Jaren Johnston Goes Solo as the Cadillac Three Remain Off the Road

By Grace Kim

The Cadillac Three have not returned to the stage since Sept. 13, 2024, when they finished their set at the Born and Raised Festival in Pryor, Oklahoma. The concert became the Nashville Southern rock band’s last public performance.

One week later, the trio announced that it would cancel the remainder of 2024’s dates so singer-guitarist Jaren Johnston could prioritize his health. The group has yet to resume touring.

Johnston, meanwhile, will release his debut solo album, The Guest Room, this Friday. He wrote and recorded all 13 songs in a spare room at his home.

Johnston discussed the decision on Rolling Stone’s country-music podcast, Nashville Now, hosted by deputy editor and head of country Joseph Hudak. He said: “The three of us just want the best for the three of us, each one of us. When I had to come off the road, they understood.”

He added: “Obviously [they were] not happy about not being able to play shows and not being able to explain to everybody why. But they probably saw it coming, a little bit.” His wording acknowledges that the cancellation disrupted the band’s schedule as well as Johnston’s recovery.

The health pause redirected the band’s work

Johnston’s work extends beyond singing and guitar. He wrote Tim McGraw’s “Meanwhile Back at Mama’s” and Keith Urban’s “You Gonna Fly,” two songs that became radio hits.

His father, musician Jerry Ray Johnston, died at 65 in 2022. Rolling Stone reported that the Cadillac Three’s busy touring schedule left the singer-guitarist little time to heal, and his absence left the group’s future in doubt.

The pause did more than remove dates: it redirected the three musicians’ work. Drummer Neil Mason pivoted to songwriting and artist management, the business of representing and coordinating an artist’s career. Lap-steel player and bassist Kelby Ray played guitar in the house band, the show’s backing musicians, for Taylor Sheridan’s country-music series The Road.

The Cadillac Three remain known for hard-hitting songs such as “Tennessee Mojo” and “White Lightning.” Johnston’s account leaves their future open while the three musicians pursue separate work.

What changes for Cadillac Three listeners?

Johnston’s solo record gives fans 13 songs now. It does not give them a Cadillac Three concert to attend: Johnston says the trio still has no current plans to return to the road.

The distinction matters: the album supplies a fixed release, while the band’s future remains an open question. A live return remains possible in Johnston’s account, but he has announced no dates, venues or bills.

Johnston said he, Mason and Ray met recently at a local Mexican restaurant in Nashville to reconnect. “All we did was sit and laugh for an hour and a half,” he says. “You can’t mess that whole thing up.”

The meeting provides evidence that the three remain in contact, but it does not amount to a concert announcement. Johnston connected that optimism to fans who want “Tennessee Mojo” live again: “We love getting together and playing, that’s what we do.” He added: “And that song’s too badass to not play somewhere.”

His comments suggest cooperation, but they do not amount to a timetable. Rolling Stone gives no indication of when the trio might next perform.

Rolling Stone has also posted the full interview. Its Nashville Now podcast releases a new episode each Wednesday and is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The next firm sign of the Cadillac Three’s future will be a concert date; until then, fans have 13 Johnston songs but no Cadillac Three concert to attend.