Matt Shultz
Matthew Ray Shultz (born October 23, 1983) is an American musician recognized as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the alternative rock band Cage the Elephant.[1] Formed in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 2006 by Shultz and his brother Brad, the band rose to prominence with their self-titled debut album in 2008, featuring the hit single "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked," which achieved multi-platinum status and widespread radio play.[2] Cage the Elephant has since released multiple critically acclaimed albums, earning two Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album—for Tell Me I'm Pretty in 2017 and Social Cues in 2020—along with nominations in other categories, solidifying their influence in modern rock music.[3] Shultz's dynamic stage presence and introspective lyrics, often drawing from personal hardships including a challenging upbringing, have defined the band's energetic sound and thematic depth.[4] In 2023, Shultz faced legal consequences after his arrest in New York for criminal possession of loaded firearms during a period of medication-induced psychosis, to which he pleaded guilty under a no-jail plea deal that facilitated mental health treatment he later described as pivotal to his recovery.[5][6][7]Early life
Childhood and family background
Matthew Ray Shultz was born on October 23, 1983, in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he was raised alongside his older brother, Brad Shultz, born May 15, 1982.[8] The brothers grew up in a working-class family; their father, Donald Bradley Shultz Sr., worked as a long-distance truck driver and was a devoted amateur musician whose performances around the home inspired Matt and Brad's early interest in music.[9][10] Their parents divorced while the brothers were still children, after which their mother began dating the individual who later became Matt Shultz's manager.[10] The family maintained a religious orientation characteristic of their Kentucky upbringing, with the brothers later describing themselves as "God-fearing Kentucky boys."[11] Shultz and his brother faced bullying at school during their youth, contributing to a challenging social environment amid their parents' separation.[10]Move to Kentucky and initial musical interests
Shultz was born on October 23, 1983, in Marietta, Ohio, to parents who worked as traveling Christian ministers, leading to frequent relocations during his early years.[12] The family eventually settled in Bowling Green, Kentucky, when Shultz was young, residing in a trailer park in a rural area outside the town amid financial hardships.[12] In Bowling Green, Shultz and his younger brother Brad shared a small apartment and bedroom, fostering a tight sibling relationship that influenced their creative pursuits.[13] The brothers developed intense musical obsessions, drawing from an eclectic mix encountered during family travels as well as local inspirations.[12] Shultz's initial interests centered on punk rock, Nuggets-era garage rock, and psychedelic blues, with Jimi Hendrix serving as a major figure through repeated listening.[13] This period emphasized instinctive music-making and passion-driven creation between the siblings, laying groundwork for their later collaborative work despite family tensions over their band involvement.[13]Career
Formation of Cage the Elephant and early releases
Cage the Elephant was formed in 2006 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, by brothers Matt Shultz (lead vocals) and Brad Shultz (rhythm guitar), alongside childhood friends Jared Champion (drums), Lincoln Parish (lead guitar), and Daniel Tichenor (bass).[2][14] The group's name originated from an obscure tale Matt Shultz encountered about a man attempting to cage an elephant, symbolizing futile control over wild energy, which resonated with their raw, energetic sound influenced by punk, garage rock, and alternative styles.[15] Prior to Cage the Elephant's official start, Shultz, Champion, and Brad Shultz had played together in a high school band called Perfect Confusion, which self-released a self-titled EP in 2005 featuring early compositions that foreshadowed the group's later direction.[2] After forming Cage the Elephant, the band self-produced demos and performed locally, building buzz through grassroots efforts before attracting international attention; in 2008, they relocated to London to secure a recording deal with Relentless Records.[14][2] The band's early releases centered on their self-titled debut album, produced by Jay Joyce and recorded in Nashville, Tennessee.[16] Released on June 23, 2008, in the United Kingdom via Relentless Records, the album included 11 tracks such as "In One Ear," "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked," and "Back Against the Wall," blending gritty riffs, syncopated rhythms, and Shultz's distinctive, yelping vocals.[16][17] It debuted modestly but gained traction with the lead single "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked," which peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart and earned platinum certification in the US for over 1 million digital sales.[16] In the United States, the album was released on April 21, 2009, through Jive Records (a Sony BMG imprint), reaching number 59 on the Billboard 200 and achieving gold status by 2010 with sales exceeding 500,000 copies.[16] Additional singles like "Free Love/Back Against the Wall" (a double A-side) further propelled radio play, establishing the band in the alternative rock scene without prior EPs under the Cage name, though their pre-debut demos circulated informally among fans.[2][16] The album's success stemmed from its unpolished authenticity, contrasting polished contemporaries, and led to tours supporting acts like Foals and early festival appearances.[2]Breakthrough albums and mainstream success (2008–2013)
