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Alabama Shakes’ long-awaited reunion wasn’t originally supposed to result in a new album.
During an appearance on the Broken Record podcast, Brittany Howard revealed that the band’s return began when a longtime friend asked for some help.
Howard explained that their friend Bo, who owns a bar in Alabama, had supported the band during its early days. After the bar struggled following the COVID-19 pandemic, he asked Howard if she would come perform.
“I hit up the guys and I was like, ‘Hey, do y’all want to help Bo out?’” Howard recalled. “Everybody loves Bo. They’re like, ‘Yeah, absolutely.’”
Once the group began rehearsing together again, things quickly snowballed.
“We’re like, maybe we should just get together and, I don’t know, do a tour,” Howard said.
From there, the group decided to record a few songs. Three tracks soon became seven, prompting another realization.
“Let’s just make some more and make an album,” Howard recalled.
Howard said she had always left the door open to an Alabama Shakes reunion but wasn’t interested in forcing it.
“It’s just gonna happen when it feels right,” she said. “That just happened to be the catalyst.”