Mudvayne and Hellyeah frontman Chad Gray says new solo music could eventually become a reality following the launch of his new “30 Years Of Madness” live series.
Speaking in a recent interview with Jesea Lee, Gray discussed the possibility of releasing original material under his own name after kicking off the solo venture with a performance on April 24 at the Fremont Country Club in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Asked directly whether he would consider releasing solo music, Gray responded:
“I’m certainly not opposed to it.”
However, he admitted that navigating the modern music industry presents a different challenge compared to earlier eras of his career.
“Just promoting music and everything is just done differently now. It’s about having those tools. It’s about having the right people plugged in to be able to let people know that you have new music.”
Gray also reflected on the response to Mudvayne’s 2025 singles “Hurt People Hurt People” and “Sticks And Stones,” revealing he expected the latter to perform far better commercially.
“I thought for sure ‘Sticks And Stones’ would be a Top 10 single, and it topped out at Top 20. It was weird, because everybody at radio fucking loved that track.”
Despite that, Gray stressed that the band’s decision to step away from touring and recording activity in 2026 was not tied to the songs’ chart performance.
“No. Not at all. It was just merely, like, boom, boom, boom, boom. Four years in a row of just hitting it. Like, let’s chill.”
The vocalist explained that the temporary slowdown was intended to avoid oversaturation and keep fans excited about future touring cycles.
At the same time, Gray made it clear he has no interest in sitting idle during the break period, which ultimately inspired the creation of his solo performances.
“I’m 54 fucking years old. I’m not taking a year off. That’s like me putting my happiness in a cage for a year.”
The “30 Years Of Madness” shows mark the first solo performances of Gray’s career and allow him to revisit material from both Mudvayne and Hellyeah in the same set — something he says is personally rewarding after years of intentionally keeping those projects separate.
Gray also reflected on the legacy of Hellyeah, noting that the band was often unfairly viewed as a distraction from Mudvayne or late drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott’s involvement with Pantera.
“We always wanted HELLYEAH to kind of stand on its own. That’s why we never played MUDVAYNE songs and we never played PANTERA songs in our sets.”
Back in 2021, Gray released a solo cover of “Always On My Mind”, famously associated with Willie Nelson, though no official plans for a full solo album have been announced at this time.
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