Cage The Elephant have released “Dying In Reverse”, a new single following “Beaches In Tennessee”, which came out in July. The Kentucky band has not yet linked the two tracks to an album, nor shared details regarding a broader recording project, but the sequence of releases more clearly outlines the start of a new chapter following the latest instalment in their discography.
“Dying In Reverse” operates along slowed-down, hazy psych-rock coordinates, featuring a pacing that prioritises tension over the pursuit of an immediate hook. For Matthew Shultz, the core of the track centres on detaching from an earlier version of oneself: a concept of starting anew that the frontman connects to relinquishing ego, renewing the mind and heart, and opening up the possibility of looking beyond one's own individual perspective.
It is an interpretation that lends the single a less narrative and more introspective dimension. The title suggests a backwards motion, yet the reading offered by Shultz points toward a transformation: not an erasure of the past, but rather an effort to break personal patterns that continually repeat. In this sense, “Dying In Reverse” arrives as a transitional track, built around a rarefied musical language and a theme of reconstruction.
A release expanding beyond traditional record industry channels
The most notable development regarding the track's circulation is its inclusion on the soundtrack of EA Sports FC 27, slated for release on September 25. This placement brings the song to one of the sports video game market's most recognisable musical showcases: a move that pairs traditional streaming distribution with a platform capable of introducing artists' catalogues to an international audience, often well outside conventional alternative rock channels.
For a band like Cage The Elephant, already possessing an established track record but currently focused on introducing new material, the soundtrack can serve as a bridge between their recording return and a cultural event with a definitive schedule. Indeed, the game's release date anchors “Dying In Reverse” within a tangible promotional window, independent of any potential album announcement. There are currently no indications that the single serves as a preview for an upcoming album, nor is there any information regarding the title, release date, or tracklist of a future full-length release.
This distinction is important: the two tracks released in 2026 justify talk of renewed activity, but not yet of a formalized album campaign. The band is signaling a direction and keeping attention engaged, but has not publicly defined the format or the full scope of its next chapter.
Studio work with Justin Raisen and Jeremiah Raisen
Meanwhile, Cage The Elephant are working with Justin Raisen and Jeremiah Raisen, also known as SADPONY. The information does not clarify the exact scope of the collaboration, nor does it formally attribute the production of “Dying In Reverse” to either name, but it points to the team involved in the band’s current phase.
Justin Raisen and Jeremiah Raisen are figures who place the project in a contemporary production dialogue, without this dictating a definitive reading of the sound of the new tracks. Although available as a first direct reference point, “Dying In Reverse” is not enough to outline the profile of an entire future repertoire. Its slow, psychedelic nature may be a hint, not a manifesto.
For the music industry, the combination of spaced-out singles, collaborations with outside producers, and placement in a major video game reflects a model that has become common even for established artists: a release does not necessarily need to wait for an album announcement to serve a clear purpose. It can introduce an aesthetic, drive streaming across platforms, and find a second life in a product with its own release schedule and audience. In the case of Cage The Elephant, however, this trajectory remains in its early stages and should be interpreted strictly based on what has actually been communicated.
Live: first Monaco, then the European return in 2027
Alongside new music comes a live schedule that is already partially mapped out. On November 15, Cage The Elephant will be in Monaco to perform at the halftime show of the NFL game between the New England Patriots and the Detroit Lions. This is an appearance separate from their touring activity, yet consistent with the pursuit of showcase opportunities outside the bounds of a traditional concert: an international sporting event hosted in Europe, where the musical performance plays a central role in the programming.
The band will then return to the continent for a European tour in February 2027. The schedule will conclude on March 1 at London's Alexandra Palace. Here too, available information does not reveal whether the shows will be presented as a tour supporting an unreleased album or if they will maintain a broader format, combining their established repertoire with the newly released singles.
The gap between the September 2026 release and the European dates the following year nevertheless leaves Cage The Elephant plenty of room to clarify their next steps. More songs, details on studio work, or an album announcement could follow; at the moment, however, none of these scenarios has been officially confirmed. The only concrete fact is that “Dying In Reverse” extends the sequence kicked off by “Beaches In Tennessee” and that the track will gain an additional platform with EA Sports FC 27.
For those following the band, the single therefore provides two immediate reference points: artistically, lyrics that Shultz traces back to rebirth and reassessing one's outlook; commercially, the decision to accompany the release with an appearance on the soundtrack of a global sports video game. The rest of the story is still taking shape, but the Cage The Elephant cycle is already back in motion across the studio, distribution, and international stages.
