Brittany Howard on the unexpected rise of Alabama Shakes

Brittany Howard has been ranked one of the greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone. Then there's that voice, which the New Yorker called "a mixture of Robert Plant and Marvin Gaye." Brittany's debut album with her band Alabama Shakes was a million-seller. Their follow-up went to No. 1. Now, after Brittany's two great solo albums, the Shakes are back with a record called "I Must Be Dreaming," out August 28. 00:00 — Welcome to Alchemy 01:25 — Reuniting with Alabama Shakes 04:31 — Musical Roots and a Metal Side Project 07:16 — Finding Her Voice 08:32 — Believing in a Music Career 10:04 — Seeing a Woman Play Guitar For the First Time 10:50 — What Made Her Unstoppable 12:23 — Losing Her Sister Jaime 14:36 — Honoring Jaime Through Music 18:07 — Finding the Band and Blowing Up 21:44 — Working Odd Jobs 22:08 — Writing "Hold On" on the Sanitation Job 24:50 — Chasing Inspiration Wherever It Strikes 27:36 — Rest, Risk, and Creative Renewal 30:14 — Getting Lost in the Music 32:56 — Duality, Identity, and Home 38:13 — A Night at Paisley Park with Prince 40:34 — Bill Withers and Treasured Moments 41:45 — Music as a Source of Answers 44:39 — Writing "Tea Time" and Chasing a Great Lyric New episodes of Alchemy every Wednesday. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and ⁠YouTube⁠ so you never miss one. ⁠Sign up here⁠ to get Alchemy in your inbox⁠. Stay connected with Anthony Mason on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ & ⁠Facebook⁠. For brand partnerships: partnerships@collective.media For press inquiries: dawn@thepresshouse.com For bookings: rebecca@alchemy.show About our Founding Sponsor, ⁠⁠The FLAG Art Foundation⁠⁠: The FLAG Art Foundation is a nonprofit contemporary art exhibition space in New York's Chelsea Arts District. Since 2008, FLAG has staged more than 100 exhibitions celebrating nearly 1,000 artists, with innovative partnerships including the Parrish Art Museum, the Serpentine Galleries in London, and the Harlem Children's Zone. FLAG is free and open to the public. Follow FLAG on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠. About Anthony Mason: Anthony Mason, the host of Alchemy, is also a Special Correspondent with CBS News. One of the most versatile and experienced television journalists, Anthony co-hosted CBS This Morning: Saturday for seven years (2012-2019), and then the weekday CBS This Morning broadcast for two more. But he may be best known for his interviews with artists like Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Annie Leibovitz, Judi Dench, David Hockney, and André 3000. He has won a dozen Emmy Awards. In 2023, the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented him their Patron of the Arts Award. And for the past three years he has hosted the GRAMMY Hall of Fame Gala.