Art imitates life, right?
Paul Cauthen had to cancel some of his recent shows following his arrest in South Carolina for marijuana possession last Thursday. He was charged with possession of a Schedule I controlled substance, as well as manufacturing and possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute in Schedule I, II, and III.
He took to Instagram to apologize to his fans for having to cancel his weekend’s tour dates, and his manager told Saving Country Music:
“Paul was arrested for marijuana possession in Isle of Palms, South Carolina on Thursday morning. He is out on bond now and looks forward to telling the rest of his story soon.”
Well, looks like he’s starting to tell the rest of the story, and it might require the release of a new song called “Wild Man.”
Cauthen took to Twitter to make an announcement about his new song, which will become available this upcoming Friday.
In the note, Cauthen wrote:
“I was arrested last week on tour in South Carolina for marijuana possession and want to clear up some of what’s being said.
I am not a drug dealer and I don’t ‘manufacture’ drugs. The legal process will play out and my side of the story will be told, hell or high water.
Amidst all the hell last week, a good friend reached out with his support (as did so many that I respect and love) and told me to keep my head up and ended it by calling me ‘a wild man.’
So I had to go ahead and put this song out today. This is for everyone that reached out and who has supported me. Love you all.
‘Wild Man’ will be available on streaming platforms this Friday.”
However, according to an additional report from Saving Country Music, a number of other drugs were also found on the bus, so it remains to be seen how all of the charges will shake out.
Peep the cover for the song on the right, which features a photo of Cauthen being arrested with the song’s title in the top left corner.
Cauthen has always been unapologetically himself and as honest as anyone in the business. If you plaster your “makeshift mugshot” onto the song, you probably have a pretty good amount of confidence about it.
The song is available on YouTube now and is set to hit streaming services this coming Friday.
In other news, Paul signed a publishing deal with One Riot, a subsidiary of Reservoir Media.
According to Music Row, the deal will include his entire catalog as well as his new song with Diplo and Sierra Ferrell, “Rain on My Mind,” as well as the newly-released single, “Hometeam” and today’s release, “Wild Man.”
Reservoir Executive Vice President John Ozier said:
“Paul’s firecracker talent, deeply soulful voice, and exceptional storytelling all contribute something really refreshing to modern country music and to our Reservoir/One Riot family. We look forward to helping share his unique music with audiences everywhere.”
One Riot President Amy Patton added:
“Paul is a magnetic writer and performer who is disrupting and reshaping the country genre. He can break your heart in one moment and take you to the party with the next. He’s a trailblazer and a showman, and we could not be more grateful and excited to be on this journey with him.”
Troubles with the law be damned… it hasn’t slowed Big Velvet down.
