We've picked one very deserving artist, Chad Dohring from our recent Staff Picks as the newest Radio Airplay Rising Artist!
Each Rising Artist receives:
- Full year's membership from Musician's Atlas (the music industry's most reliable contact database service)
- Playlist spot in the Top 100 and other popular stations on Jango Radio App/Jango.com
- 1000 play credits awarded to artist account
- Artist feature promoted on Radio Airplay blog, weekly newsletter, and social media outlets
- Playlist spot in the Top 100 and other popular stations on Jango Radio App/Jango.com
- 1000 play credits awarded to artist account
- Artist feature promoted on Radio Airplay blog, weekly newsletter, and social media outlets
Born and raised in Detroit, MI. on a steady diet of Motown and Van Morrison, Chad spent the majority of his early music career fronting an Alt/Rock band (son of adam). The band toured the US. opening for everyone from the Cranberries to Air Supply to Fuel and playing anywhere from dive bars to amphitheaters.
After gaining some traction through radio and song placements on the WB’s Smallville, the band broke up and Chad ventured into a short lived solo career. Fast forward 10 years and two beautiful daughters later, he found himself drowning in a dark season he never saw coming. With half his weeks now alone in a big empty house, Dohring started writing and recording to pass the sleepless nights. With no intention on ever releasing the music, he wrote with passion and honesty as his therapy. The Forty Nights EP was compiled from 30 songs recorded during that time. Psalm 13 has charted on several radio stations, charting out at #1 for 3 weeks in a row as the most requested song. A few months before the release of Forty Night, God parted the skies and brought him to the love of his life. To propose, Chad wrote her the song “Hey Love”. The video has been viewed over 200k times on Facebook and Youtube. “Hey Love” is up for an Independent Music Award in the singer/songwriter category and Psalm 13 is a finalist in the songwriting competition in the Christian Category.
We enjoyed getting to know Chad a litter better through our artist Q&A. Dive in deeper with us and find out what Chad's been up to, where he draws his inspiration, and what he's got cooking for his music career!
Can you describe your sound in one ramble-on sentence?
Modern folk with a touch of country for the broken, wandering or lost.
What's your earliest music-related memory growing up?
At 7 years old my mom took me to see my Uncle playing in a dive jazz bar. He was and is a phenomenal drummer and I remember watching the room united by the sound and honesty thinking this is what I want to do!
That’s awesome. Are there a lot of musicians in your family?
My Grandfather was an amazing singer, very much like Frank Sinatra. But other than that, my immediate family missed the music bug! But my wife Rachel is an incredibly gifted singer/songwriter and our three daughters are all drawn to music and have started writing their own songs!
If you were to cover another band/artist's album, which would you pick and why?Chris Stapleton. His music and song writing moves my soul! I often find myself wishing I had written his songs.
What’s your favorite Chris Stapleton song?
My goodness, if you made me pick I would have to say “Either Way”.
Do you write/compose your own songs? Can you briefly describe your songwriting process?Songs for me usually start with a struggle or celebration. I am a passionate person and as emotions well up I find myself needing to release them in some creative way. Music is what changes me, it has a way of tearing down walls and seeping into my soul. I’ll grab my guitar or sit at the piano and just sing my heart out.
Do you collaborate with other songwriters or are you more of a lone wolf writer?
I do both, but typically since I have three girls and being their dad takes priority over everything, it means the only time I have to write is when they go to bed
Rachel is my favorite person to write with, so if I’m not writing alone these days I’m writing with her as quietly as possible so we don’t wake up our four year old!
What was the highlight for you in 2017? Either personally or for your music career?2017 was an incredible year. I married the love of my life Rachel Dohring.
Congrats! What kind of a wedding was it?
Lots of friends and family. She is from England and a lot of her family is from Ireland, and everyone flew in. It was an awesome celebration… even had a square dance blue grass band!
What have you been working on recently? Can you give us a hint for whats to come in 2018?
Rachel is an incredible singer/songwriter, so we have been writing and recording together which is truly a dream come true for me. The heavens opened and blessed me with this amazing woman that pushes and challenges me… and at the end of it all we can sit down together and sing! I’m really excited to share this new music.
Nice! Collaborating musically with your partner sounds ideal. Are you guys putting out a project or playing live together anytime soon?
We sure are. We made a pack to record at least one song a month this year, so sooner than later we’ll start releasing some of it. It’s by my far the work I am most proud of so far!
What do you like more: Performing live or recording in the studio?
What a great question. I truly love both. I love being creative and experimenting in the studio. If I had to choose though, live music will always be my first love. Having an experience with a room full of people that your feeding off of and sharing a moment with is one of the greatest things about life. I love connecting with people and sharing stories, it’s a beautiful reminder that none of us are alone and we really were created to be in community together!
What is your most memorable or favorite live performance?
Most memorable… hahah. Well, I wont bad mouth the band, but we were opening for a sold out crowd at DTE music theatre here in Detroit. The Headliner at the last minute refused to allow us to have a sound check or any lights. So as our drummer was screwing on his last cymbal we were told to start and got to play to the setting sun. It was a quick crash course in how brutal and competitive the music industry can be. We just kept thinking everyone is here to see the headliner, there is no danger of losing them as fans, just give us some lights so I don’t trip on my guitar chord and break my neck! Despite all that we had a great show, made a lot of new friends and always treated every band we played with or had open for us incredibly well!
What are some artists/bands that you're into at the moment? Or any particular song you find yourself listening to over and over?
Ryan Adams, Chris Stapleton, David Ramirez, Needtobreathe… these guys always find their way into my playlists!
Any embarrassing on stage moments you'd like to share? C’mon, don’t be shy.
Oh my goodness, so many! Probably the worst one for me was while I was opening for an artist at an amphitheater in front of 8000 people… in a feeble attempt to release some of the energy welling up inside I managed to catch my foot on my guitar cord and fall flat on my face. That was a hard one to play off “cool”, thankfully I didn’t break my guitar.
What's one thing people should know about you?
I think the most important thing about me is my faith. It defines the man I am and strive to be. It brings color to everything I do especially song writing. To put others first, always trying to see the best in people and pursue unconditional love is not something that comes naturally.
What do you enjoy doing outside of music? Does your hobby rejuvenate your creativity?
I am a devoted family man. Rachel and my three girls, Kyla, Josslyn and Rayne are my favorite things about life. I would choose a night with them playing “let’s dance” or creating something over anything else. They inspire me every time the open their mouths!
What do you like the most about Radio Airplay?
I am so thankful for radio airplay! It’s just such an incredible way for international distribution of music. I have found so many great new artists through the site and the people it has connected me with is such a blessing! I love getting messages and hearing the stories of how the music has affected complete strangers from all different walks and parts of life! Radio Airplay is just as much about connecting you with people as it is about music. That is by far what I like most!