Biography
Alabama Shakes are an American rock band from Athens, Alabama, formed in 2009 by singer‑guitarist Brittany Howard, bassist Zac Cockrell, and drummer Steve Johnson, later joined by guitarist Heath Fogg.[1][2][3] Howard and Cockrell first met in a high‑school psychology class in nearby Limestone County and began writing songs after school, drawing on everything from roots music and soul to punk and classic rock.[1][2][3] They started out playing covers by artists such as Otis Redding and Led Zeppelin alongside their originals at local bars and house parties, gradually shaping a sound built around Howard’s raw, gospel‑inflected voice and the band’s live‑to‑tape, garage‑soul energy.[1][2][3]
Performing initially as “The Shakes,” the group built a regional following around the southeastern United States before a homemade demo of “You Ain’t Alone” was posted by the influential blog Aquarium Drunkard in 2011, triggering a wave of industry attention and a deal with ATO Records.[1][2][3] Their debut album, Boys & Girls (2012), recorded largely live with producer Andrija Tokic in Nashville, earned critical acclaim and multiple Grammy nominations, firmly establishing them as one of the leading American roots‑rock bands of the decade.[1][2][3] The follow‑up, Sound & Color (2015), pushed further into psychedelic soul, R&B, and experimental rock textures and went on to win three Grammy Awards, including Best Alternative Music Album, while the band became known for electrifying festival and late‑night TV performances anchored by Howard’s commanding stage presence.[1][2][3]
After Sound & Color, Alabama Shakes entered a lengthy hiatus as Howard turned to a solo career, releasing her acclaimed album Jaime (2019), while other members worked on their own projects.[3] According to later reporting, Johnson left the group following legal issues, and the remaining members recorded as Sun on Shade before reuniting under the Alabama Shakes name when Howard, Fogg, and Cockrell announced a 2025 tour.[3][7] By the mid‑2020s, the band’s blend of roots rock, soul, blues, and psychedelia, together with Howard’s groundbreaking visibility as a queer, mixed‑race, female rock frontwoman, had cemented Alabama Shakes’ legacy as a pivotal act in the revival and reinvention of Southern American rock music.[3][4][6]
Fun Facts
- The band initially performed simply as “The Shakes,” only adding “Alabama” after discovering how many other groups were already using the name; the change both avoided confusion and proudly highlighted their home state.[1][2]
- Their big break came when Los Angeles blogger and SiriusXM host Justin Gage found a photo of Brittany Howard online and decided to post the track “You Ain’t Alone” on his Aquarium Drunkard blog, leading to a flood of label offers literally overnight.[1][2][3]
- Alabama Shakes chose to record much of their debut album Boys & Girls live to tape at producer Andrija Tokic’s Bomb Shelter studio in Nashville, driving about an hour and a half from Athens to record in short bursts while still an unsigned bar band.[2]
- After Alabama Shakes went on hiatus, the non‑Howard members briefly continued together under the name Sun on Shade, releasing a self‑titled album in 2020 before later reuniting with Howard for an Alabama Shakes tour announcement.[3]
Members
- Zac Cockrell - bass
- Heath Fogg - background vocals, guitar
- Brittany Howard - guitar, lead vocals
- Steve Johnson - background vocals, membranophone, percussion
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Otis Redding - Soul and R&B influence reflected in the band’s emotive vocals, horn‑like phrasing, and choice of early cover material in their bar‑band years. (Live covers of classic Otis Redding songs in early sets (alongside originals) as they developed their sound.) [circa 2007–2011 (formative and pre‑debut years)]
- Led Zeppelin - Classic rock influence heard in the band’s heavy grooves, dynamic shifts, and guitar‑driven arrangements, also featured in their early cover sets. (Live covers of Led Zeppelin songs during their early club and bar performances.[1]) [circa 2007–2011 (formative and pre‑debut years)]
- David Bowie - Stylistic and conceptual influence on Brittany Howard and the band’s openness to blending genres and embracing experimentation, especially evident by Sound & Color. (General influence on songwriting and aesthetic; cited among the range of styles Howard and Cockrell explored.[3]) [Late 2000s onward (songwriting development through the 2010s)]
- Elvis Presley and Motown artists - Early listening staples in Brittany Howard’s home, helping shape her love of vintage rock ’n’ roll, R&B, and soul vocal styles.[6] (Classic Elvis recordings and Motown catalog records frequently played in Howard’s childhood household.[6]) [Howard’s childhood and early teens (pre‑2007)]
Key Collaborators
