In December 2024, after more than seven years of silence, Alabama Shakes surprised fans with a reunion show at the Bama Theatre in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The soul-rock band, which exploded out of Athens, Alabama in 2009, had achieved worldwide success with their 2012 debut Boys & Girls and the million-selling 2015 follow-up Sound & Color, which won four Grammys. But by 2017, they were physically and creatively spent, and they stopped. Now, they are back with a new album, I Must Be Dreaming, and a tour that has taken them to some of the biggest shows of their career.
The reunion sparked by a friend's brewery fundraiser
Brittany Howard, the band's lead singer, explains that the reunion began when a friend in Tuscaloosa, who owned a struggling brewery after Covid, called for a fundraiser. 'He called me and said he was going to do a fundraiser and asked if I'd like to perform. I said, “For sure.”' But then she started reminiscing about how that friend had been a huge help to the band. 'So I called the fellas,' she smiles. '“Do y'all wanna perform at this thing – like, all of us, together?” And they instantly said yes.'
The band rehearsed songs they hadn't played in years and performed on 18 December 2024 to a rapturous reception. Guitarist Heath Fogg recalls the show as an out-of-body experience. 'It felt like an out-of-body experience, to me,' he says. 'Just really happy, really thankful … a feeling of euphoria in the purest form. I hadn’t played those songs since our last gig.'
New song 'American Dream' goes viral
Part of the answer to the band's resurgence is a song. Released in April 2026, American Dream – a gospel-tinged snapshot of a country coming apart – went viral on TikTok and Instagram. The lyrics address gun violence, the climate crisis, abortion rights, low wages, and even Trump's White House renovations. Howard describes it as 'a snapshot of 2026,' hoping future generations will hear it and think, '“Yeah, shit was crazy back then, but we made it through.”'
The song's success is notable given the state of protest music in 2026. With exceptions like Bruce Springsteen's Streets of Minneapolis or Lucinda Williams's The World's Gone Wrong, most attempts to address Trump's US fall short. Alabama Shakes, however, have rediscovered their cultural lane, being 'almost uniquely capable of being furious and hopeful in the same breath.'
New album 'I Must Be Dreaming' marks a radical departure
The band's forthcoming third album, I Must Be Dreaming, is a radical departure from their previous retro soul sound, leaning more ethereal and psychedelic. Songs like Tea Time are built around flutes, while Time features a full-on psychedelic jam. The first single, Another Life, morphs from R&B into hazy rock with a euphoric chorus. Howard says the song is about a relationship that has run ashore, but adds, 'Maybe, when I think about it, because it is unusual to come back like this … It feels good and honest. I’m not being forced to do this.'
The album also includes I Feel Hope Coming, a jazzily soulful track that works the same seam as American Dream but with more positivity. Howard sees hope in the current political climate: 'My perspective is that I see a lot of people outraged, people in the streets protecting those who don’t have very much from those who have everything. But outrage leads to protest which leads to people talking to each other. To me, that’s hopeful.'
Reflections on fame, family, and the band's journey
Howard reflects on the band's rise, from playing local bars and old folk's homes to performing at the White House for President Obama. She admits to guilt about the multitudes of 'super-talented' people who never get a break. 'It’s crazy to think I was plucked from millions. So many people don’t get to have a voice.'
The band took a break in 2017 to protect each other and their families, with babies due in two households. Howard made acclaimed solo albums Jaime (2019) and What Now (2024), but also enjoyed normal life. 'Cut the grass, do the garden, scoop the litter box and just do normal tasks,' she says.
Regarding original drummer Steve Johnson, who left the band after legal issues, Howard is reluctant to discuss it. 'I guess you can’t take a long journey like we have without expecting some things to happen,' she says. 'I put myself in his shoes, I wouldn’t want someone out there talking about me.'
Now, Howard says she is a gentler, more patient person. 'I’ve always had that fight in me, but I’m a bit more contemplative than I was,' she says. 'I know I can’t change everything in the world.' But with songs like American Dream and I Feel Hope Coming, she hopes to soundtrack a turning of the tide. Fogg adds: 'Hope can be a catalyst. First we hope, then we make it happen.'
I Must Be Dreaming is released on 28 August 2026 on Island Records.
