Cage The Elephant have released their new single ‘Dying In Reverse’, the latest indication of the direction the Grammy-winning rock band is taking following 2024’s Neon Pill.
by Paul Cashmere
Cage The Elephant have released ‘Dying In Reverse’, a new song that places vocalist Matthew Shultz’s reflections on renewal and recovery inside an expansive piece of alternative rock. The track premiered with Zane Lowe and is accompanied by a visualiser directed by Shultz. It will also feature on the soundtrack for EA SPORTS FC 27, which is scheduled for global release on September 25.
‘Dying In Reverse’ follows ‘Beaches In Tennessee’, released in July, as Cage The Elephant begin revealing music from the next phase of their career. Both songs draw on Shultz’s recent experiences, with the new track framing personal change through imagery of falling, survival and starting again.
Shultz describes the song as being concerned with the end of an old sense of self rather than a literal death.
“‘Dying In Reverse’ is essentially about a fresh start or a rebirth of sorts,” Shultz says. “More in terms of death to ego, renewing the mind and heart. The journey of turning your perspective away from self in order to see more clearly through the lens of love and connect to deeper purpose.”
The visualiser extends the song’s surreal qualities, with Shultz taking the director’s role. Musically, the track moves through layered guitars and swirling textures, giving the song a less restrained feel while retaining the band’s alternative rock foundation.
The song’s inclusion on EA SPORTS FC 27 also places Cage The Elephant’s latest work within the long-established relationship between contemporary music and major video game soundtracks. For the band, it continues a connection with games that dates back to their early catalogue, when ‘Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked’ was featured in Borderlands.
The new material comes during a period of significant change for Cage The Elephant. ‘Beaches In Tennessee’ was written by Shultz while receiving treatment in a mental health facility following a medication-induced psychosis diagnosis. The subject matter of ‘Dying In Reverse’ similarly considers resilience and rebuilding, although Shultz’s explanation centres on perspective, love and personal renewal rather than recounting specific events.
Cage The Elephant formed in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 2006 before relocating to London in 2008. Their self-titled debut established the band internationally, with ‘Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked’ becoming an early breakthrough. Their second album, Thank You, Happy Birthday, followed in 2011, while Melophobia in 2013 broadened their musical palette.
Tell Me I’m Pretty, produced by Dan Auerbach, gave the band their first Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 2017. They repeated that achievement with Social Cues in 2020. Their sixth studio album, Neon Pill, was released in May 2024 and subsequently earned a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Performance.
The band’s history has been defined in part by its willingness to alter its musical approach from album to album. Early garage, punk, blues and alternative rock influences have progressively been joined by psychedelic, electronic and more atmospheric elements. That instinct remains central to the group’s current work.
Guitarist Brad Shultz says the band has again been reassessing its creative approach while recording the next chapter.
“Musically, we always want to reinvent Cage The Elephant,” Brad says. “We’ve discovered a whole new side to our band, how we look at things, and how we make art.”
The new recordings were made with producers Justin Raisen and SADPONY, also known as Jeremiah Raisen, whose previous credits include work with Charli xcx, SZA and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Cage The Elephant have also entered this period with a substantial live history behind them. In 2025 they joined Oasis for the North American leg of the Live ’25 reunion tour before undertaking their own North American dates. Their Neon Pill touring cycle became their biggest commercially to date, according to the supplied band information.
‘Dying In Reverse’ therefore represents more than another standalone track in the catalogue. It is the second public piece of music from a new recording period, following an album cycle shaped by Neon Pill and a difficult personal period for Shultz.
For now, Cage The Elephant have not announced a title or release date for their next full-length album. The band has confirmed that a new LP is in development, with ‘Beaches In Tennessee’ and ‘Dying In Reverse’ providing the first indications of its musical and thematic direction.
Cage The Elephant are scheduled to undertake a European tour in early 2027 under the Dying In Reverse banner.
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