Brittany Howard Steps Out On Her Own With Solo Debut ‘Jaime’

Photo Credit: Danny Clinch

Brittany Howard, lead vocalist/guitarist for the band Alabama Shakes, is releasing her solo debut, Jaime, on September 20 via ATO Records. She shared the leadoff track, “History Repeats” today.

“‘History Repeats’ is as much a personal song as it is a song about us as a human species. Our times of success may propel us forward, but our repeating failures hold us back from evolving into harmony,” says Howard.

Howard recorded the album after a cross-country drive that took her from Nashville to a small house in Topanga, CA – a rustic Los Angeles county town wedged between the mountains and the beach. She titled the album after her sister, who taught her to play the piano and write poetry, and who died of cancer when they were still teenagers.

“The title is in memoriam, and she definitely did shape me as a human being,” says Howard. “But, the record is not about her. It’s about me. I’m pretty candid about myself and who I am and what I believe. Which is why I needed to do it on my own. I turned 30 and I was like, ‘What do I want the rest of my life to look like? Do I want to play the same songs until I’m 50 and then retire, or do I do something that’s scarier for me? Do I want people to understand me and know me, do I want to tell them my story? I’m very private, but my favorite work is when people are being honest and really doing themselves.”

Howard examines spiritual ritual on the project on the track “He Loves Me” and celebrates love with “Georgia.” “Goat Head” is informed by her experience of growing up as a mixed-race child in the South while “13^th Century Metal” grew out of jazz-based keyboard player Robert Glasper and drummer Nate Smith jamming in the studio.

Howard will support the album with a North American tour, which includes two-night stands at intimate venues in Asheville, NC, Washington, DC and Los Angeles. The headline run will also include shows at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville (Aug. 19) and New York City’s Beacon Theatre. Howard and her band made their live debut last week at the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

The fan ticket pre-sale begins today and tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, June 28. Every online ticket purchased for the U.S. dates on the fall tour will include a CD of the new album, Jaime.

1. History Repeats
2. He Loves Me
3. Georgia
4. Stay High
5. Tomorrow
6. Short and Sweet
7. 13^th Century Metal
8. Baby
9. Goat Head
10. Presence
11. Run To Me