Caging the Rapidly Changing Sound & Style of Cage the Elephant
Racing to the top of music charts quicker
than horses at the Derby- Kentucky natives, Cage the Elephant made their debut
on to the Indie Rock scene in 2006 and shortly thereafter made an appearance on
UK music charts in 2009.
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| Album artwork for their first album, Cage the Elephant. |
Initially, Cage the Elephant was vibrant,
loud, and unapologetic with heavy influences from Punk and Grunge bands, the
likes of Nirvana and the Pixies. Their Punk Rock flare is most evident on their
first and self-titled album, Cage the Elephant, the first of their albums to chart records. Their
heavy guitar solos and rebellious lyrics was accompanied by their equally
grunge and carefree brand portrayed on their social media presence, album
artwork, merchandise offerings, and overall band image.
Akin to any company's branding and promotional
strategies, social media influence, image portrayal, public relations efforts,
and distribution channel identification is key for success, and has been well
executed by Cage the Elephant.
What makes these rebellious men stand out
from similar bands and musicians on the Indie Scene? Their ability to remain
relevant, but change and adapt their style, sound, and image drastically with each album release has been unparalleled.
The alterations to their sound and style, although drastic, remain consistently
aligned with their overall brand and message, which is key for audience loyalty
and continued appreciation.
The most evident style and sound change
for Cage the Elephant was their jump from the abstract and hectic sound and
image of Melophobia (2013) to the
bluesy and melodious tunes of Tell Me I’m
Pretty (2015) produced and influenced by the Black Keys’ own Dan Auerbach.
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| Album artwork for Tell me I'm Pretty. |
Although drastically different from their
initial image, Cage the Elephant has gained continued appreciation and praise
for all of their musical endeavors having been nominated continuously for
Grammys and related accolades.
Wrapping all of their styles into one
beautiful display, Cage the Elephant released an unplugged version of songs
from each album dating back to their self-titled and featuring tunes from Tell me I’m Pretty. This unplugged album, accurately titled Unpeeled (2017) was set to the backdrop of string instruments and was recorded during a live
set emphasizing their concentration on entertainment value and capturing their range and overall
band image beautifully.
To delve further into the history and full
evolution of Cage the Elephant, click here: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/cage-the-elephant-on-escaping-kentucky-sibling-rivalry-trippy-new-lp-20160105
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