Interview

A Q&A with Cage the Elephant

By Juliette Jagger

Early on in the band’s career you guys actually left the U.S. and moved to London. That’s a pretty interesting move for a young band. You really don’t see a lot of people leaving the comfort of their stomping ground anymore to start from scratch somewhere new. Can you tell me a bit about that period for you guys and how that decision factored into your success?

Well it really all started stirring up for us after South By South West in 2006 or 2007 I think. We had some interest from a few labels and one of them happened to be an indie label in the UK. It was a group of different things that led to us living out there, but for starters that particular UK label wanted to give us residency which was really enticing because not only were we a young band but we we’re also a band from a small town.

We grew up in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which is fifty or sixty thousand people, so getting out of there was a really big deal. Then you start to think about all of the bands and the history. Everyone from Jimi Hendrix to the Ramones and Iggy Pop, all of these people that we’ve looked up to made their careers by starting out in England, so we just kind of jumped in both feet at once, and we lived there for almost 2 years.

It was definitely something I wouldn’t change. Not only did it help us grow as songwriters, being exposed to all kinds of different music we hadn’t been exposed to before, but it also really helped us grow as people. It was a really life changing thing.

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Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 38031 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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