'I Wanna Feel the Ground Shaking Again' — Mudvayne's Chad Gray Shares One Essential Necessity of Band's Reunion

Mudvayne officially reunited in 2021, but singer Chad Gray says we're now reaching a period where the one essential necessity of his return to the group is coming into play. The band most recently released their first new music in 16 years and it's something the singer is grateful for.

"For me, it was like this is imperative. This is important. We've been back for four years now. I wanna feel the ground shaking again," Gray told Full Metal Jackie on her weekend radio show. "I want new music. That's the reason I came back to the band was to continue the legacy."

"I love the creative process. That's my fuel. It's my fire. That's what I do," says Gray, explaining how passionate he is about the band finally becoming a creative entity as a band again.

Within the chat, Gray elaborates on the band's two recently released singles and their common bonds that have connect him with fans. He also delves into the process since the band reunited and how he balances staying true to the band's first era legacy and incorporating the years of musical influences that may have impacted them since their initial split.

Gray also reflects upon what he learned from the group's first era, looks back on the L.D. 50 album that Mudvayne are currently celebrating on their current tour and offers some advice that he's learned over his years in the music industry. Plus, he speaks about creating a very special fan experience that includes his pre-show makeup ritual that very much is about making a true connection with those who take part.

Check out more of the chat below.

It's Full Metal Jackie and I'm so excited to bring you Chad Gray of Mudvayne on the show this week. It is very exciting to say that after a 16-year absence, Mudvayne are back with new music. "Hurt People Hurt People" is not only a powerful song in terms of heaviness but in terms of content as well.

Chad, you've said you wrote this song as a reminder to yourself to break the cycle. As we've seen with "Hush" when you were with Hellyeah, your words are impacting the listeners as well. What has it meant to have music as a vehicle to work through a history of dealing with domestic abuse and how has it been to hear stories from others who felt that connection through what you've written?

It reminds me I'm not alone. That's what I try to do through my music is remind people that they're not alone. Those worlds of abuse, neglect and all that stuff, they are lonely places. It's not something you talk about at parties, it's not stuff you talk about with your friends. So what do we do? We push it down, push it down, push it down and next thing you know, we're a powder keg.

It's about, to me, it's about breaking the cycle of me being traumatized, young and projecting hurt onto others because I was hurt. Break that cycle. Also, being hurt as I was when I was young and a lot of us too, it's like hurt people hurt ourselves. That's an important thing too is to break that cycle. Because I don't think anyone's ever said worse things than I've said to myself, done worse things than I've done to myself. So that's also a cycle that needs to be broken. But it all comes from the same place.

Mudvayne, "Hurt People Hurt People"

Chad, I feel like you guys have done this the right way. You've taken time to tour after reuniting and seeing how it goes. But now that the decision has been made to move forward with new music, was it as simple as sliding back into the old groove or were there new challenges to be faced? Take me into the initial sessions working on new music with Mudvayne in modern day and what that's been like to navigate.

It's always a challenge. You're always dealing with adversity and trying to get everybody on the same page and then when you all get on the same page, getting it done and making sure that it's worthy to be called Mudvayne making sure it's gonna work for us.

There's no point in just writing whatever and putting it out. That's not what we do. It's not what most people do. It's about being an extension of yourself and you need to make sure that your light is shining in that song — every single band member. So that was a process.

For me, it was like this is imperative. This is important. We've been back for four years now. I wanna feel the ground shaking again. When we came back, the ground was literally shaking. And it just slowly stops not shaking. It's like, I want new music. That's the reason I came back to the band was to continue the legacy.

Speaking of new music, let's also talk about the new song, "Sticks and Stones." Tell us about that.

I love that track. It was a conversation that Greg [Tribbett] and I had and pretty much the next day I had riffs. Then I just started. I went on a walk through my neighborhood. It's a two-mile walk. And I come home and it was already written. I wrote it on the walk. I just literally was walking with my phone just typing.

