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Cage the Elephant | |
|---|---|
 Cage the Elephant performing at the 2017Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Bowling Green, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | cagetheelephant |
Cage the Elephant is an Americanrock band formed in 2006 inBowling Green, Kentucky. They moved to England and settled inLondon in 2008, shortly before theirself-titled first album was released. The band currently consists ofMatt Shultz (vocals), his older brotherBrad Shultz (rhythm guitar), Nick Bockrath (lead guitar), Matthan Minster (guitar, keyboards), Daniel Tichenor (bass), andJared Champion (drums).[1] The band's first album was released to much success, spawning several successful radio singles and gaining the band a large following in both the United States and the United Kingdom. It was influenced byclassic rock, '90salternative,blues,punk rock, andfunk music. Lincoln Parish served as the band's lead guitarist from their formation in 2006 until 2013, when he left on good terms to pursue a career in producing.
The band's second album,Thank You, Happy Birthday, was released in 2011 and was heavily influenced bypunk rock as well as bands such asPixies andNirvana. The band's third album,Melophobia, was released in 2013 as the band's concerted effort to find its own distinct musical identity. The band's fourth album,Tell Me I'm Pretty, was produced byDan Auerbach and released in 2015. The band released a live album,Unpeeled, in 2017. Their fifth studio album,Social Cues, was released in 2019,[2] and their sixth,Neon Pill, was released on May 17, 2024.[3] They won theGrammy Award for Best Rock Album twice, in2017 forTell Me I'm Pretty and in2020 forSocial Cues.[4]
Prior to joining Cage the Elephant, Matt Shultz worked in construction as a plumber. In an interview with the "Rock It Out!" blog forConsequence of Sound, he said he felt like if he did not quit that job, he would be stuck there for the rest of his life. He left to work at a sandwich bar with his brother, Brad Shultz, who had previously worked in telemarketing. Daniel Tichenor held a job atLowe's and Jared Champion worked in a pet store.
Nick Bockrath is part of the band Nicos Gun and previously played bass withMorning Teleportation. Cage got to know him through their friendship with that band. Matthan Minster formed a band called YOURS in 2010.
Members of Cage the Elephant had previously been involved in the band Perfect Confusion when they were in high school and released a self-titled LP in 2005. Matt Shultz was also in an experimental punk band in middle school called Left Nostril.
The band's name, according to lead singer Matt Shultz, came from an incident in 2006 when a mentally disabled man approached the band after a show. He hugged Shultz and kept repeating the sentence "You have to cage the elephant" over and over again.[5]
The band signed withRelentless Records after showcasing at the 2007South by Southwest music festival. Their first tour was as a support act forQueens of the Stone Age in Canada. They then moved to London, England,[6] to theLeyton area on the outskirts of the city. At the time, Lincoln Parish was only 16 years old, so in order to be able to move, his parents had to sign over parental guardianship to the band. In 2008, they appeared on the British showLater... with Jools Holland withColdplay,Sia,Glen Campbell,John Mellencamp, andAmy LaVere. They released theireponymous debut album,Cage the Elephant, on June 23, 2008, in the United Kingdom and April 21, 2009, in the United States, Japan, Australia, and Canada, to mostly favorable reviews. Their single "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" reached number 32 on theUK Singles Chart and number 83 on theBillboard hot 100. The song was featured in theGearbox Software video gameBorderlands, as well as in the 2010 movieThe Bounty Hunter.[7] It was also featured asiTunes' free single of the week for the week of April 12, 2009. In 2009 the songBack Against the Wall became the band's first track to chart at the number 1 position on thealternative charts.[8] The album has since beencertified platinum by theRIAA.
