Each Measure Review: Dax

FEATURE

At the beginning of 2025, Dax made a serious commitment to himself: he would not release any new music until he had gone six months without any alcohol. He hoped this period of sobriety would bring the strength and clarity he needed, both to reinvent himself as a person and to do something truly meaningful with is art.

He was right.

The Wichita, Kansas native dropped his latest single, “Man I Used to Be,” on August 1st, 2025. It was recorded in Nashville, TN in collaboration with producer Jimmy Robbins and can now be heard accompanying a heartfelt music video on Dax’s YouTube channel.

The track represents a turning point in Dax’s career as he moves toward an era of personal and musical growth. His catalogue has always been versatile. Previous releases contain shades of everything from pop and hip-hop to rock and punk. Yet “Man I Used to Be” settles into more of a country and western feel, albeit one flavored with hints of Dax’s diverse other influences. One of the ways in which Dax describes his artistic philosophy is as “music for the people, spread by the people.” The folk and country genres have always been emblematic of this “for the people” attitude, so it seems only appropriate that they informed his songwriting process.

The track begins with a gentle acoustic guitar melody, warmly setting the scene for the emotional story that is about to unfold. A subtle percussive beat paired with Dax’s raw vocals signifies the first chorus. To me, the melody sounds like the plaintive sigh of an aching soul in recovery: weary and forlorn but full of hope all the same.

The opening chorus establishes the song’s core theme. Dax sings, “I’m half the man I used to be / It’s gon’ take some getting used to me / I used to think I had it all / But when you’re up, all you do is fall.” It’s a sentiment that resonates with anyone who has ever weathered a rough transitional period. The pain of loss is still fresh, and Dax doesn’t feel whole anymore, but at the same time, he seems to have come out the other side with a fresh perspective. He’s learned something about himself, and through this song, he’s taken the time to share it with us.

The first verse brings us into an even more profound state of introspection and vulnerability. Dax structures the song as a retrospective of the inner demons he’s conquered and the enlightenment he’s achieved, and in Verse 1, he reflects upon the generational burdens he’s inherited from his childhood and the addictions he succumbed to. 

Dax seems to have gained some perspective on the suffering he’s endured, but he’s also brave enough not to shift all the blame away from himself. He sings, “I’ve been mistaken and taken for granted / And locked in the prison that I call my mind / And now that I’ve lived and I’ve learnt / And I’ve burnt all these bridges, I’ll leave it behind.” This is a poetic way of owning up to the role he’s played in his own struggles, but it’s also a way of showing us the light at the end of the tunnel: after all he’s been through, Dax is finally strong enough to break free of the bondage he’s created for himself. As painful as it is, it almost seems like he has some gratitude to his past for making him the man he has become. It’s an inspiring moment, and it serves as the perfect transition to the second chorus, which swells to an even greater triumph with a light keyboard melody and an orchestral flourish.

Although Dax draws heavily from his own experiences and personal journey, the song isn’t just about him. It’s for anyone with inner demons to battle. “Don’t ask the reason I changed / Ask yourself why you stayed the same,” he sings at the top of the third verse. To me, this is what gives the song it’s purpose. Dax has taken on a challenge of self-improvement for himself, and now he’s encouraging us to do the same kind of inward interrogation. Why? Because he’s finally liberated himself from his past with the changes he’s made – as he puts it, “I don’t every chase, I got God / Letting go of pain that was never mine / Trying to bear the weights, not my job / ‘Cause that’s the man I used to be” – and part of becoming a better person is helping others find their own inner strength.

Dax bridges the space between the third and fourth chorus with a meditative electric guitar solo. In the music video, this is accompanied by a shot of the singer leading a procession of men to a small chapel. That’s Dax’s vision for the song (and his work as a whole) in nutshell. He’s made his changes, owned up to his mistakes, and shared his story. Now, his mission is to lead others to their own salvation and help them find courage in their faith.

By the end of the song, we’re left with a revelation: despite its melancholy chorus, this is not a sad song. It’s an anthem of hope. Yes, Dax has been through a lot of loss. Yes, he’s only half the man he used to be. But that’s a good thing, because what remains is the better half – the stronger, wiser, and humbler half.

Dax’s music has always been about uplifting his audience, but “Man I Used to Be” might still mark the beginning of a new era of rapid growth and greater maturity for him as a songwriter. At the end of October, he’ll be taking his message of growth and redemption on the road with a headline tour titled the “Lonely Dirt Road Tour.” It’s named after a different track, but in my opinion, the image of lonely dirt road symbolizes Dax’s story pretty well: it may be rough and it may be lonely, but it’s still a path forward.

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