Brad Shultz

Donald Bradley Shultz Jr. (born May 15, 1982) is an American musician. He is the rhythm guitarist and one of the founding members of the band Cage the Elephant, and is also a record producer. He is the older brother to current Cage the Elephant bandmate, Matt Shultz.

Early life Donald Bradley Shultz Jr. was born on May 15, 1982, and was raised in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Their parents divorced, which inspired them to begin writing music while they lived with their grandparents in a trailer park. He attended Greenwood High School.

Career

Before Cage the Elephant, Shultz was in a band with current bandmates Jared Champion and Matt Shultz known as Perfect Confusion. Perfect Confusion formed in 2001, and played smaller music venues around their hometown, Bowling Green, Kentucky, and released one self-titled album. The band broke up in 2005, but the former members occasionally have reunions and performances.

After Cage the Elephant formed in 2006, Shultz, along with the rest of the band, moved to the United Kingdom to gain moderate success with their self-titled debut LP, releasing in Europe on June 23, 2008, and in the United States on March 24, 2009. The group has since released five more studio albums. Shultz is known for his dynamic performances during live shows, including "signature jumps" and high-energy antics.

Along with being a member of Cage the Elephant, he is a record producer. He has produced Juliette Lewis' Future Deep EP; Nashville band Bad Cop/Bad Cop's The Light On EP; Bowling Green band Dan Luke and The Raid's debut LP, Out Of The Blue; and most recently Tampa Bay band Glove's debut album Boom Nights, which one Rolling Stone staffer picked as the sixth-best album of 2022.

In 2025 Shultz joined with Daniel Oakley and Darren Potuck to form the record label Parallel Vision.

Shultz features on and produced the song "Chasing The Good Times" by Runarounds which was released on February 1, 2026.

Gear and influences

During Cage the Elephant's earlier years Shultz used Fender Mustangs, Telecasters and Jazzmasters, most being heavily modified or glued together due to the band's more raucous music. In 2019 Shultz started using a Silverstone 1149. He also uses multiple fenders and a couple of Gibsons.

Shultz sometimes rewires or selects guitar wiring differently in the studio vs live. For live, he might simplify (e.g. disconnect some pickups) so switches don’t get in the way when he’s moving around. To get his recording tone, he uses preamps and compressors in rack units, rather than just cranking the amp. These help him preserve clarity, especially with heavy effects or fuzz.

Shultz has stated that he started using Fender guitars due to seeing Jimi Hendrix use them. Other guitarists and bands he cites as an influence include Kurt Cobain, Dinosaur Jr., More recently Shultz has cited his own father as an influence; in a 2024 interview he stated, "One thing that I didn't necessarily expect in reflecting on my father's life is that I would be very inspired by his music."

Personal life In May 2007, Shultz married his wife, Lindsay. In September 2013, the Shultzes' first child was born. In November 2019, the couple welcomed their second child.

On August 2, 2017, Shultz threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game.

Accolades Cage the Elephant has been nominated for Grammy Awards four times, winning twice, but as a solo artist Schultz has not been nominated as a solo artist or producer.

Discography

Perfect Confusion

Perfect Confusion (2005)

Cage the Elephant Main article: Cage the Elephant discography

Cage the Elephant (2008) Thank You, Happy Birthday (2011) Melophobia (2013) Tell Me I'm Pretty (2015) Social Cues (2019) Neon Pill (2024)

Guest appearances

"The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" (2012 Chimes of Freedom) "The Unforgiven" (2021 The Metallica Blacklist)

Production discography + Producing credits for Brad Shultz Year Artist Work 2013 Bad Cop/Bad Cop The Light On EP 2016 Juliette Lewis Future Deep EP 2019 Dan Luke and The Raid Out Of The Blue LP 2022 Glove Boom Nights