Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Matt Shultz says a reaction to prescribed medication—or possibly a combination of medications—led to episodes of psychosis that he later connected to his 2023 arrest and hospitalization. His account became part of the story behind Cage the Elephant’s sixth album, Neon Pill, released May 17, 2024: Shultz returned to lyrics written before the crisis and tried to understand what he had been expressing.
What Matt Shultz said about psychosis
In an interview with Scott Simon for NPR, Shultz said: “I had been prescribed a medication – or perhaps it was the pairing of medications – caused me to go into psychosis.” He did not identify the medication. This is Shultz’s account of his own experience, not a general medical conclusion.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Neon Pill | $24.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Neon Pill Milky Clear Signed Vinyl LP Record, Cage The Elephant | $80.00 | Buy on Amazon |
His estimates of how long the episodes lasted were approximate and differed between interviews. The Associated Press reported that Shultz described the period as “the previous three years or so”; speaking to NPR, he said it was “somewhere around four years.” Those recollections do not establish an exact start or end date.
What happened in the 2023 arrest
In January 2023, police responded to a report of a firearm at New York’s Bowery Hotel, where Shultz was arrested. The initial firearms charges and the later case outcome are distinct: the Associated Press reported in May 2024 that Shultz pleaded guilty to three weapons charges and avoided jail time.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems#1 Best Overall
Shultz told the AP that he spent two months in the hospital and about six months in outpatient therapy. In that interview, he said: “I’m fully recovered. It definitely left a scar, but it’s one that can be walked away from.”
How the crisis changed his relationship with the songs
Shultz said he wrote “Neon Pill” about a year before his arrest. In the NPR interview, he recalled: “That song, actually, I wrote about a year before my arrest in New York and hospitalization.” During recovery, he revisited its lyrics and tried to identify the emotional expression in words he had written when their apparent meaning felt real to him.
The process also meant confronting the distance between a song’s original feeling and what it came to mean after the crisis. Shultz’s comments offer a personal account of that reckoning, rather than a claim that every lyric on the album was written during psychosis.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to know about Neon Pill
Cage the Elephant’s sixth studio album was released May 17, 2024. Sony Music Canada’s release names John Hill as producer and lists the band’s members as Matthew Shultz (vocals), Brad Shultz (guitar), Daniel Tichenor (bass), Jared Champion (drums), Nick Bockrath (lead guitar), and Matthan Minster (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals). The Associated Press describes it as a 12-track album and reports that the band spent five years recording it.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #2
- Exclusive Milky Clear Vinyl LP autographed by Cage The Elephant
Shultz called the record “very much like a culmination of all the Cage records combined,” according to the AP. The publication described “Ball and Chain” as strutting glam, “Out Loud” as a piano ballad, “Float Into the Sky” as airy alt-rock, and “Rainbow” as poppy—descriptions of the album’s range, not a single style.
Family stories in two songs
The album’s personal material extends beyond Shultz’s mental health crisis. The AP reports that “Out Loud” draws on a story about the Shultz brothers’ father, while “Over Your Shoulder” mourns his death in 2020.
The title track’s chart milestone
In its May 16, 2024, report, the AP said “Neon Pill” had become Cage the Elephant’s 11th No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart. That figure describes the chart milestone as reported at the time, not a current chart position.
Quick Recap
Sources and dates
- The Associated Press, Mark Kennedy, May 16, 2024: Shultz’s interview, arrest outcome, treatment and recovery account, album details, songs, and chart milestone.
- VPM/NPR, Scott Simon interview transcript, May 18, 2024: Shultz’s account of medication, psychosis, and the song’s timing. NPR notes that transcripts may be revised and that audio is the authoritative program record.
- Sony Music Canada / RCA Records, May 17, 2024: Album release date, lineup, producer, and release details.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
