Why Cage the Elephant Chose Girl Tones to Open Red Rocks Concert

When Cage the Elephant randomly follows your local band on social media, you must be doing something right.

“We were getting a little buzz in our hometown,” Laila Crowe, the drummer of sibling duo Girl Tones recalls of playing around Bowling Green, Kentucky, back in 2019.

“It was crazy, because we probably had 800 followers, like, no followers at all; no one knew who we were,” adds guitarist and vocalist Kenzie Crowe. “I was walking around campus one day, and I got a notification that said Cage the Elephant followed us. I was like, ‘Huh? What’s going on here?’”

Cage the Elephant is also from the southern Kentucky city, but nothing prepared Laila and Kenzie for a personal message from Brad Shultz, Cage’s guitarist and keys player.

“Somehow Brad found us on social media, and he just reached out randomly,” Laila continues. “He was basically like, ‘I want to work with you guys.’ We were like, ‘What the hell?’ We freaked out.
That was back in December 2019, Laila confirms by pulling up the DM on Girl Tones’ Instagram. Kenzie, who officially started Girl Tones in 2017 while attending Western Kentucky University before recruiting Laila, figured the two would be writing and recording with Schultz in no time after that, resulting in a hit record. But the reality turned out to be much different...and took much longer.

“It was a year before we could even get into the studio, and it sucked, because we were so excited to have this opportunity, and honestly, we were scared that it’s not going to work out because of COVID,” she admits now.

Nearly five years later, Girl Tones finally released the first song produced by Schultz, “Fade Away,” on August 30. It’s a raw and real bluesy tune delivered with a punk-rock attitude, which makes sense, given Kenzie’s love of riot grrrl bands Bikini Kill and Bratmobile and Laila’s admiration of the White Stripes.

Now the duo is opening select dates on the current Cage the Elephant tour, including the Red Rocks show on Wednesday, September 18. Young the Giant and Bakar are also on the bill.

“It’s pretty bizarre,” Laila reflects.

“Me and Laila grew up listening to Cage,” Kenzie adds.

“Yeah, they were a pivotal band,” Laila agrees. “When I started getting into it, it opened a whole new obsession with a different type of music that has continued.”

While still a bit of a shock and whirlwind, connecting with Cage and working alongside Shultz has turned out to be a valuable learning experience for the Crowe sisters.

“Even with songwriting and the whole process all together — how long it actually takes to write a song, do it in the studio, get it mixed, get it mastered,” Kenzie says. “How long it’s actually taken to get to this point, I’ve definitely learned to be patient with these kinds of things. Most people, including me, probably think music just blows up just like that. You don’t realize how much time and how many years it takes to get to a point. The overnight-success thing is not necessarily true.”

“It’s like an illusion," Laila adds, "because you don’t think about how much people put in, building up to have their overnight success.

“It’s a lot of effort. When you’re working so closely on something that you’ve wanted to do for your whole life, it’s a lot of stress to do it right when you’re actually doing it,” she continues. “This whole life, everything we’ve been working on and learning and doing has been building to this. We really want to do it justice.”

There are plans to share some more new music this year and release the yet-to-be-named album sometime in 2025. "Fingers crossed," Kenzie quips. “It’s been a long time in the making. We’re super excited; even just having this first single out has just been awesome.”

Girl Tones is a big departure from the classical roots and bluegrass background the Crowes came from. Before teaming up, the sisters even played in a family band. “That was fun," Kenzie says, "but a rebellious teenager’s got to do their own thing."

Initially, Kenzie jammed with a drummer friend at college, but soon needed someone more serious. “On campus, I was putting up posters and stuff. I was getting phone calls. It was all from guys, which is fine, but I was really hoping to get a girl,” she explains. “Then it just kind of clicked. I don’t know why, like, ‘Duh, Laila plays drums. Let’s do that.’”

“I was probably pretty shit, so it’s great that she stuck it out with me,” Laila says.

“Same. We were both just kids doing it. We definitely did not sound good,” Kenzie agrees.

“Hopefully, we’re better now,” Laila adds.

Being in a band with your sibling can be tough sometimes. Cage can relate, as vocalist Mike Shultz is Brad’s brother, whom he started the group with. The two “definitely had our sisterly fights,” Kenzie admits. “But it’s just part of it."

“Working through it makes you stronger, really,” Laila notes

“It’s all worth it in the end,” Kenzie concludes. “We’re getting to literally live our dreams and do what we want to do.”

Girl Tones, with Cage the Elephant, Young the Giant and Bakar, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 18, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 West Alameda Parkway. Tickets start at $167.