Whether fronting Alabama Shakes or performing independently, Brittany Howard projects a magnetic stage presence as an ever-evolving creator whose expansive, powerful vocals can fill any venue. The group's 2012 debut Boys & Girls immediately established her as an unforgettable talent on ATO Records. Although her individual recognition soon overshadowed the band, Howard unveiled her ferocious rockabilly punk outlet Thunderbitch precisely when Alabama Shakes collected Grammy Awards for their 2015 release Sound & Color, underscoring her drive toward artistic exploration over mainstream success. That same impulse culminated in her 2019 solo debut Jaime, a funky and deeply personal record that received seven Grammy nominations and secured Best Rock Song for "Stay High." Following the 2021 star-studded remix collection Jamie Reimagined, she joined Island and introduced her subsequent chapter via the taut, energetic 2024 single "What Now," with the full album arriving that February.
Born in Athens, Alabama, to a Black father and white mother, Brittany Howard endured a difficult upbringing shaped by the early death of her older sister Jaime. She turned to poetry and guitar for comfort. During high school she connected with Zac Cockrell, and the two started making music; Cockrell handled bass while Howard played guitar, first forming the Shakes before Heath Fogg joined and the group became Alabama Shakes.
Boys & Girls earned favorable notices and Grammy nominations upon its 2012 arrival. Three years later Sound & Color delivered their commercial and awards breakthrough. As the band's visibility grew, Howard's own celebrity expanded; she performed on the premiere episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and joined Paul McCartney during his Lollapalooza headline set in 2015.
Amid Alabama Shakes' ascent, Howard also operated Thunderbitch, the high-volume rockabilly outfit she assembled in 2012. The band issued its self-titled first album with little advance notice in September 2015. Another side project emerged in 2017 when she formed Bermuda Triangle alongside Jesse Lafser and Becca Mancari, staging a limited number of concerts that year.
Howard's first solo album, Jaime, surfaced in 2019. Drawing from a memoir she had begun composing, the record centered on personal experience and adopted a funkier direction than her prior work. Its opening track, "History Repeats," later claimed a Grammy for Best Rock Song. In 2020 she delivered an impassioned rendition of the Rodgers & Hammerstein standard "You'll Never Walk Alone." The next year brought Jamie Reimagined, featuring reinterpretations of her solo material with contributions from Bon Iver, Michael Kiwanuka, Fred again.., and EarthGang. After inking a deal with Island Records in October 2023, Howard previewed her follow-up through the lead single "What Now." The album of the same title, co-produced with Shawn Everett—the pair had previously collaborated on Sound & Color—landed in February 2024.
