Straight No Chaser: Duets

The guys of Straight No Chaser broke it down in Bryant Park for an exclusive crowd just in time for the release of their new album Under the Influence. And no, the a cappella group isn't intoxicated as member Don Nottingham explains...

"The reason we named [the album] that is because we have a bunch of guest artists, we have eight of them on there that have really influenced us," says Nottingham.

The impressive list of influencers includes Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, Elton John, Phil Collins, Seal, Jason Mraz, Rob Thomas and Sara Bareilles.

Although the band is now working with the best in the biz, they started out in 1996 at Indiana University as a few college bros who just liked to sing. After graduating, they went their separate ways until 2007 when one of the guys posted a video of the group on YouTube.

"One of those videos had just caught the fancy of about 7 million people that year, so next thing you know one of the people who apparently liked it was the CEO of Atlantic Records," say Nottingham.

The rest is history and maybe even soon to be a movie... "There's discussion between DreamWorks and us and our label to do some sort of movie about us and about our unusual, at the time, rise to where we've gotten now," says Nottingham.

The sans instrument ensemble, staying true to their a cappella roots, credits the singing style for their success.

"I think a cappella is a counterpoint to, again, how electronic so much has gotten," says group member Steve Morgan, "...There is a purity to a cappella music that you can't fabricate."

The guys will deliver it straight to 68 cities by the end of the year, performing everything from covers of current hits to music of the 60's. And the group declares their broad repertoire will be sure to please every ear.

"If you come see a Straight No Chaser show, we like to say we are going to have something for everyone from [ages] eight to eighty," says Nottingham.

For more information, visit straightnochaser.com