Cage The Elephant released their new single “Beaches In Tennessee” today, July 10, 2026, marking the multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning band’s first new music in two years and the beginning of their next chapter with Big Loud Rock.
“It’s definitely a new chapter,” Matt Shultz shares.
“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 band made the song with producers Justin Raisen and SADPONY (Jeremiah Raisen), whose collective credits include Charli xcx, SZA, Kim Gordon, Lil Yachty, Yves Tumor, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
The collaboration brought together two pairs of brothers, with Cage The Elephant’s Matt and Brad Shultz working alongside Justin and Jeremiah Raisen from the earliest stages of the song’s creation.
Rather than overbuild the track, the band leaned into the energy in the room and kept the recording direct.
“I liked several different albums Justin had worked on, including Kim Gordon and Yves Tumor,” says 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.”
Built around Brad’s guitar part, “Beaches In Tennessee” keeps the production lean and immediate. The track moves with a shuffling rhythm, loose bassline, and a refrain that turns the song’s central plea into a hook. “Somebody take me home. I’m not the enemy. I’m going back to those beaches in Tennessee.”
“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,” says Matt.
“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.”
“Beaches In Tennessee”” arrives after a defining period for Cage The Elephant, who returned from their run as special guests on Oasis Live ’25 and went straight back into the studio. More than twenty years into their career, the band is still finding new urgency in the creative process and new ways to push the project forward.
“The Oasis tour really reignited our fire to dream and continue to dream,” says Matt Shultz.
“I think we realized there’s still room to evolve and push ourselves, especially in the live realm. That tour added to our overall passion and desire to see this thing through. When it was over, we decided not to take a break. We pretty much went straight into the studio to start making music.”
Since forming in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 2006, Cage The Elephant have built one of this generation’s premier rock catalogs, buoyed by uncompromising creativity and wildly cathartic performances.
To date, they have earned dozens of Gold, Platinum, and Multi-Platinum certifications, tallied 6 billion streams and counting, and notched thirteen No. 1 records on Alternative Radio and seven No. 1 records on Triple A Radio.
They were nominated for their first GRAMMY® Award with Melophobia [2013] and later won Best Rock Album for back-to-back releases Tell Me I’m Pretty [2015] and Social Cues [2019], followed by another nomination in the Alternative category for Neon Pill [2024].
“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 President of Big Loud Rock Joey Moi says.
“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.”
The Kentucky-bred six-piece instinctually lean on their enduring bond as both musicians and friends to get through anything and everything.
Cage The Elephant is 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.
“Musically, we always want to reinvent Cage The Elephant,” says Brad.
“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.”
With “Beaches In Tennessee,” Cage The Elephant open their next era with the urgency of a band that has been tested, recharged, and brought back to the work with renewed purpose.
Follow the band at https://www.cagetheelephant.com/.
Photo credit: Lewis Evans