Chad Gray says he may write solo music, and that Mudvayne have not settled any plans for 2027 so far.
Chad Gray has raised the prospect of writing his own material for the first time, telling Full Metal Jackie on her weekend radio show that the reception to his current solo run will decide whether the project becomes something more permanent. In the same conversation, the Mudvayne frontman said the band have not put anything in place for 2027, and that the silence is roughly what he expected when he agreed to sit out 2026.
Gray said the possibility of an open calendar was exactly what pushed him to build a solo band in the first place.
“I knew that we talked about taking 2026 off and I’m like, ‘I should probably do something,’ ’cause I have a feeling when I’m deep into 2026 I’m still not gonna have heard anything about 2027 and that’s kinda where I’m at right now. Like, I haven’t really heard anything about, ‘Okay, big plans in 2027.’ There have been mutterings that that’s it. So I’m like kind of kinda glad I did this. ‘Cause I just don’t wanna sit at home. That’s not where I’m happy, sitting on the couch doing nothing. I like to be onstage and I like to be touring and playing and doing it with great players and great friends and standing in front of my greatest friends and having my greatest friends stand in front of me and that’s where I wanna be,” he said (via Loudwire).
Speaking about where the solo venture could lead, Gray said writing is on his mind, while restating that Mudvayne remains his band.
“If this looks like it could be something more, I might create some new music. I might write some new music, just solo stuff,” he continued. “I still am doing Mudvayne. I still wanna do Mudvayne. But I’m loving doing this because I’m having the opportunity to play Hellyeah music again. But I’m still very much in Mudvayne and I’m still doing Mudvayne. We’ll see what happens with more new music from Mudvayne, but you know, hopefully I’ll be able to. It’s just all gonna depend on how it’s received, honestly. But if it does well and the tour is great, then that’s kind of a no-brainer. Then maybe I should do it. But time will tell.”
Gray announced in January that Mudvayne would stand down for the year, and booked a single Las Vegas date for 24 April 2026 under the banner “30 Years Of Madnesss“. That show sold out quickly, more were added, and by June the run had grown into a full headline tour. The sets draw on both the Mudvayne and Hellyeah catalogues, and mark the first solo performances of Gray’s career.
For the current leg he is backed by Mudvayne touring guitarist Marcus Rafferty, guitarist Joe Bonasorte, bassist Nick Villarreal and drummer Devin Attard. Hellyeah guitarist Christian Brady played the earlier spring dates. Hellyeah have been inactive since early 2020, when a U.S. tour was pulled during the pandemic, following the death of drummer Vinnie Paul in 2018.
The 2026 pause followed four straight years of activity since Mudvayne returned in 2021 after more than a decade away. Last year the band broke a 16-year recording silence with “Hurt People Hurt People” on 28 August 2025 and “Sticks And Stones” two weeks later, both produced by Nick Raskulinecz and issued through Alchemy Records and BMG. The pair were quietly re-mixed and re-uploaded to streaming services in January after the band expressed dissatisfaction with how the originals were mastered.
The break also came after a difficult year for the group. Guitarist Greg Tribbett sat out the “L.D. 50 25th Anniversary” tour in September 2025 following the death of his wife, Debbie Tribbett, as metal-stop.com reported at the time. Tribbett has since been working on a new band, Dead Wyte, with his brother.
Mudvayne formed in Peoria, Illinois in 1996 around Gray, Tribbett and drummer Matthew McDonough, with bassist Ryan Martinie joining in 1998.
Chad Gray ’30 Years Of Madnesss’ Tour Dates
With Butcher Babies and Devil’s Cut:
- Aug 28 – The Castle Theater, Bloomington, IL
- Aug 29 – VooDoo at Harrah’s, Kansas City, MO
- Aug 30 – Wooly’s, Des Moines, IA
- Sep 01 – Delmar Hall, St. Louis, MO
- Sep 02 – The Bourbon Theatre, Lincoln, NE
- Sep 03 – Varsity Theater, Minneapolis, MN
- Sep 05 – The Rave/Eagles Club – Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI
- Sep 06 – Outset, Chicago, IL
- Sep 08 – The Venue, Cadillac, MI
- Sep 09 – House of Blues, Cleveland, OH
- Sep 11 – Big Night Live, Boston, MA
- Sep 12 – The Paramount, Huntington, NY
- Sep 14 – Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
- Sep 15 – Irving Plaza, New York, NY
- Sep 17 – Rosina Theatre Presented by Citizens, McKees Rocks, PA
- Sep 18 – Louder Than Life Festival, Louisville, KY
- Oct 02 – Aftershock Festival, Sacramento, CA
- Oct 04 – The Bellwether, Los Angeles, CA
- Oct 05 – House of Blues, San Diego, CA
- Oct 06 – Observatory OC, Santa Ana, CA
- Oct 10 – The Aztec Theatre, San Antonio, TX
- Oct 11 – White Oak Music Hall, Houston, TX
- Oct 12 – The Studio at The Factory, Dallas, TX
- Oct 14 – House of Blues, New Orleans, LA
- Oct 16 – OCC Road House & Museum – Music Hall, Clearwater, FL
- Oct 18 – The Fillmore Charlotte – The Underground, Charlotte, NC
- Oct 19 – Buckhead Theatre, Atlanta, GA
- Oct 20 – Brooklyn Bowl, Nashville, TN