Cage the Elephant appeared as a support act on tour withThe Pigeon Detectives in early 2008, and forSilversun Pickups andManchester Orchestra in 2009. They appeared onEverybody Loves Lil' Chris in October 2008. The group made a national TV appearance on theLate Show with David Letterman, performing "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" in July 2009. In August 2009, Cage the Elephant played for the first time atLollapalooza inChicago, as well as San Francisco'sOutside Lands Music and Arts Festival on August 30, 2009.[9] Prior to their return to Lollapalooza, the band also performed twice atBonnaroo, once in June 2007 and in 2009. They released the single "Back Against the Wall" which was later included in aWii game, calledWe Cheer,We Cheer 2.[10][11] The band continued to tour heavily in 2010 hitting the festival circuit along with headlining dates.[12][13]
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The band announced their sophomore album in July 2009 when the band had stating that they would release it in early 2010 with the titleComputer Says Move. However, after recording over 80 songs, they decided to scrap all of them due to none of them being into any of the ideas.[14] They then took ideas that they had saved for "side projects" and decided to use those songs for the album, and came up with the new titleThank You Happy Birthday.[15] The group was able to work out twelve songs for the album, stating: "We want each of our songs to sound like it's been written by a different band."[16]
Thank You, Happy Birthday, was officially released in January 2011. The album sold 39,000 copies during its first week in the U.S., debuting at Number 2 on theBillboard 200, losing to the bandCake'sShowroom of Compassion.[17] The album receivedpositive reception from most critics, withAlternative Press calling it "an alarmingly good album".[18] The song "Shake Me Down" dominated the alternative charts stating at the number one position for 6 weeks while also reaching number 78 on the Billboard hot 100.[8] It was also the band's first song to top the CanadaRockBillboard and as of 2025 the band's only song to reach number 1 on theHot Rock and Alternative songs chart. The album has since beencertified gold.
Throughout the year, Cage the Elephant supported the album by playing live. The group landed multiple late night shows, such as theLate Show with David Letterman[19] andThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[20] Cage the Elephant also landed the bill for music festivals such asCoachella and theGlastonbury Festival. On August 6, 2011, Cage the Elephant performed at theKansas Speedway for the first annual Kanrocksas music festival. In the later half of the year, the band supported theFoo Fighters, who were on tour supporting their new albumWasting Light. In October, drummer Jared Champion'sappendix suddenly burst, requiring immediate medical attention.Dave Grohl, the Foo Fighters' frontman and former drummer ofNirvana, temporarily filled in for Champion while he was recuperating.[21]
The band's hit song "Shake Me Down" was nominated for aMTV Video Music Award forBest Rock Video in September 2011.[22]
The group's audience expanded widely throughout 2011. Although they were formed in the 2000s, the band earned the top spot inRolling Stone's "Reader's Poll: The Best New Artist of 2011". The bandSleeper Agent, another Bowling Green music group and close friends with Cage the Elephant, came in second place. The magazine also namedThank You, Happy Birthday as the 15th best album of the year. That year, Cage the Elephant andManchester Orchestra embarked on a co-headlining tour with Sleeper Agent as the opening band.
In January 2012, the band released their first live albumLive from The Vic in Chicago, recorded during their 2011 tour, and also played at theBig Day Out music festival.[23]
Cage the Elephant regrouped in the studio to record their third albumMelophobia (meaning "fear of music").[24][25][26][27] The album's lead single "Come a Little Closer" was teased via their YouTube channel on August 1, 2013, and premiered in full on August 8, 2013. It was released on iTunes for purchase on August 13. In an interview withiHeartRadio duringLollapalooza 2013, Matt Shultz revealed the title of the upcoming album.Melophobia was released on October 8, 2013, The album debuted at No. 15 on theBillboard 200 albums chart on its first week of release to largely positive reviews.Brian Mansfield ofUSA Today designated it "Album of the Week," summarizing that "Melophobia may mean 'fear of music,' but there's nothing to be afraid of: Its glorious chaos makes for thrilling listening.[28][29] However Shultz mentioned in an interview with Billboard that Melophobia is not a fear of music, rather, "It's a fear of creating music under false pretenses, catering to cool, or writing to project some sort of image that's based upon social standards...[It's] trying to sound artistic, poetic or intellectual, rather than just trying to communicate an honest thought or feeling or story."[30] "Take It or Leave It" and "Cigarette Daydreams" were released on March 24, 2014, and August 26, 2014, respectively. "Come a Little Closer" and "Cigarette Daydreams" both went on to claim the number 1 position on the alternative airplay. The band toured withMuse as an opening act in the fall of 2013. On August 24, 2013, the band performedMelophobia in its entirety live at Soundcheck Nashville in front of an intimate audience of friends and family. The band also performed the songs "Spiderhead" and "Come A Little Closer" live on Los Angeles radio station KROQ.
