Cage the Elephant frontman Matt Schulz has spoken out about the “mental health crisis” he faced that led to his arrest in 2023.
In January of last year, Schultz allegedly carried two loaded handguns, one day after an employee at the Bowery Hotel in Lower Manhattan allegedly saw Schultz bring a handgun into a public restroom on the first floor. He was arrested on suspicion of illegally possessing a knife.
Prosecutors said Schultz appeared to be intoxicated at the time, and when police arrived at his hotel room they found two guns and 11 Polaroid photos of the weapons in question.
He later pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon, and was released in a plea deal with no jail time.
Schultz finally opened up about the incident through an Instagram post. “It’s a miracle that I’m here today. I was arrested last year and definitely my life was saved. After my arrest, I spent two months in the hospital and then several months in outpatient treatment. “I can finally explain what happened,” he wrote.
The vocalist explains: “For the past three years, I have unknowingly been living through a complete mental health crisis. An iatrogenic reaction to prescribed medication has sent me into psychosis within a short period of time. Ta.”
He went on to say that the love of his friends, family, bandmates, and wife helped him get through it. He spoke of his wife’s “steadfast love” and support, saying, “Her support, combined with her professional treatment, helped me come to grips with reality and make a full recovery.” he said.
In January of this year, Cage the Elephant returned with their first new song in five years, “Neon Pill.” The song is the band’s first new song since the release of their 2019 album ‘Social Cues’, and finds frontman Matt Schulz reminiscing about a failed romance.
“Social Cues” received a 4-star review and was contributed by Andrew Trendell NME: “‘The War Is Over’ and ‘What I’m Becoming’ both have the feel of brooding, smoky lounge acts like The Last Shadow Puppets and Mini Mansions, but ‘Melophobia’ and ‘Tell Relive Me I’s more sophisticated moments. With “m Pretty,” you realize that this is the guise that Cage The Elephant has always carried with them. ”