Cage the Elephant's self-titled debut album, released on June 23, 2008, in Europe and March 24, 2009, in the United States, marked the band's entry into the music industry with raw, garage rock energy led by Matt Shultz's dynamic vocals and stage presence. The lead single, "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked," released June 16, 2008, achieved #3 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, #32 on the UK Singles Chart, and later #78 on the Billboard Hot 100 upon U.S. re-release, driving initial buzz through its gritty narrative and inclusion in media like video games and advertisements.[18][19] By late 2010, the album had sold 375,000 copies in the U.S., reflecting steady growth amid supporting tours with acts like Silversun Pickups.[20] The band's live performances, featuring Shultz's acrobatic and intense delivery, built a grassroots following during 2008–2009 U.S. and European tours, including festival slots that amplified their alternative rock appeal without major label hype initially.[21] This period solidified Cage the Elephant's reputation for high-energy shows, with Shultz often climbing rigging or engaging crowds directly, contributing to sold-out headline dates by 2010. Thank You, Happy Birthday, the follow-up album released January 11, 2011, and produced by Jay Joyce, propelled the band to mainstream visibility by debuting at #2 on the Billboard 200 with 39,000 first-week U.S. sales.[22] The single "Shake Me Down" peaked at #78 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on Alternative Songs, earning significant radio airplay and cementing Shultz's role as a charismatic frontman through its introspective lyrics and driving rhythm.[18] Extensive touring, including arena supports and headlining festivals, followed, expanding their audience as the album's eclectic tracks blended psychedelia with punk influences, achieving over 500,000 global sales by mid-decade.[23] This era established Cage the Elephant as a staple in alternative rock, with Shultz's songwriting and performances central to their crossover from indie obscurity to chart contention.Mid-career evolution and challenges (2015–2019)
Cage the Elephant's fourth studio album, Tell Me I'm Pretty, released on December 18, 2015, represented a stylistic evolution toward psychedelic rock and blues elements, produced by Dan Auerbach at Easy Eye Sound in Nashville during spring 2015.[24] The record departed from the raw garage rock of prior works like Melophobia (2013), incorporating warmer, groove-oriented tracks such as "Mess Around" and "Cry Baby," which showcased Shultz's increasingly introspective lyrics amid Auerbach's analog production techniques.[25] Critically, it earned a 71/100 aggregate score, praised for its matured sonic palette while maintaining the band's energetic core.[25] Post-release, the band embarked on extensive touring, including headline shows and festival appearances, sustaining their mainstream presence built from earlier successes. However, this period marked the onset of significant personal challenges for Shultz, including the dissolution of his marriage to model Juliette Buchs around 2018 after approximately seven years together.[4] [26] Shultz also grappled with the suicides of multiple close friends, contributing to profound grief that permeated his worldview and creative output.[27] These events fostered a darker, more vulnerable lyrical approach, evident in the band's deliberate four-year gap before their next release, as Shultz processed isolation and emotional depth.[28] Culminating in Social Cues, released April 19, 2019, the album channeled these struggles into themes of relational breakdown, loss, and social disconnection, with Shultz confronting "a depth of potential evil" observed in personal turmoil.[28] Tracks like "Ready to Let Go" directly reflected divorce-induced reflection, while the overall sound blended indie rock with garage influences, signaling a mid-career pivot toward cathartic introspection over youthful exuberance.[27] Despite commercial viability—debuting at number two on the Billboard 200—the record underscored the band's navigation of fame's psychological toll, with Shultz's experiences highlighting the causal links between personal adversity and artistic maturation.[29]Recovery, Neon Pill, and recent activities (2020–present)
In early 2020, Matt Shultz entered a period of prolonged psychosis lasting approximately three years, which he attributed to side effects from medications he had been prescribed.[30] This episode intensified personal and professional challenges for Shultz and Cage the Elephant, delaying new music production until his recovery.[31] Shultz's 2023 arrest on weapons charges in New York prompted immediate hospitalization for two months, followed by six months of outpatient therapy, marking the turning point in his mental health recovery.[31] He has described the arrest as ultimately life-saving, crediting it with halting his detachment from reality and enabling sobriety and stability.[6] By 2024, Shultz reported full recovery, channeling the experience into creative output and emphasizing music's role in his healing process.[32] Cage the Elephant announced their sixth studio album, Neon Pill, on February 29, 2024, with a release date of May 17, 2024, via RCA Records.[33] The title track served as the lead single, released January 19, 2024, followed by additional singles like "Rainbow" and "Out Loud," which reflected themes of resilience and introspection drawn from Shultz's recent ordeals.