Matthew Ray Shultz was born on October 23, 1983 and raised in Bowling Green, Kentucky, alongside high school friends and future bandmates including his older brother Brad Shultz (guitar), Daniel Tichenor (bass, backing vocals), Lincoln Parish (lead guitar), and Jared Champion (drums). Shultz and his brother came from a poor background and were sometimes teased for this, with his brother being called "Poor Boy" by children at their school. Their father is also a musician and also named Brad. Their parents separated when the brothers were young. After the divorce, their mother dated Shultz\'s football coach, prompting him to quit the team and play music as an act of rebellion.\n', '

Before starting Cage the Elephant, Shultz worked in construction as a plumber. He said in an interview that he felt if he didn\'t quit that job, he would be stuck there for the rest of his life. He therefore quit and worked at a sandwich bar with Brad, who had previously worked in telemarketing.\n', '

Shultz cites bands such as the Pixies as influential on his vocal style, explaining that he discovered them alongside other punk bands while living in England during the recording of Thank You, Happy Birthday. His stage persona is inspired by punk pioneers such as Iggy Pop.\n', '

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