In January of last year, Cage The Elephant singer Matthew Shultz was arrested for illegal gun possession. Two loaded guns had been found by police in his NYC hotel room, along with Polaroids of them and handwritten notes, one of which said, “I will protect myself if I am attacked.” In June, he avoided jail time by taking a plea deal in the case. Today, Shultz explained he was suffering a mental health crisis.

“It’s a miracle that I’m here today,” he wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. “I was arrested last year, and it undoubtedly saved my life. After my arrest, I went to the hospital for two months followed by months of outpatient treatment. I can finally explain what happened.”

He continued:

Over the last three years, I was unknowingly fighting my way through an utter mental health crisis. In a short time, I had slipped into psychosis due to an iatrogenic response to a medication I was prescribed. It took the love and support of my brothers in the band, my community, and, most of all, my wife Eva to get me through it. Eva stayed by my side, and she saved my life countless times. To say she is a warrior and a queen is an understatement.

Her unwavering love coupled with professional treatment helped me to regain my grip on reality and fully recover. Along the way, I learned a lot of hard lessons, and I thank God I was able to come out on the other side. I’m humbled and grateful for the opportunity to write this message. I owe my life to God and the support system of friends, family, and Cage The Elephant. I’ll just say it now once again, because it needs to be said, “Thank you.”

 

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Cage The Elephant’s new album Neon Pill, produced by John Hill, is out May 17 via RCA Records. You can stream two tracks below and check out their North American tour dates here.