Photo Credit: Owen Ela
Rock band Cage The Elephant marked a return and a new page in their history today with their latest single in two years, “Beaches In Tennessee.” The new track not only comes after a long period of wait from fans, but also marks the start of the band’s latest chapter with their signing to Big Loud Rock. A video for “Beaches In Tennessee” can be found on the band’s YouTube channel.
The song opens with a steady guitar riff and nostalgically low-quality camera footage. Built around the guitar and building up to a catchy repetitive chorus, the song was made by the band alongside producers Justin Raisen and SADPONY. “I liked several different albums Justin had worked on, including Kim Gordon and Yves Tumor,” said guitarist and founding bandmate Brad Schultz. “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.”
Singer Matt Schultz shared more on the meaning behind the song. “It’s no secret that I went through a mental health crisis a few years back;” he said, “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’. 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.”
“It’s definitely a new chapter,” he continued. “We always try to write from life experience. Whatever we’re going through will undoubtedly make its way into the music.” While there is no word just yet on a new album, fans are more than likely to hear more of the new sound from Cage the Elephant soon.
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