Cage the Elephant’s Shultz brothers break down contentious recording sessions for “Social Cues”

Credit: Neil KrugCage the Elephant returned last week with a new song called "Ready to Let Go," the first single from the band's upcoming album, Social Cues. As frontman Matt Shultz tells Rolling Stone, he wrote the song after taking a trip to Pompeii, Italy with his wife, where they realized they were headed for divorce.

"It's hard when you love each other, but it just won't work," Shultz says. "I'm glad to be past it."

Given the emotional turmoil Shultz was going through -- "There was a fair amount of self-medication and intense isolation," he admits -- the recording sessions were often erratic.

"We'd think he was getting back to normal, then he would melt down," guitarist Brad Shultz says of his brother.

Matt and Brad's relationship was particularly tested during the recording.

"We would have this weird tension around each other," Brad explains. "And then it would come to a head. Sometimes I'm really in love with what I'm doing, but then I over-read Matt's reaction and then it hurts me -- I'll think he doesn't like it."

Through it all, though, Brad says he and Matt "became better friends" by the time the album was finished.

"We feel like we've pushed ourselves, and that's all we can ask for," says Brad. "We became better friends. It doesn't mean that we got along the whole time, but in the end, adversity brings you closer."

Copyright © 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.