MULTIPLE GRAMMY AWARD®-WINNING BRITTANY HOWARD
SIGNS WITH ISLAND RECORDS
Photo Credit: Bobbi Rich
“Howard is a transfixing vocalist; she knows how to compress and extend a note in a way that feels as if she’s squeezing all the juice from a piece of very ripe fruit.” – The New Yorker
Brittany Howard, the galvanizing, multiple Grammy Award®-winning force of nature has signed with Island Records, announced today by Justin Eshak, Co-CEO of Island Records. Alongside the news of her signing, Howard has also announced new music coming ahead of select headline dates kicking off on November 6 which will include stops at the iconic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and the prestigious Corona Capital Festival in Mexico City.
Known for her unique timbre and powerful, soulful, emotionally charged vocals, Howard has been at the heart of the music scene for more than a decade as one of the most essential artists of our time. Since her ascendence with the Alabama Shakes in 2012, and as a successful solo artist in her own right since 2019, Howard has a total of five Grammy® wins and sixteen nominations under her belt. Jamie, Howard’s massively acclaimed debut solo album that landed on best-of-the-year lists from the likes of Pitchfork, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone and was named NPR’s album of the year, earned her 7 Grammy® nominations in 4 different genres, winning the award for Best Rock Song with “Stay High.” The album was named for and dedicated to her sister who died of retinoblastoma as a teen and explored Howard’s personal history and beliefs on subjects such as prejudices, poverty, and struggles with religious faith.
In a statement regarding the announce, Howard stated, “I couldn’t be happier to announce my new partnership with Island Records, a label with such an incredible legacy and team. I cannot wait for the world to hear my new music and to start touring again. Island Records Co-CEO Justin Eshak adds: “I’m a huge admirer of Brittany. She’s already solidified herself as one of the great talents of her generation and is just getting started. Her artistry fits perfectly with Island’s unique legacy, and I’m delighted we get to play a role in her career moving forward.”
Howard is a globally renowned singer, songwriter, and guitarist extraordinaire whose critical acclaim began with the release of Boys & Girls, the RIAA platinum Top 10 debut album by Alabama Shakes (2012). They included the career-defining RIAA gold single “Hold On,” a #1 Triple-AAA anthem that Rolling Stone named #1 Song of the Year. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award® as Best Rock Performance and earned the band a Best New Artist nomination. The second Alabama Shakes album (and final, before their hiatus), Sound & Color (2015) was another breakthrough, hitting #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, a rarity for an indie release. The Shakes performed “Don’t Wanna Fight” and “Gimme All Your Love” on NBC’s Saturday Night Live in advance of the release of the album; “Don’t Wanna Fight” took the awards for Best Rock Song (Brittany’s first songwriting Grammy®) and Best Rock Performance while Sound & Color won the Grammy® for Best Alternative Album.
In September 2019, Howard released her solo debut, Jaime, whose celebratory single, “Stay High,” hit #1 on the Triple-AAA chart while “History Repeats” subsequently received Grammy Award® nominations for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance. The album tracks “13th Century Metal” and “Stay High” were included on Pitchfork’s list of the Best Songs of 2019. At the annual GLAAD Media Awards, Howard was nominated for Outstanding Music Artist. And at the Americana Music Honors & Awards, Howard was nominated for Artist of the Year, Jaime for Album of the Year, and “Stay High” for Song of the Year. In 2021, the Jaime (Reimagined) remix album was released, containing “Stay High” (Childish Gambino remix, produced by Donald Glover and James Francies), “Stay High again..” (produced by Emmanuel Franklyn Adelabu, Joy Anonymous, and Fred again..) as well as versions of Jamie tracks from artists including Bon Iver, Common, Michael Kiwanuka, EARTHGANG, Little Dragon, and more.
Brittany Howard most recently performed Evolution Festival at Forest Park in St. Louis; Wonderbus in Columbus, OH; and Bumbershoot in Seattle, WA and will be seen next at Bourbon & Beyond on September 15th in Louisville, KY before kicking off her headline tour on Nov 6th with support from L’Rain through all U.S dates.
For more tour info visit: www.brittanyhoward.com