I remember standing inside a music venue in New York City, catching a set of this band unknown to me, but then leaving frantically searching through all their information. They were the opener of one of my favorite bands, and rocked harder than any show I saw that year. The crowd was stunned by the magnificent force that was Cage The Elephant. And over the past few years, they’ve shared the stage with huge names—but all the while remained grounded, while becoming one of the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll bands of our generation.
In a recent interview with The Aquarian Weekly, lead singer Matt Shultz tells all on what their new album is all about. Tell Me I’m Pretty is the latest craft of Matt, with Brad Shultz, Daniel Tichenor, and Jared Champion. Kentucky bred, the dudes will be embarking on a tour of Europe in 2016. In the meantime, they have a few new things to share with you…
The new album is what Matt described as “Not minimalistic, but classic.” In achieving the completion of their fourth installment, came a transparent sound. “The more we would put in, the more I hated it. I have deep-seeded issues,” Matt continued. The core of the new release was that there is none—it’s a gritty, raw, and classic sound. And adding to the chaotic allure is Dan Auerbach, producer and guitarist on board, as well as a fellow friend. Their newest released single, “Too Late To Say Goodbye,” hugs a gritty-soaked guitar riff and a continuing, dreamy spell.
The band has been keeping up with their site, posting webisodes as a look inside their sessions. Along with these previews, they’ve also found another awesome way to stay connected with fans. The “Tell Me I’m Pretty: Artwork Project” was premiered for fans to relate to the new verses, in a visual way. Taken from Cage The Elephant’s website, “We’ve asked our favorite artists to create artwork based solely on lyrics from the new album Tell Me I’m Pretty and without hearing the music itself. Over the coming weeks, we will share their artwork and want you to create your own pieces.”
“I wanted to encourage creativity,” Matt explained. “Listeners needed an opportunity to reach out and push themselves. That’s what [Cage The Elephant] wants to achieve.” What a way for the mates to stay grounded and relate to their fans. Through their Tumblr, every fan can submit their artwork. You can check out some postings on their official Instagram account, as well. Through all their social network portals, the band is giving back to the “Cage community”— using it as platforms for artistic expression. Tying it up with their music is just another way for them to communicate with listeners.
It goes to show that technology isn’t all that bad, when it comes to the music industry. “Artists are afraid of streaming music. However, musicians shouldn’t be stripped of their hard work,” Matt claimed. He still remembers how it was playing in a band in high school, and looks back to the times of his musical origins. When I exclaimed that I felt there was too much focus on mainstream music culture now, and a spiral down in the rock scene, Matt didn’t hesitate to correct me. “I’m excited for music. I feel that there was always monetary and expressive gain. You just gotta dig deeper, like we always have…”
Cage The Elephant’s new album, Tell Me I’m Pretty, is out December 18. For future tour dates and further information, visit their website at cagethelephant.com.
