Multiple Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter and driving force behind the Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard, has signed with Island Records. The announcement came with news that Howard will have new music out before going out on tour in November.
Howard expounded on the status of the budding relationship saying, “I couldn’t be happier to announce my new partnership with Island Records, a label with such an incredible legacy and team. I cannot wait for the world to hear my new music and to start touring again.” Island co-CEO Justin Eshak added, “I’m a huge admirer of Brittany. She’s already solidified herself as one of the great talents of her generation and is just getting started. Her artistry fits perfectly with Island’s unique legacy, and I’m delighted we get to play a role in her career moving forward.”
In our own XPN universe, Alabama Shakes rocked the BB&T Pavilion during 2016’s XPNFest with Howard at the helm performing hits from the band’s two critically acclaimed albums Boys & Girls (2012) and Sound & Color (2015). XPN’s John Vettese remarked, “As a vocalist, guitarist and songwriter, Brittany Howard is among the best in rock right now, and last night her and her bandmates in the Shakes totally shone.”
That sentiment held true in the years since, with Howard’s Grammy-winning 2019 debut Jaime proving that she had an irresistibly powerful voice even away from the rootsy backing of her band; she chatted at that time with Stephen Kallao for World Cafe. It’s been 4 years since Jaime, and fans have been patiently waiting for a follow-up project. Fingers are crossed that her new deal with Island Records means that project is coming soon.
Howard’s upcoming tour winds through the southern US, with dates in Tennessee, Texas, Georgia, and her home state of Alabama, and more. Check out the full list of tour dates below.