Lead guitarist Lincoln Parish left the band early in December 2013 to focus on his production company, TalkBoxRodeo.[31] In an interview, Parish said that he "wanted to be a producer before anything else. And then [Cage the Elephant] obviously took off and did more than what any of us could have expected."[32] Guitarist Nick Bockrath filled in as lead guitarist onJimmy Kimmel Live! on December 9 and, on subsequent shows. TheMelophobia tour continued into 2014, including a stop at theLollapalooza music festival on August 3.[33] The band also toured withThe Black Keys on theirTurn Blue tour, and then withFoals on their 2014 UK and US tours.[34]
In August 2013, Brad Shultz and his wife Lindsay had a child named Etta Grace, and on November 12, 2014, Jared Champion and his partner Alicia had a child named Rosalyn. Kyle Davis filled in for Champion during the December 2014 tour, while he spent time with his family.
On February 8, 2015, Cage the Elephant earned their first Grammy nomination forBest Alternative Music Album category at the57th Annual Grammy Awards.[35] The album has since been certified platinum.
Cage the Elephant released their fourth album,Tell Me I'm Pretty, on December 18, 2015, with Dan Auerbach, a member ofThe Black Keys, as the producer.[36] The band said they "just wanted to experiment with sounds. While you start experimenting with sound and you get out there a little bit, away from the norm, I think people will see that as psychedelic."[37] This project reached farther than their usual work, with most of the songs off the album featuring a more vintage 1960s sound. The album's first single, "Mess Around", was first performed by the band on October 29, 2015.[38] The band posted on Twitter stating that the song was inspired by the band Outkast and The Black Keys.[38] The band then released their second single from the album, "Trouble".[39] To promote the album, "Too Late To Say Goodbye" was put out to the public before the band released the full album.[40]Trouble andMess Around would both peak at number 1 position on the alternative airplay charts.[8]
The woman pictured on the cover of the album is model Rachel Sykes.[41] In an interview, lead singer Matt Shultz said "When I looked at her, she was immediately beautiful to the eye but also there was some sense that she'd lived some real life in a way that I could relate to..."[41] He then continued to say that she looked as if she had been "touched" and he was delighted to see how she acted in real life, when she was not being photographed or on camera. The album debuted at number 26 on the Billboard 200 and receivedpositive reception from critics and fans alike. Andrew Harrison writing forDrowned in sound stated"Tell Me I'm Pretty sits very much in the same league asMelophobia – a confident, eclectic rock record with heaps of personality and charm. It smacks of a band who, having finally found their identity, are starting to explore new territory with remarkable confidence."[42]
In January 2016 the band appeared onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and performed "Mess Around".[43] On February 7, 2016, the band opened forMetallica at a Super Bowl eve concert in atAT&T Park.[44] They then joined Foals andSilversun Pickups on the "Spring Rock AF 2016" Tour.[45] They then went on their own summer headlining tour in support ofTell Me I'm Pretty withPortugal. The Man providing support.[46]
Tell Me I'm Pretty wonBest Rock Album at the59th Annual Grammy Awards on February 12, 2017, marking the band's first Grammy win.[4] The album has also been certified gold by the RIAA.
