mind from time to time. I think I got that one right. I said exactly what I wanted to say. I said something that was intimate to me . . . and I think it works out to also be universal.

CMB: Does this change anything for your band Chris Daniels & The Kings?

CD: It doesn’t change anything for the Kings, but it changes things for me so I can have another outlet for storytelling. The Kings have always been a storytelling band, but at the same time, it frees the Kings to do what we do best, which is rhythm and blues, old-school soul.

CMB: It is difficult to classify this group of songs in any one genre; how would you describe Better Days as a whole project?

CD: Americana. If you listen to Americana radio, this record has songs from all of those genres.

CMB: Why do you think there’s so much excitement around your project?

CD: I think a lot of people have wanted me to do this for a long time, not just my son. I think there was some question as to whether I was going to be able to get this done, and thanks to a bone marrow transplant from my sister, I got a little extra time on this planet and I got it done. My friends are incredible, as they stopped by the studio, and I gave them a song, and they added some of the most amazing solos and accents that far exceeded my dreams. Everyone involved had a really good time doing something fun and a bit off the map. It also gave me the chance to play mandolin and banjo, and I just don’t get to do that with the Kings.

Better Days showcases Daniels talent as a songwriter through his autobiographical style of telling stories that involve heart, and truth, in a way most of us can relate. He sings of life-long love (“I Still Think of You”), love gone wrong (“Therapy”), new love (“Rose Colored Glasses”), and friends, fear, and that spirit of courage that kept Daniels writing even while in the hospital undergoing treatment. The CD release party is being held on the two-year anniversary of Daniels’ stem-cell transplant, this will be a celebration of life and music! The year ahead looks promising for Daniels with a new album, and he will be inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame along with Judy Collins and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band!