Chad Gray On New Mudvayne Album: ‘I Don’t Know,’ Says He’s Finally Making His ‘Never-Ending Record’

Mudvayne frontman Chad Gray has responded to the growing speculation about a new full-length album, following the release of the band’s first new singles in 16 years, “Hurt People Hurt People” and “Sticks And Stones.”

In a new interview with “Toilet Ov Hell“, Gray was asked about the possibility of a new studio album and gave a candid answer: “I don’t know. I like doing it like this.”

Gray went on to explain that the band’s current single-based strategy is the exact model he has been fighting to implement for nearly two decades. He recounted a “funny story” from around 2005, when he pitched a concept he called the “never-ending record” to his bandmates.

“How f**king cool would it be, and how us would it be if we created a never-ending record, if we just created this thing that we just started with and we just started releasing songs…?” Gray recalled saying. “It would never have to stop. And we can control where it goes. So there is no beginning and end. It’s just this thing that takes off… creating this energy, and we can control it.”

Gray said the idea was inspired by old 45s and “cassingles.” However, when he pitched the concept to their label, Sony/Epic, he was immediately shut down.

“Sony was, like, ‘Oh, no, we can never do that… ’cause we need the first-week numbers from the album,'” Gray said. “I was just, like, ‘How f**king shortsighted.’ And what they wanted was to release the album and get every f**king dollar they laid out back in one week.”

The frustration continued when Mudvayne moved to a new independent label. Gray pitched the same idea to the new label president and received the exact same answer: “‘Oh, no. We can never do that. I need the first-week numbers.’ Okay. It’s typical f**king bulls**t, big-record-label bulls**t.”

Gray then detailed an ironic encounter two or three years later, when the same label president visited the band backstage and pitched Gray‘s own idea back to him as if it were a new concept.

“He just starts talking… ‘Yeah. I’ve got this idea about us releasing a song every month or two…'” Gray remembered. “I was just f**king sitting there, looking at him… I looked at him. I was, like, ‘Are you out of your f**king mind?'”

When the executive was confused, Gray confronted him: “We had this exact same f**king conversation three years ago… in your office, and you said you couldn’t do it ’cause of first-week numbers.’ He’s, like, ‘Oh, maybe I do remember that conversation.’ I’m, like, ‘Yeah, it sounds like you do. Because you’re f**king telling it to me back right now.'”

Gray concluded the interview by bringing the story full circle, stating that the current music industry landscape finally allows him to execute his original vision.

“So, back to your question, like, is there a full-length on the way? It’s just, like, I like doing it this way. I’ve kind of always wanted to do it this way,” Gray said. “Get together, get in a room, do a session… record it and f**king put it out. F**k it… I’m getting my way finally. I can write the never-ending album.”