On July 28, 2017, the band released a live album titledUnpeeled. It was recorded while band was on tour during their "live and unpeeled" shows in Los Angeles, Washington DC, Nashville and Knoxville. The album included 18 curated songs from past albums and 3 cover songs. The band described the acoustic covers accompanied with a string section as "refreshing" and a "change in pace".[47] It received high reviews from music critics.[48]
On November 26, 2018, the band announced on Twitter that their new album was "Done. Mixed. Mastered."[49] On January 7, 2019, they released a sample of a song titled "Ready to Let Go" on their Instagram story.[citation needed] On January 31, the band officially released "Ready to Let Go", the first single off their new album.Social Cues was heavily influenced by lead singer Matt Shultz's divorce from his wife, Juliette Buchs, which occurred in the years leading up to the album's 2019 release. Shultz has stated that the difficult divorce, combined with the deaths of friends, resulted in one of the band's darkest and most personal records.[50][51] His brother Brad added "We wanted to explore darker textures and cinematic elements," callingSocial Cues "a natural evolution" that still retained the band's core energy."[52] The album debuted at number 21 on the Billboard 200 and charted in the top 100 in 10+ other countries. The album was met with positive reception, David Fricke writing forRolling Stone stated "One of most promising rock bands, Cage the Elephant's singer Matt Shultz's life fell apart — and they made their best album yet."[53]Skin and Bones,Ready To Let Go andSocial Cues would all reach number 1 of the alternative charts.[8]
On February 11, 2019, Cage the Elephant announced a summer 2019 co-headlining tour withBeck, who is featured on theSocial Cues track "Night Running."[54] It was also featured in the soundtrack to thePlayStation 4 gameMLB The Show 19.[55] The albumSocial Cues was released on April 19, 2019, via RCA Records.[2] A Matt Shultz directed music video for "Ready to Let Go" was released on January 31 as well.[56] On September 23, Cage the Elephant announced tour dates in early 2020 in the UK and Europe. Supporting acts arePost Animal for the UK leg andSWMRS for the remainder of the European tour. On October 24, Cage the Elephant released a music video for the song "Social Cues" from their albumSocial Cues. It was shot atAdult Swim'sFishCenter Live in Atlanta, Georgia with additional direction from Matt Shultz.[57][58]
For the rest of 2019 they went on their "Night running tour" alongsideBeck.[59]
In 2020,Social Cues won the band's secondGrammy Award for Best Rock Album at the62nd Annual Grammy Awards.[4] The band contributed a cover of the Metallica song "The Unforgiven" to the charity tribute albumThe Metallica Blacklist, released in September 2021.[60] they also played a show alongside Metallica and Greta Van Fleet that same year.[61] In December 2021 Cage the Elephant released limited edition T-shirts, with all the proceeds going to support tornado victims and relief in Kentucky.[62]
In 2022 Cage the Elephant hardly toured, this was a result of frontman Matt Shultz experiencing a severe mental health crisis triggered by an adverse reaction to prescribedADHD medication, which led toparanoiddelusions and a break from reality.[63] This ultimately resulted in an event on January 5, 2023, where Shultz was arrested in New York on charges of felony firearm possession. Shultz was staying atThe Bowery Hotel in Manhattan, where a hotel employee reportedly saw him carrying afirearm into the bathroom and called9-1-1.[64][65][66] In June, he made a plea deal, avoiding jail time, as well as allowing him to wipe the charges from his record should he "stay clean for one year."[67]
Following Shultz's arrest he was then able to go into recovery after which he reunited with the band and they continued to work on the album that they had started working on years prior.[63] Then following five years without releasing new music, the band released the single "Neon Pill" on January 19, 2024. It was produced withJohn Hill and recorded atSonic Ranch inTornillo, Texas[68] and was followed by the single "Good Time" on April 4, 2024. They then debuted the third single "Rainbow" onJimmy Kimmel Live! on May 8.[69] Their sixth studio albumof the same name as the former was then released on May 17, 2024.[70] Guitarist Brad Shultz commented on the album stating "Every record has its journey and this was the longest amount of time it took us to make a record, but it was meant to be what it was." He also stated that the recording process "had a lot of starts and stops but when we actually started making the record, it was maybe a month and we were done."[71] The lyrics featured onNeon Pill explore Shultz experience during his psychosis and recovery.[72] The album debuted at number 57 on the Billboard 200 and was met with generally positive reviews, Stephen Thomas fromAllMusic gave the album a positive review stating "The album may have been written during a dark night of the soul but it was recorded with precision and concentration ultimately obscuring the pain at the point of the origin."[73] The songMetaverse was featured in the soundtrack ofNHL 25.[74]
Once again the band had 3 songs from the album reach number 1 on the alternative airplay chartsNeon Pill,Metaverse andRainbow. Resulting in them tying bothGreen Day andLinkin Park for second most Alternative airplay number 1s.[75]
The band then went on tour for the first time in nearly 2 years with the "Neon Pill tour" in support of the album alongsideYoung the Giant andBakar. They also made an appearanceThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon playing their song "Rainbow".[76]
