Texas Music News — October 1, 2026
The Toadies have returned with The Charmer, and frontman Vaden Todd Lewis calls it their most personal record yet.
Nearly a decade has passed since the Fort Worth band last released an album. But Lewis never stopped writing, and this time he turned the lens inward. The title track, “The Charmer,” gives his self-doubt a face and a voice. It acts like a bad roommate, because it never pays rent and never moves out.
Lewis Stops Hiding From the Dark
The Toadies built their name on menace, ever since their 1994 breakthrough, Rubberneck, and its swampy single “Possum Kingdom.” Now, though, Lewis aims that menace at himself. “It’s definitely a little more personal,” he says. He was “a little more open with my own experiences.”
He also talks plainly about depression and anxiety. Medication, therapy and family help him manage both. During a recent seven-week tour, he called his wife for guidance, and the call worked. He says he “knew to recognize it” and “didn’t just fall into it.”
His message to fans stays simple: “You’re not alone.” That line lands harder from a guy who has spent three decades howling over loud guitars. Fort Worth, home of the Ridglea Theater, has always raised loud bands, but few have sounded this honest.
Details at Texas Standard
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