- Brittany Howard - Founding member, lead singer, primary songwriter, and guitarist of Alabama Shakes; central creative force whose vocals and writing define the band’s sound.[1][2][3] (Co‑writes and performs on Boys & Girls (2012) and Sound & Color (2015); leads live performances and later reunites with bandmates for the 2025 tour.[1][2][3][7]) [2009–2015; reunion announced for 2025]
- Zac Cockrell - Founding bassist and key songwriting partner of Brittany Howard from their high‑school days onward.[1][2][3] (Plays bass and co‑writes material on Boys & Girls and Sound & Color, and participates in the band’s extensive touring.[1][2][3]) [2007 (early songwriting)–2015; reunion announced for 2025]
- Steve Johnson - Original drummer whose punk‑informed approach helped shape the band’s early groove and live intensity.[1][3] (Drums on early demos, the Alabama Shakes EP (2011), and the albums Boys & Girls and Sound & Color.[1][2][3]) [circa 2007–mid‑2010s; later departs the band following legal issues reported in 2020.[3]]
- Heath Fogg - Guitarist who initially invited the trio to open for his band Tuco’s Pistol and then joined Alabama Shakes as a full‑time member, becoming integral to their twin‑guitar sound.[1][2][3] (Guitarist on the Alabama Shakes EP, Boys & Girls, and Sound & Color; returns with Howard and Cockrell for the 2025 reunion tour.[1][2][3][7]) [2009–2015; reunion announced for 2025]
- Andrija Tokic - Producer and engineer who worked closely with the band at his Bomb Shelter studio in Nashville, capturing their largely live‑to‑tape sound on early recordings.[2] (Produced and engineered the debut album Boys & Girls, recorded in stages throughout 2011 before the band signed to ATO Records.[2]) [2011–2012 (recording and release cycle of Boys & Girls)]
- Drive‑By Truckers (Patterson Hood) - Fellow Alabama band that helped boost Alabama Shakes’ profile when Patterson Hood saw them live and arranged for them to open shows and connect with management.[2][3] (Alabama Shakes opened for Drive‑By Truckers at select dates; Hood also helped link the band with managers Christine Stauder and Kevin Morris.[2][3]) [2011–2012 (breakthrough period around the EP and Boys & Girls)]
- Jack White / Third Man Records - The band performed at Jack White’s Third Man Records store in Nashville, an influential showcase that further exposed them to rock and indie audiences.[3] (Live in‑store performance at Third Man Records in Nashville during their early national breakout.[3]) [Around 2011–2012 (pre‑ and post‑EP breakthrough)]
Artists Influenced
- Younger Southern roots‑rock and soul‑influenced indie artists (general category) - Alabama Shakes’ success demonstrated that a band from a small Alabama town, led by a queer, mixed‑race woman fronting a rock group, could achieve mainstream and Grammy‑level recognition, encouraging a wave of Southern artists blending soul, rock, and Americana. This influence is broadly acknowledged in music journalism but is not usually tied to specific individual protégés in primary reference sources. (Their genre‑defying albums Boys & Girls and Sound & Color are frequently cited in critical discussions of 2010s Americana and indie‑soul, inspiring subsequent acts to embrace raw live recording, vintage tones, and intersectional identities in rock.[1][2][3][4][6]) [Mid‑2010s onward]
Connection Network
Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Sound & Color (Deluxe Edition) | 2015 | Album |
| Boys & Girls | 2012-04-10 | Album |
| Sound & Color (Deluxe Edition) | 2015 | Album |
| Sound & Color | 2015-04-21 | Album |
| Boys & Girls | 2012-04-09 | Album |
| Sound & Color | 2015-04-21 | Album |
| Sound & Color | 2015-04-20 | Album |
| Boys & Girls | 2012-04-10 | Album |
| Boys & Girls (Deluxe Edition) | 2022-12-09 | Album |
| Boys & Girls (Deluxe Edition) | 2022-12-09 | Album |
| Sound & Color (Deluxe Edition) | 2021-10-29 | Album |
| Boys & Girls (10 Year Deluxe Edition) | 2022-12-09 | Album |
| Boys & Girls | 2012-04-09 | Album |
| Sound & Color | 2015-04-20 | Album |
| Boys & Girls (Deluxe Edition) | 2022-12-09 | Album |
Top Tracks
- Hold On (Boys & Girls)
- Always Alright
- Sound & Color (Sound & Color (Deluxe Edition))
- Don't Wanna Fight (Sound & Color)
- Hold On (Boys & Girls)
- This Feeling (Sound & Color (Deluxe Edition))
- Always Alright
- Don't Wanna Fight (Sound & Color (Deluxe Edition))
- This Feeling (Sound & Color (Deluxe Edition))
- Future People (Sound & Color (Deluxe Edition))
External Links
Tags: #blues-rock, #rock, #soul
Heard on WWOZ
Alabama Shakes has been played 3 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 19, 2025 | 14:55 | Hang Loosefrom Boys And Girls | The Blues Breakdown | |
| Sep 21, 2025 | 22:34 | Another Lifefrom Forbidden Feelingz- Single | What's Neww/ Duane Williams | |
| Sep 18, 2025 | 22:53 | The Greatest | Kitchen Sinkw/ Jennifer Brady |