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‘We were in danger of running it into the ground’: Brittany Howard on fleeing fame, fighting Trump and the epic return of Alabama Shakes
Brittany Howard has revealed how Alabama Shakes, the Grammy-winning blues-soul-rock band from Athens, Alabama, unexpectedly reunited after a seven-year hiatus, driven initially by a favour for a friend rather than any grand plan. The trio, who stopped performing in 2017 after becoming "physically and creatively spent" following huge global success, played a surprise fundraiser show in December 2024 that reignited their appetite to write, rehearse and tour together again. The comeback matters because it returns one of the most acclaimed American rock acts of the 2010s to the stage just as their new material, including the politically charged single American Dream, resonates strongly amid the turbulent state of the US.
The band's 2012 debut Boys & Girls reached the transatlantic Top 10, while 2015 follow-up Sound & Color topped the US chart and won four Grammys, earning fans including Bruce Springsteen, Robert Plant and Barack Obama. Their reunion began with an intimate December 2024 gig at the 1,000-capacity Bama Theatre in Tuscaloosa, arranged to support a friend's struggling brewery, before snowballing into major tour dates. Released in April this year, the gospel-tinged American Dream tackles gun violence, the climate crisis, abortion rights, low wages and Donald Trump's White House renovations, going viral on TikTok and Instagram and putting Howard back at the centre of cultural conversation after a decade of solo work.
In short
- Alabama Shakes reunited in 2024 after a seven-year hiatus.
- A friend's brewery fundraiser sparked their unplanned comeback.
- New single American Dream, addressing US turmoil, has gone viral.
Explained simply
Alabama Shakes are a rock band from Alabama who became one of the most successful American rock acts of the 2010s. Their 2012 debut album Boys & Girls and 2015 follow-up Sound & Color gained critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide, earning them four Grammy Awards and admirers ranging from Bruce Springsteen to former US president Barack Obama.
The band stopped performing in 2017 after the intense demands of their success left them physically and creatively exhausted. More than seven years later, they unexpectedly reunited after being asked to play a fundraiser concert in December 2024 for a friend whose brewery was struggling, and this gig reignited their enthusiasm to write and tour together again.
Their return matters because it brings back one of the decade's most acclaimed rock acts at a moment when their new material is generating significant attention. Their latest song American Dream, released this year, addresses contemporary American political and social issues including gun violence, climate change and abortion rights, and has found a large audience on social media during a period of significant national turbulence.
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