The Choir

The Choir are an atmospheric alternative rock band. The band is fronted by Derri Daugherty on guitar and vocals. Backing Daugherty are Tim Chandler on bass, Steve Hindalong on drums, who also writes most of the band's lyrics, and Dan Michaels on lyricon and saxophone.

Related Topics:
Rock band - Derri Daugherty - Tim Chandler - Steve Hindalong - Dan Michaels

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The band was formed as The Youth Choir in the early 1980s by Daugherty and Hindalong. The two songwriters had been introduced by friend Tim Chandler. Chandler and Daugherty were both touring with Daniel Amos at the time, Chandler as the band's bassist, and Daugherty as the band's roadie/sound man. Hindalong and Daugherty quickly became a strong songwriting team, crafting music that was described by the L.A. Times as "magical songs that combine strains of murky psychedelia with pure pop". Billboard Magazine praised the band for its "dark poetic leanings, effects-laden guitars and strong melodic hooks."

Related Topics:
1980s - Daniel Amos - L.A. Times - Billboard

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By 1986, the band dropped the "Youth" in their name, and began calling themselves The Choir. Hindalong began writing most of the songs for The Choir, continuing to offer metaphors that provides plenty of honesty, courage and individuality.

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The band nearly retired in 1996 after their final national tour, with the exception of an occasional festival appearance. They did however get together again in 1999 to record the independently released Flap Your Wings, recorded on a shoe-string budget in Daugherty's basement. The freedom of working without a label brought the band to a new level of creativity. Flap Your Wings was praised by music critics and earned the band its first Grammy nomination.

Related Topics:
1996 - 1999 - Grammy

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Their eleventh studio album, "O How the Mighty Have Fallen, is available through www.thechoir.net/store. This album is very personal and touches on some painful subjects and the faith that carries them through. It also is an album that the band is proud of. According to Daugherty, their "only motivation is to do music that we feel good about. To offer it to whoever wants to hear it."

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