[34] Produced by the band alongside Jacknife Lee, the 38-minute album blended indie pop, post-punk revival, and pop rock elements, marking a return to energetic, guitar-driven songwriting after the hiatus.[35] Shultz noted that the record's creation involved confronting "fake realities" from his psychosis, fostering a renewed focus on authentic lyrical expression.[36] Post-Neon Pill, Cage the Elephant launched an extensive Neon Pill Tour in 2024, extending into 2025 with arena and festival dates across North America.[37] Highlights included opening slots for Oasis's 2025 reunion tour, where Shultz praised the Gallagher brothers' performances for reigniting his stage energy.[38] The band delivered high-energy sets at venues like 713 Music Hall in Houston on October 7, 2025, and Bourbon & Beyond festival in Louisville on September 11, 2025, with Shultz engaging fans through crowd interaction and acrobatic stage antics.[39] [40] Upcoming shows through late 2025 include performances at Ovation Hall in Atlantic City on October 24, The Met in Philadelphia on October 25, and The Anthem in Washington, D.C., on October 26, alongside a January 2026 appearance at iHeartRadio's Alter Ego festival.[37] Shultz's recovered vitality has been evident in these live outings, characterized by frenetic pacing and direct audience connection, signaling the band's sustained momentum.[41]Artistic pursuits
Visual art and creative expressions
Matt Shultz has pursued visual art as a personal creative outlet, particularly painting, which he has described as a therapeutic and expressive practice. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he created a portrait of his wife, noting it as "a really beautiful thing for me to do" amid broader personal challenges.[30] Shultz has also incorporated visual artistry into live performance contexts, including a live painting session at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, where he contributed to interactive installations. In 2018, he curated artistic elements for the festival's "Happy Roo Day!" barn experience, featuring custom cartoons, interactive art pieces, and surprise musical elements designed to foster communal creativity.[42] Beyond personal creation, Shultz has collaborated on events blending visual and performative arts. In August 2019, he co-hosted an art party in Brooklyn's Greenpoint neighborhood with musician Beck and visual artist Danny Cole, combining exhibitions, food, and live performances to celebrate interdisciplinary expression.[43] His appreciation for visual art influences his personal style, as evidenced by his 2016 discussion of inspirational paintings and vintage aesthetics that shape his aesthetic worldview.[44]Personal life
Relationships and family
Shultz grew up in a challenging family environment following his parents' divorce during his adolescence, after which his mother dated his high school football coach, an event that contributed to his decision to abandon the sport and pursue music instead. He maintains a close relationship with his older brother, Brad Shultz, the rhythm guitarist in Cage the Elephant, with whom he navigated a turbulent childhood marked by poverty and instability. Their father died in 2020, amid Shultz's own personal struggles.[4][45] In 2014, Shultz married French actress and model Juliette Buchs in a civil ceremony in Bowling Green, Kentucky, followed by a celebratory event that August. The marriage lasted four years, ending in divorce in 2018; Shultz has described the dissolution as painful despite mutual affection, with the realization occurring during a trip to Pompeii, Italy, which inspired the Cage the Elephant song "Ready to Let Go" from the album Social Cues.[26][28][46] Shultz wed Kentucky actress, dancer, and musician Eva Ross in early February 2020. The pair separated amid Shultz's extended psychosis episode from 2020 to 2023, during which paranoia strained their relationship, but they remarried following his recovery and treatment.[47][48][9][36]Mental health experiences and recovery
In 2020, Shultz experienced a psychotic break triggered by medications prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), leading to a prolonged state of psychosis that lasted approximately three years.[9] [30] He described symptoms including constant paranoia, delusions of persecution, and overwhelming fear, which isolated him progressively and made him believe the medications were beneficial despite their adverse effects.[31] [36] This condition manifested in erratic behavior, such as carrying loaded firearms for perceived self-defense against imagined threats, culminating in his arrest on January 12, 2023, in New York City for criminal possession of a weapon.[6] Following the arrest, Shultz was hospitalized, where medical evaluation revealed the psychosis as a severe reaction to the ADHD medications, prompting their discontinuation.[30] He has stated that the intervention effectively ended the episode, describing the arrest as an event that "saved my life" by forcing awareness and treatment of the underlying crisis.[6] By mid-2024, Shultz reported full recovery, attributing his stabilization to sobriety, cessation of the problematic drugs, and a renewed perspective on life, which influenced the thematic content of Cage the Elephant's 2024 album Neon Pill.[32] [36]Controversies
2023 arrest and legal proceedings
