Cage the Elephant Signs With Big Loud Rock
The group has also released the new song "Beaches in Tennessee."
Black News 
Grammy Award-winning band Cage the Elephant has inked a label deal with Big Loud Rock, Billboard can reveal.
The group has also released the new single “Beaches in Tennessee,” marking the band’s first new music in two years. Cage the Elephant includes Matt Shultz on vocals, Brad Shultz on rhythm guitar, Nick Bockrath on lead guitar, Matthan Minster on keyboards/guitar/backing vocals, Daniel Tichenor on bass and Jared Champion on drums.
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Big Loud Rock, the rock/alternative imprint of Big Loud Records, has a roster that also includes Dexter and the Moonrocks, Blame My Youth and Common People.
“What Cage The Elephant has accomplished over the last twenty years speaks for itself, and what excites me most is that they’re nowhere near finished,” Big Loud co-founder and Big Loud Rock president Joey Moi said in a statement. “They’re still taking risks, pushing themselves creatively, and finding new ways to connect with fans. Seeing that renewed energy and perspective carry into this next chapter is incredibly exciting. Welcoming a band of this caliber to Big Loud Rock, alongside the incredible team at Q Prime, is a huge moment for us. We couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.”
“It’s definitely a new chapter,” Cage the Elephant’s Matt Shultz added. “We always try to write from life experience. Whatever we’re going through will undoubtedly make its way into the music. Even when going through difficult seasons, life can still prove to have no shortage of light memories. I’ve learned we don’t realize the things that we’re capable of making it through until we actually face them. Having fond memories during difficult times, is a blessing to say the least — which some of these songs do for certain. Navigating troubled waters many times reminds us how extraordinary life truly is. Life’s beautiful. It takes peaks and valleys to illustrate that beauty.”
The Kentucky-formed band is known for a steady string of hits including “Metaverse,” “Neon Pill,” “Come A Little Closer” and “Shake Me Down.” The group’s Grammy wins include two trophies for best rock album, for 2015’s Tell Me I’m Pretty and 2019’s Social Cues. They’ve earned 13 No. 1 hits on Billboard‘s Alternative Airplay chart.
Following the band’s run as special guests on Oasis Live ’25, it headed directly back into the studio. The group created its new song, “Beaches in Tennessee,” with producers Justin Raisen and SADPONY (Jeremiah Raisen).
“I liked several different albums Justin had worked on, including Kim Gordon and Yves Tumor,” says the group’s Brad Shultz. “For producers, he was at the top of my list. I flew out to L.A. and hung out with him in the studio one night. The energy was crazy. It was like two wool socks in a dryer. He brought in Jeremiah. There’s a common thread between them, but they make two different types of art. They have their own unique views and ways of doing things, so it’s been pretty cool to just jump between those two worlds. It’s made a pretty unique mix in what we’re doing. I knew they were the guys.”
“Beaches in Tennessee” creatively addresses a time when Cage The Elephant’s Matt Shultz weathered mental health struggles a few years ago. He said in a statement, “It’s no secret that I went through a mental health crisis a few years back; this song for me symbolizes me finally being able to move past it. I was hospitalized for nearly three months, the song addresses it by creating a fictionalized account of it. It was my attempt at reclaiming the ability to write about something serious that happened in my life, from a place of genuine experience.
“There’s a saying, ‘There’s nothing better than a poor Christmas,'” he continued. “It’s because you learn to make the most of what you have and appreciate it. Having gone through what I did, I’m grateful to have the perspective that I have now. The experience gave me a greater appreciation for my life when I came out on the other side. I’m thankful for where I’m at now in this new chapter. As a band, we were able to reclaim the ability to write a song rooted in a difficult and turbulent real-life event, but do it in a lighthearted way. I hope it helps someone else the way it helped me.”
“Musically, we always want to reinvent Cage The Elephant,” Brad Shultz said. “We’ve discovered a whole new side to our band, how we look at things, and how we make art. You’re growing constantly as an artist, and I think we’ve tapped into that growth. I do feel like we’re making the best music we’ve ever made. If anything, it’s definitely the most inspired.”
