The Cadillac Three

A high-energy trio fusing outlaw country and classic Southern rock, the Cadillac Three are a rock band born and bred in Nashville, Tennessee. Full of swagger and attitude with a down-home accent, the trio uses rootsy guitar sounds and heavy rock & roll rhythms to accompany their tales of modern-day Southern life. The band added a bit of polish to their approach on 2016′s Bury Me in My Boots, went for a more natural sound for 2017′s Legacy, and experimented with funk and disco on 2020′s Country Fuzz.
The Cadillac Three have their roots in the rock group American Bang, who were formed in 2005 by lead guitarist Ben Brown; drummer Neil Mason; singer, songwriter, and guitarist Jaren Johnston, and bassist Kelby Ray. Originally called Bang Bang Bang, the group released an album, I Shot the King, under that moniker in 2005, but switched to the name American Bang upon signing with Warner Bros. in 2006. American Bang released an EP, Move to the Music, in 2007, and a self-titled full-length in 2010 on Reprise, but after the album failed to find an audience, Brown departed for a solo career. The remaining trio members changed their name to Cadillac Black, but once again discovered they’d chosen a name already in use; signing with Big Machine, they switched their handle to the Cadillac Three, and issued the self-titled full-length album The Cadillac Three in the spring of 2013. In addition to making a name for themselves as performers, the Cadillac Three have generated chart-friendly material for other acts — Jaren Johnson co-wrote the songs “You’re Gonna Fly” for Keith Urban, “Southern Girl” for Tim McGraw, and “Days of Gold” for Jake Owen. In February 2014, the Cadillac Three enjoyed some chart action with the single “The South,” which featured guest appearances from Dierks Bentley, Eli Young, and Florida Georgia Line. Six months later, they dropped the single and video for the song “Party Like You,” followed by the ballad “White Lightning” in April 2015. It took another year before Bury Me in My Boots, the band’s third album, finally saw release in the summer of 2016. The trio returned in August 2017 with Legacy, an album that saw the group strip back to basics. Released in February 2020, Country Fuzz was a stylistically diverse set that added some dance-friendly grooves to their raucous rock-blues-country hybrid. Capping off a prolific year, the Cadillac Three delivered their fifth full-length, Tabasco & Sweet Tea, in October of that year. ~ Steve Leggett