Indiana's Indie Music Source
“Although this former military officer-turned-troubadour makes his living as a real-live rocket scientist (consulting for organizations like NASA and Boeing), he immerses himself in pop, blues, jazz, and rock.”
Zack Daggy: Where are you from? How does living there affect your songwriting?
Nick Daugherty: I’m originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana, but now I live in Los Angeles. I don’t think it affects my writing, except for the fact that there’s more pressure out here to do something great. Back home, people made music for the love of playing. Here everybody’s got something to prove to the world… Oh yeah, and in L.A. I’m always tempted to write about traffic and smog instead of fishing and pickup trucks.
ZD: What’s the last album you bought that you’re enjoying?
ND: I really have to think back to the last time I *bought* an album. Usually I listen to podcasts or Pandora or last.fm… But since you’re twisting my arm, I bought a record called Sabor by Arnold McCuller (who was a backup singer for James Taylor) that I really dig… it’s my chillin’ music.
ZD: What is your guilty pleasure band?
ND: Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” or “Bad.” Let’s just say I *might* know the dance routine to “Beat It.” It’s a good thing I don’t have cameras in my house when those songs come on.
ZD: How would you describe your style?
ND: Two scoops of laid-back acoustic rock, with one part R&B, and a sprinkle of gospel soul. If you like John Mayer or Jack Johnson, you might like Nick Daugherty. I’m just sayin’…
ZD: Are you really a rocket scientist?
ND: In the flesh. I still get calls from the Air Force, NASA, Northrup Grumman, and Boeing when stuff goes awry up in space.
ZD: Followup question: Really?
ND: How can I prove it to you? Tell you what, send me a quadratic equation and I’ll solve it for you.
ZD: How does one go from rocket scientist to releasing an album?
ND: I’ve been writing and playing music much longer than I’ve been playing with rockets and satellites. Maybe the question should be asked backwards… “How does one go from playing music to being a rocket scientist” …in which case my answer would be, “Because it pays better than waiting tables.”
ZD: How many times have you said, “He’s no rocket scientist… but I am”?
ND: Hahaha… too many to count, I think. A lot. It would probably take a rocket scientist to figure that out.
ZD: Which of your songs most defines you, and why that song in particular?
ND: These days, it’s probably “Sick Day” – “Maybe I’ll take a Sick Day// Take a little time for myself // ‘Cause I’m caught up trying to get caught up// Doing work for someone else.”
ZD: It’s far into the future and you’ve just released a greatest hits album. What do you name it?
ND: “Songs I wrote before I knew any better”
Mothpod 138 – Tomfoolish Shananigins
Mothpod 141 (Available June 15th, 2009 at Mothpod.com)
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