Cage the Elephant released Thank You, Happy Birthday in January 2011, and its single, Shake Me Down, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. Lyrics like "I keep my eyes fixed on the sun," and "Even on a cloudy day" speak to resilience when life presents emotional discontent and hardship. It's a song about choosing optimism and purpose.
That might be what Taylor Schmidt feels whenever she hears it. As an Army brat, she grew up all over the place, including Japan. That might explain the wanderlust in her DNA. Her good friend and hiking buddy Ben introduced her to his own obsession with Cage the Elephant, and Shake Me Down. "It's very indie, whimsical—like you listen to it at Dolores Park vibes," she explains. She admires their perseverance in the face of adversity, describing it as a "light" the band provides its listeners and fans.
