The Alabama Shakes hail from Athens, Alabama where they went to the same high school. Their mutual love of playing music meant their paths would soon cross…they formed a band just three years ago, initially playing cover songs of James Brown and Otis Redding, as well as heavier numbers by Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. After a while they got to the stage where they wanted to play their own songs and didn’t care whether they got paid or not. That ‘to hell with it’ attitude seems to have sped them towards fame…three years down the line with a US West Coast tour completely sold out and their debut album ‘Boys & Girls’ already being tipped as a top seller they have achieved what would normally take other bands years of hard graft.
The band comprises of vocalist/guitarist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, drummer Steve Johnson and bassist Zac Cockrel. Their popularity is helped by the individual influences they each bring to bear on their music, which was initially a practical development rather than by design…”We had to find music we could all agree on and figure out how to play together,” says Howard, “and that had a lot of influence on how we play now.”
Howard’s vocal range can sway in from the sweet and soulful to a complete rock out Janis Joplin style, added to this she has a great stage presence and a magnetic quality that wins people over at the drop of a hat. Initial attempts to record at Howards home with some second hand vintage equipment were hampered by the noise from the neighbouring railroad track but they eventually managed to cut some tracks in a Nashville studio in 2011. It was after this that things began to reach the fever pitch race they now find themselves in and it was thanks to the music blog Aquarium Drunkard that they got their first big exposure. Justin Gage, the blog founder, wrote to Howard asking if he could post one of the Shakes’ songs. She sent back the yearning, intense “You Ain’t Alone,” which he put up in late July, calling it “a slice of the real.” And, literally overnight, all hell broke loose…
“I woke up the next day to emails from record labels, managers, publishing companies,” says Howard. “At first I thought, everybody’s making a mistake!” Gage also emailed “You Ain’t Alone” to the Drive-By Truckers’ team. The band was immediately blown away and offered the Shakes an opening slot, sight unseen. (Patterson Hood of the Truckers later noted that the group “totally blew us off the stage in Winston-Salem.”)
They continued to develop their sound and as more tour offers came in they were able to give up their day jobs and put their heart and souls into their music. The album remains broad enough to leave the band plenty of room to expand and experiment with new sounds…one thing Howard’s is keen to avoid is being pigeon-hold as a soul-revival band: “Retro soul is not what we’re going for, though it’s understandable why people say it,” says Howard. “We take inspiration from that, but we all understand Black Sabbath, too…”
Last month they played three dates at their debut UK show at Boston Arms (the first 2012 NME Awards show to sell out). Jack White was also quick to show an interest…his Third Man Records selected Alabama Shakes to kick off its series of live 45 releases which was released in January.
For those that missed their UK debut you won’t have long to wait for their return. They are back in the UK in May and will play a number of dates incluing Brixton Electric (London), King Tuts (Glasgow), Deaf Institue (Manchester) as well as The Great Escape festival in Brighton (full tour dates below).
The Boys and Girls is released in the UK and Europe by Rough Trade on April 9th.
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Tour dates
Mar 09 Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL
Mar 10 Pabst Theater, Milwaukee, WI
Mar 23 Bama Theater, Tuscaloosa, AL
Mar 29 Proud Larry’s, Oxford, MS
Mar 30 Crossroads, Huntsville, AL
Mar 31 Work Play Theater, Birmingham, AL
Apr 05 Georgia Theatre, Athens, GA
Apr 06 Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC
Apr 07 Ram’s Head Live, Baltimore, MD
Apr 09 World Cafe Life Downstairs, Philadelphia, PA
Apr 11 Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
Apr 12 Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Apr 14 Higher Ground, Burlington, VT
Apr 15 Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
Apr 17 Lee’s Palace, Toronto, Canada
Apr 25 GEBAEUDE 9 Köln, Germany
Apr 26 Molotow Hamburg, Germany
Apr 27 Magnet Berlin, Germany
Apr 29 Bitterzoet – Afternoon Show 4pm Amsterdam, Netherlands
Apr 30 AB Brussels, Belgium
May 02 La Flèche d’Or, Paris, France
May 03 Brixton Electric, London, United Kingdom
May 05 Academy 2, Dublin, Ireland
May 06 Kilkenny Roots Festival Kilkenny, Ireland
May 09 King Tuts, Glasgow, United Kingdom
May 10 Deaf Institute, Manchester, United Kingdom
May 11 HMV Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom
May 12 The Great Escape – Komedia, Brighton, United Kingdom
May 18 Hangout Music Festival, Gulf Shores, AL
May 26 Sasquatch Music Festival, George, WA
Jun 07 Bonnaroo
Just announced: Electric Picnic on August 31st in Ireland
Pre-order Boys & Girls from Rough Trade