Again, that's a deeper message that we all grew up with. Like, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. But like, it's not true. Words very much hurt, you know? And we just have to...

I was a child that was used as a weapon. I think a lot of people weaponize their children now. They're just firing shots to the bow. Whether it's divorced parents or people that are still in a relationship, they use their kids as ammo. And that kind of family trauma is very, very hard to shake off. So again, that's just another cycle that I wanna remind people to break.

Mudvayne, "Sticks and Stones"

Chad, we've seen some reunions thrive and others falter. What did you learn from your first era from the band and how do you feel you've set yourself up for a better shot at continued success moving forward?

I think this was imperative. I think this was so important. New music. We needed new music. It's cool, people definitely wanna hear a catalog, but we want to give them something new that is feeding your fans.. New music, it's important to me to continue feeding my fans. It's important to the fans to have new stuff to chew on.

I've loved coming back, but this was this was an absolute necessity. We needed new music and here it is.  I'm excited to ride this for as long as it'll roll.

There has been a lot of music, including your own, that has taken place since Mudvayne first split. Everyone's had different experiences outside the Mudvayne construct and likely seen various other bands and sounds come to the forefront over that period. Is that something you take in as you're figuring out what Mudvayne is in 2025? How do you find that balance between honoring what Mudvayne was in the 2000s and being true to what your collective experiences and influences may be now?

I think you just have to be honest in your music no matter what it is. I think that is an important part of doing what we do. It's not about being a celebrity. It's not about being in the spotlight. It's about getting together with your dudes, creating music and being an extension of yourself to give to people.

You have to be honest in your music. As far as outside influences, they absolutely do their job. I have to do what I do. And as long as I do what I do honestly, then I don't question it.

Chad, while the music industry has changed, one goal remains constant as an artist. That is to write and create music that connects to people. Would you say your passion for the creative process is on the same level as it was when you first started and has it changed over time? And also, what is it that keeps you coming back and wanting more?

Dude, I love the creative process. That's my fuel. It's my fire. That's what I do. It's been such a great outlet for me to be able to share and remind others that they're not alone. But I love to create music and every single song I've ever written, there's a celebratory moment. Not just a "Here's another one," but like "Cool." Just adding to my own personal repertoire, whether it's song one, song 21 or song whatever.

I've written 11 albums in my career and I'm proud of every single song and I'm very proud of these two new ones. I'm excited to continue the legacy that is Mudvayne and I'm so happy that people are receiving it as well as they are. I'm so grateful.

Chad, as we wait for new music, we're also honoring a bit of the old. We've got your headline tour celebrating 25 years of the L.D. 50 album as it was your breakout record. Are there experiences from that run that stand out to you from recording to touring and what has stuck with you the most from that first album cycle 25 years later?

Oh, good God. I I can't even believe that it's been 25 years. It's so crazy to think about that.

We released that and in the first seven months, we did three different Slipknot tours. Then we dropped off with them when we were doing headlining stuff and we were playing to 100 people. But just that build. We toured that record for 26 months. We beat that thing into the ground and we beat ourselves into the ground. And we would have a week or two off between tours, if that. We were just like on to the next, to the next, to the next.

We were those young, hungry kids that are just willing to just absolutely go for it. Just give me, feed me. Give me anything you've got and I'm gonna take it and I'm gonna build this thing.

I think I still have that mindset. I wish to God we toured more. But this just seems to be the way. We've toured once a year since we came back. I could be on the road 50 weeks a year. I don't give a damn. I wanna keep doing it. That's where I shine and that's where I just get so much relief being on that stage in front of my fans and the giving and receiving that we do, the taking care of one another that we do in those moments. The letting go of life in those moments. It's all really, really powerful. It's a very fulfilling part of my life to get in front of my people and watch them as they watch me. That circumvention energy that we're exchanging is paramount. It's phenomenal.

