With high lonesome strings and raucous guitar riffs blazing, The Cadillac Three return with “Hillbilly (ft. Elvie Shane).” The new track, featuring guest vocals from Elvie Shane and virtuoso fiddling from Ketch Secor (Old Crow Medicine Show), marks the first release for the group in nearly two years. Dripping with grit, the mid-tempo stomper grooves along smoothly before launching into a double time breakdown in the bridge that showcases TC3’s classic genre-bending flair. You can check it out below.
“On the surface, “Hillbilly” is a party anthem, but it hits differently than many of our songs because we’re encouraging some introspection with this one,” frontman Jaren Johnston explains. “We’ve been known to have a good time most of the time, so it’s certainly not us trying to tell anyone how to live their life, but it’s a song about knowing where the line is and when you’ve gone too far. Sometimes you can live on the edge a little too long and you need to come back down from the high.”
“I’ve been a fan of The Cadillac Three since before that was their name. So, when I got the invitation to join them on the road for a weekend of writing, the answer was easy,” says Elvie Shane. “’Hillbilly” was born the second day on the road. To me, it’s a touch of TC3 roots and a lot of where I come from. It’s a cautionary tale about how easily you can fall into the trap of substance abuse coming from small rural towns like as the one I live in now. I believe it has the right amount of grit and rock’ n’ roll to reach the intended audience. And I’m so proud to be on a song with a group I’m truly a huge fan of.”
Leaving a lasting impression on fans across the globe with their distinct sonic tendencies, The Cadillac Three’s genre-fusion tracks are rooted in country storytelling, rock grooves, and Music City homegrown psychedelic jams. You can always count on frontman Jaren Johnston, drummer Neil Mason and lap steel-ing bassist Kelby Ray to bring the party.
TC3’s country fuzz sound can also be heard throughout Johnston’s accomplished songwriting credits for other artists including Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban, and Jon Pardi, as well as Tyler Hubbard’s recent single, “5 Foot 9.” As a producer, Johnston has also lent his talents to the likes of Kip Moore, Foo Fighters’ Chris Shifflett and Steven Tyler among others.
The band are currently on the road across the US headlining The Bandana Tour with more stops being added, as well as supporting Koe Wetzel on select dates.
Listen to the best of The Cadillac Three on Apple Music and Spotify.