Most of the lyrics Toadies frontman Vaden Todd Lewis wrote for the rock band’s most iconic songs — “Possum Kingdom” and “Tyler” — were from the perspective of made-up characters or overhead stories.
But on the beloved Fort Worth band’s upcoming record, the frontman is getting personal.
The Toadies will release their new album “The Charmer” on May 1, nearly a decade after their last record “The Lower Side of Uptown” in 2017.
On the band’s latest 13-track project, Lewis discusses his yearslong struggle with depression and how he addressed his mental health challenges. The album’s name and title track refer to the name given to the negative voice in his head, Lewis said.
“The meat of this record is me dealing with some emotional and mental things that I needed help with and got help with,” he said. “There’s always been a voice in my head that’s like ‘you’re never going to be good enough,’ and there’s another voice that’s combative. They go back and forth.”
Vaden said going to therapy and taking prescribed medication helped his internal battle “calm down a little bit,” and allowed for his creativity as a songwriter to shine on the record.
“I don’t have that beat down of self doubt anymore,” he said. “I wanted to write songs that encapsulated that, because (the voice) is very negative, but it also drives me to do stuff.”
Formed in 1989, the Toadies got its start playing gigs on Magnolia Avenue back when the Near Southside was “just warehouses and empty buildings,” Lewis told the Report in 2022.
The band members established themselves as key figures during the 1990s alternative rock scene for their sound that blended punk and metal. Several members have come and gone over the years, but Lewis remains at the head alongside drummer Mark Reznicek, guitarist Clark Vogeler and bass player Donivan Blair.
“The Charmer” was first announced in January 2024 but its release was delayed multiple times after the record’s legendary audio engineer Steve Albini died in May of that year. Albini was known for his engineering work with Nirvana, Pixies and PJ Harvey.
Reznicek said working with Albini was an honor since the band had wanted to work with him since 1994’s “Rubberneck,” their first record. The engineer helped craft a sonically intimate record, he said.
“It was a dream come true just watching his working method and how he captured what it sounds like hearing four guys in a room playing together,” Reznicek said.
Standout tracks on the new Toadies record include “Normal” and “Come to Life,” Lewis said.
Following the album’s release, the Toadies will perform at the Longhorn Backyard in Dallas on May 2. The band also embarked on a national tour with over 30 stops through October 2026.
Interested in hearing the Toadies live? Click here to see the band’s tour dates.
Although Lewis looks forward to hitting the road and seeing longtime fans rock out to the new songs, he’s most excited for listeners to sit with his lyrics.
The ultimate goal, he said, is to make sure fans don’t view mental health as a “dirty subject” or “embarrassing” anymore.
David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports.
The Fort Worth Report’s arts and culture coverage is supported in part by the Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation and the Virginia Hobbs Charitable Trust. At the Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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