HELLYEAH's CHAD GRAY Expects A Lot From His Bandmates And Crew

In a recent interview with PureGrainAudio, HELLYEAH singer Chad Gray explained why he is probably the one "asshole crew or bandmember" in the HELLYEAH organization. He said: "Sometimes people do just enough. And I'm not that guy. I expect the best out of everyone; I really do. I try to give my best. I'll give you a hundred percent of whatever I've got. If my voice is at a hundred percent, I'll give you a hundred percent of that hundred percent. If my voice is only capable of giving you forty percent, I'll give you one hundred percent of that forty. And that's just the way that I kind of believe that anybody should do their job. No matter what you do, I think you should work your hardest and do your best. I expect that from people who work for us. So I don't like the growing pains, I don't like the fucking trial and error, 'Oops, I fucked up, but at least we learned.' No. If you did that, your whole life would be just one big fuck-up after the next. Granted, you've gotta make mistakes — I get it — and that's how we learn, but… And I try to be cool about it."

He continued: "I jumped on Tom's [Maxwell, guitar] ass the other day. I sit on the bus for an hour before we play and do warm-ups. Stupid-ass sounds, stupid-ass shit. Bane of my existence. I hate it. But it's part of what I do. I got on him the other day. I'm, like, 'The first time you touch a guitar is when [a roadie] hands it to you when you walk on stage.' Consider yourself a sprinter. You don't see some guy just walk out of the locker room, put his feet in the blocks and go, when there's nine other dudes out there doing all these crazy stretches and shit. You've gotta warm your body up to win. So you come off the blocks already in running mode. So, if you don't touch your guitar until it's handed to you, it's gonna take two or three songs… not that you can't play it, but before you really get into a locked groove and your fingers are warmed up and you get into your guitar mentality, it might take two or three songs, and that's fucking unacceptable. I go out there and I'm fucking ready to rock. So, yeah, I do expect a lot out of people, but I know people expect a lot out of me."

HELLYEAH is currently working on its fifth album, tentatively due in early 2016. The new CD is once again being recorded with producer Kevin Churko, who previously worked with HELLYEAH on 2014's "Blood For Blood" album.

"Blood For Blood", was the band's first release since parting ways with guitarist Greg Tribbett and bassist Bob "Zilla" Kahaha in 2013.

The new members of HELLYEAH are bassist Kyle Sanders and guitarist Christian Brady.

"Blood For Blood" sold around 17,000 copies in its first week of release to land at No. 18 on the Billboard chart.