On January 5, 2023, Matt Shultz, lead vocalist of Cage the Elephant, was arrested at the Bowery Hotel in Manhattan, New York City, after hotel staff discovered two loaded handguns—a .380-caliber pistol and a .22-caliber revolver—in his room during a search prompted by concerns over his behavior.[49][50] Shultz lacked a permit to possess the firearms in New York, leading to charges of two felony counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.[49][51] Shultz was released on $10,000 bail the following day.[52] Authorities noted additional items in the room, including Polaroid photographs of the guns and handwritten notes expressing intentions to protect himself from perceived threats, which Shultz later attributed to delusional thinking amid a prolonged psychotic episode induced by medication side effects.[53][5] On June 2, 2023, Shultz entered a plea deal in Manhattan Supreme Court before Justice Cori Weston, pleading guilty to three counts: two felonies for attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and one misdemeanor for attempted criminal possession in the third degree.[51][53][54] Under the agreement, he received no jail time and one year of conditional discharge; successful completion allows withdrawal of the felony pleas, leaving only the misdemeanor on record, provided he avoids further violations.[55][53] Court proceedings acknowledged the role of Shultz's mental health crisis, with findings that the incident stemmed from psychotic delusions rather than intent to harm others, facilitating the lenient resolution and subsequent treatment.[56][5] Shultz has described the arrest as a pivotal intervention that prompted effective psychiatric care, averting further deterioration.[5] No additional legal actions related to this incident have been reported as of 2024.[52]Musical style and influences
Key influences
Shultz has identified music from the 1950s and 1960s as foundational to Cage the Elephant's sound, citing acts such as the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Tommy James and the Shondells, Donovan, The Zombies, The Turtles, Herman’s Hermits, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Jimi Hendrix.[57] These influences reflect a blend of rock, folk, and psychedelia that informed the band's early garage rock energy and lyrical introspection.[57] Punk, post-punk, and alternative rock also shaped his style, with Shultz naming David Bowie, Talking Heads, The Germs, Dead Kennedys, Ramones, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Pixies, and Neil Young as key inspirations.[57] The Pixies, in particular, impacted his vocal delivery, emphasizing raw emotion and dynamic shifts.[57] In later reflections, Shultz highlighted the Beatles' rigorous performance history in Hamburg—covering artists like Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and B.B. King—as a model for creative development, while crediting Beck for expanding his musical palette through collaboration and songwriting on the 2019 album Social Cues.[58] He has described these as part of a broader "playlist generation" incorporating diverse contemporary figures like Kendrick Lamar, Nick Cave, and Kanye West.[58]Performance style and lyrical themes
Matt Shultz's performance style as Cage the Elephant's frontman emphasizes high-energy theatricality and audience interaction, marked by stage diving, crowd surfing, and expressive physicality that convey raw emotion.[45] His unpredictable presence often includes costumes such as masks and spandex, enhancing the band's frenetic live sets that prioritize dynamic engagement over scripted routines.[45] This approach draws from rock traditions, fostering a visceral connection with crowds through emotive vocals and improvisational movements.[59] Shultz's lyrics recurrently probe personal and psychological depths, evolving toward introspective examinations of mental health, isolation, and recovery. In Neon Pill (2024), themes of medication-induced psychosis, dissociative states, and post-recovery gratitude—such as in "Rainbow," inspired by spousal support—reflect his lived experiences of fragility and metamorphosis.[32] Earlier albums like Social Cues (2019) navigate love's dualities, divorce's aftermath, and human remorse, prioritizing emotional authenticity over literal narrative.[45] Across works, songwriting strips back to honest meditations on loneliness, loss, and resilience, informed by influences like Tom Petty's emphasis on simplicity.[60]Recognition and legacy
Awards and chart achievements
Cage the Elephant, led by vocalist Matt Shultz, has earned two Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album: Tell Me I'm Pretty at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards on February 12, 2017, and Social Cues at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards on January 26, 2020.[3] [61] The band received a nomination for Best Alternative Music Performance for the single "Neon Pill" at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards announced in November 2024.[3] Additional nominations include Best Alternative Music Album for Melophobia in 2015 and Best Rock Album for Social Cues in 2020, alongside an iHeartRadio Music Award nomination for Alternative Rock Artist of the Year in 2021.[62] The band's chart success includes 13 number-one singles on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart as of April 2025, with "Metaverse" marking the latest atop the tally and tying Cage the Elephant for the second-most leaders in the chart's history.[63] [64] Earlier hits like "Rainbow" reached number one on Adult Alternative Airplay in August 2024, contributing to nine number-one Alternative Airplay singles by 2019.[65] [66]| Album/Single | Chart | Peak Position | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cage the Elephant (debut album) | Billboard 200 | 59 | 2009[18] |
| Melophobia | Billboard 200 | 15 | 2013[18] |
| "Come a Little Closer" | Alternative Airplay | 1 | 2014[65] |
| "Ready to Let Go" | Alternative Airplay | 1 | 2019[65] |