Wade Bowen scored one of the best albums of 2018 with the release of Solid Ground, an 11-song offering that was produced by Keith Gattis. The gritty collection of tunes—Wade co-wrote 10—serves as a love letter to his home state of Texas by incorporating many of his musical influences, everyone from Guy Clark to ZZ Top.
Two months after the album’s February 2018 release, Wade was placed on mandatory vocal rest after being diagnosed with recurrent bleeding in his vocal cords. He had surgery in May 2018 to treat the condition, followed by another month of vocal rest and speech therapy. On top of the mental and physical anguish the condition caused, Wade’s nephew and crew member, Chase Cavender, died by suicide while the band was on tour in June 2018.
Wade’s new documentary, Inconsistent Chaos, chronicles his mental and physical health issues as he’s coped with his vocal condition and nephew’s death. The 18-minute film features interviews with Wade and his band, crew and family, as well as his friends and fellow artists Randy Rogers and Cody Canada.
“[I made this film] to let my fans and followers know that I had recovered,” says Wade. “I think that was a major concern for many. We tried to keep it somewhat quiet during the process, so we didn’t alarm people. Additionally, although painted on a somewhat unique canvas, my problems were/are far from unique. Fear and depression affect us all no matter what the cause. Because I’ve got a platform enabling me to speak louder than most, I wanted to be sure the world could hear that it’s okay, there is help. Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to seek it. Tell a friend, a family member, a loved one that you need help—it doesn’t make you weak or less cool.”
Watch Inconsistent Chaos below.
