Mudvayne vocalist Chad Gray has spoken about his progressive nü-metal band’s recent sonic return. While the outfit reunited back in 2021 after 11 years away, it wasn’t until this past August that new music from them actually surfaced.
The song “Hurt People Hurt People” was first out the gate, landing online on August 27th as their first new material in some 16 years. It was followed earlier this week by the premiere of “Sticks And Stones“. Chatting recently with Loudwire Nights, Gray stated the collective desire to make new music grew organically out of their ongoing touring together. As Gray put it:
“The more you tour and do it with no new music, you just start to feel the ground not shake. It was like, what can we do to make the ground shake? This is what you do to make the ground shake. You release new music when you haven’t released anything for 16 years — and that’s what happened.”
As for why it took the band this long to all get back in the studio, Gray offered:
“Being an artist and being a writer and writing songs is not easy, it’s really not easy. I’m not like the bad guy in Se7en where I’ve just got notebooks stacked up all around me full of lyrics. I’m about that connection that I have with my fans. I want to build a connection with the song.”
He continued:
“I bash my head off the table sometimes for two or three days because I’m trying to get the song to talk to me. There’s many rough drafts. I get through it, but writing songs is hard.”
As for the reaction he’s seen from fans to the new songs, he stated:
“It’s unbelievable. I haven’t felt this way in this band for a very, very, very long time.”
“‘Hurt People Hurt People‘, that thing hit, man. It was so cool to see everybody’s response… It’s a slamming track. I cannot wait to get onstage and play these new songs for the fans. I’m really, really, really excited about it because I know that they’re both going to be played well and there’s a lot of emotion in both of these tracks for me.”
Last night, September 11th, the band launched their “L.D. 50” 25th anniversary tour in Dubuque, IA and gave the aforementioned “Hurt People Hurt People” its first live performance at the show. That run also features Static-X (celebrating 25 years of “Wisconsin Death Trip“) as direct support and Vended in the opening spot.
Mudvayne have sadly been forced to undertake that trek without their guitarist Greg Tribbett, who is mourning the recent passing of his significant other after a lengthy battle with illness.
09/13 Waukee, IA – Vibrant Music Hall
09/14 Chicago, IL – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
09/16 Milwaukee, WI – The Rave
09/17 Youngstown, OH – The Covelli Centre
09/19 Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life
09/20 Chesterfield, MO – The Factory
09/21 Omaha, NE – Steelhouse
09/23 Denver, CO – The Fillmore
09/24 Albuquerque, NM – Revel Entertainment Center
09/26 Las Vegas, NV – Palms Casino Resort
09/27 Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
09/28 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
09/30 Portland, OR – Moda Center
10/01 Airway Heights, WA – Northern Quest Amphitheater
10/03 Pocatello, ID – Portneuf Health Trust Amphitheatre
10/05 Sacramento, CA – Aftershock
10/07 Salt Lake City, UT – The Union Event Center
10/09 Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Theater
10/11 Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom
10/12 San Antonio, TX – Boeing Center at Tech Port
10/13 Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center
10/16 Durant, OK – Choctaw Grand Theater
10/18 Nashville, TN – Nashville Municipal Auditorium
10/19 Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
10/21 Raleigh, NC – The Red Hat Amphitheater
10/22 Virginia Beach, VA – The Dome
10/24 Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theater
10/25 Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
10/26 Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