In late 2024 the band's songCigarette Daydreams became their first song to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify.[77] On October 10, 2024,CBS Mornings aired a segment featuring Matt and Brad where Matt opened up about his psychosis.[77]
Neon Pill was nominated forBest Alternative Music Performance at the67th Annual Grammy Awards in 2025.[4]
From late August to early September 2025 Cage The Elephant opened for all stops of the North American leg of theOasis Live '25 reunion tour.[78][79] Then the following month they embarked on their own healing tour alongside hey, nothing.[80]
Current members
Former members
During their early years the band was influenced by classic rock and folk bands such asThe Rolling Stones,Jimi Hendrix andThe Beatles. But later on during the band's time in London, their exposure to bands such asNirvana,Foals andGang of Four helped shape their early alt rock and punk sound. Lead singer Matt Shultz cites bands such as thePixies as influential on his vocal style.[81]
Throughout the band's tenure they have been known for their evolving sound and ability to fuse genres together. Starting out with their debut self titled album that had more of a garage rock sound. But with every new album that came out after the band has intentionally taken a different direction in sound and style.[82][83] This was best seen in the band's third studio albumMelophobia, in which the band moved beyond their usual garage rock and funky blues rock sound. They incorporated numerous sounds and instruments, which resulted in a more dark and mellow sound along with elements of psychedelic rock while still keeping some of theblues style seen in their first two albums. With a strong vocal performance by Shultz, it all came together to completely reinvent the band's sound.[84][85] On top of this, the band values immediacy where they often forego over polished production resulting in a more emotional impact. This was exemplified in the band's fourth studio albumTell Me I'm Pretty, where they worked alongside Dan Auerbach, who pushed the band to embrace first takes and avoid overthinking.[86]
Some of the themes the band covered in their first two albums had to do with not selling out. The albumThank You, Happy Birthday made this point with tracks like "Sell Yourself" and "Shake Me Down". This attitude largely lent to the songs' poignant sound and connected them with an audience that is more concerned with principle than catchiness.[87] Many of the band's songs especially from their more recent albums are rooted in experiences of the lead singer Matt Shultz.[88] This is most prominently seen in their fifth studio albumSocial Cues, which was written in the aftermath of his divorce. The album channeled Shultz'sgrief and emotional fragmentation into lyrics exploring identity, melancholy, isolation and disconnection.[89] The death of close friends and family, including Matt and Brad's cousin and Brad's father-in-law, deeply influenced not only the lyrics but also the instrumentation of the record.[90] Throughout the album they also critique the superficiality and pressures that come with fame, while also showing how it can lead to destructive behavior and distort one's perception of success.[91] The band's most recent albumNeon Pill touches upon mental health problems, addiction and resilience, including Shultz's own personal battle of trying to find happiness while struggling with his mental health problems alongside his arrest.[92]
The band is also known to give energetic and entertaining live performances exemplified by frontman Matt Shultz's showmanship, with him dancing around the stage likeMick Jagger and diving into the crowd.[93][94]
Studio albums
Grammy Awards
| Year | Work/nominee | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Melophobia | Best Alternative Music Album | Nominated |
| 2017 | Tell Me I'm Pretty | Best Rock Album | Won |
| 2020 | Social Cues | Best Rock Album | Won |
| 2025 | “Neon Pill” | Best Alternative Music Performance | Nominated |
iHeart Radio music awards
| Year | Work/nominee | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | "Cigarette Daydreams" | Alternative Rock Song of the Year | Nominated |
| 2017 | Cage the Elephant | Alternative Rock Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| “Trouble” | Alternative Rock Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2020 | Cage the Elephant | Alternative Rock Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| “Ready to Let Go” | Alternative Rock Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2021 | Cage the Elephant | Alternative Rock Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| 2025 | Cage the Elephant | Alternative Rock Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| “Neon Pill” | Alternative Rock Song of the Year | Nominated |
MTV Video Music Awards
| Year | Work/nominee | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | “Shake Me Down” | Best Rock Video | Nominated |
Teens choice awards
| Year | Work/nominee | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | “Ready to Let Go” | Choice Rock/Alternative Song | Nominated |
| Cage the Elephant | Choice Rock Artist | Nominated |
Rolling Stone reader's poll
| Year | Work/nominee | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Cage the Elephant | Best New Artist | Won |
Source[95]
Source[96]
The whole time he was saying, 'You have to cage the elephant, you have to cage the elephant.' Afterwards, I was like, 'We gotta name the band that.'
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of October 2025 (link)
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