As we reflect on 25 years of L.D. 50 and the anniversary tour, "Dig" was your first breakout song. It was very much about being green in the music industry. But now being the wise old veteran you are ... what would you tell that kid starting off in Mudvayne about what his future would hold and what would you tell others starting out today of what to look out for?

I would tell that kid to write more of those songs. I'd tell that kid to write more "Digs." That was a lot of fun.

What I tell kids today... Like, just what I said. Stay honest in what you do. Do it for the right reasons. Don't do it for celebrity, don't do it for fame, don't do it just to be famous. There's so much more to it than that, you know? You're gonna get more out of it if you do it with that real fan the flame of that passion that you have.

Keep it real and keep it honest and keep delivering and be willing to do whatever it takes to just rise up the ladder. Just keep going for it.

To the kid that I was, I don't know if I could tell that kid anything 'cause I've been doing this for a long, long time with multiple bands. I've had a lot of fun with it and music has been very fulfilling to me in my life. It's given me a great connection with my fans and I love that connection. I'm so grateful for my fans. I'm very grateful to have been able to build what I've built because of them. I've built it with them.

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Chad, one of the things we were talking about is the tour, and one of the things with the tour is that there's now this special pre-show makeup experience you're offering to fans. The bullet hole's been synonymous with you during Mudvayne's makeup-wearing era. Obviously, in defining your look, it meant something to you at the time, but time has a way of evolving things. Do you feel what the bullet hole has meant to your look and presentation still resonates with you all these years later or has its meaning evolved to you over time?

I kind of did it because I think it's good to see what you look like dead . You know what I mean? I was just like, "This is what you're gonna look like, dude, when you do the things that are inside of your head." You know what I mean? So maybe wear this as a reminder.

But I'm really excited about the experience and obviously it's come with mixed reviews. Some people are like, "Man, you should do this for 100 people and charge $100." And it's just like, then I really feel like I'm taking advantage of you. Like, 100 bucks and you're gonna get two seconds of my time, "Hey, what's up? How you doing?" Take a picture. "All right. See you later." You know what mean? 100 bucks. It's like, no.

This is my way of creating because I love the connection that I have with my fans. This is my way of creating a once in a lifetime experience. I'm bringing them in to the pre-show ritual, the war paint. [They're just] being able to hang out with me like I do before every show. You see and get to be a part of the process for that day, listen to some tunes, hang out, talk, get to know one another. I don't know of anybody else that does this or has ever done this.

So it's been really cool, man.They're doing really well. They're selling really well. I'm actually opening up two more dates because I wasn't gonna do it because of family and stuff in certain locations But what the hell? The makeup's gotta get put on. Why not create another really special moment for someone?

Oh, totally.

That's a once in a lifetime. It's a really great experience for somebody.

I can't imagine if that would have been available to me, like, "Come and hang out with James Hetfield." I'd have been like, "Uh, yeah. Hi, I'm in." I'm not James Hetfield. I'm just putting it out there.

So I just hope I can create a really cool fan experience. And there's one per city. That's it. I'm not doing five. You're not gonna be with a team of people or people you don't know. You're gonna be with me, you and your guest, whoever you decide you want to do this with, your wife, your husband, your best friend, blah, blah, blah, your girlfriend, whatever. Doesn't matter to me.

And it's cool, too, being able to work with Room 101 'cause I love their jewelry. They made my mudogram for me. I had them make it for me years ago, and they've never been sold and they will never be sold. So this is like a one of a kind. When you have one, you'll have one of like 32 ever made. And they'll never be sold, so.

Amazing. Mudvayne's L.D. 50, 25th anniversary tour, running through the end of October. Chad Gray with us. Looking forward to hearing new music. So excited to have you guys back, and I'll definitely see you out there.

Thanks to Mudvayne's Chad Gray for the interview. You can get ticketing info on the L.D. 50 25th anniversary tour through the band's website. And stay tuned for updates on new music. Keep up to date with the band through their website, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok accounts. Find out where you can hear Full Metal Jackie's weekend radio show here.