Alabama Shakes returns with a new album after 11 years and a reunion at a craft brewery gig

PUBLISHED Aug 27, 2026, 1:22 PM ET

Alabama Shakes will release “I Must Be Dreaming” Friday, marking the Grammy-winning group’s first studio album since 2015’s “Sound & Color.” The reunion grew from a late-2024 benefit performance at Druid City Brewing Company in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, after co-founder Bo Hicks invited Brittany Howard to perform. Howard contacted guitarist Heath Fogg and bassist Zac Cockrell, and rehearsals revived the trio’s musical partnership. The band subsequently recorded 11 songs in Nashville with producer Shawn Everett. The album combines psychedelic soul, love songs and socially focused material, including “I Feel Hope Coming” and “American Dream.” Official artist and label listings confirm the Aug. 28 release date and 11-track lineup. The group has also resumed touring, with 2026 performances across North America and Europe. Former drummer Steve Johnson is not part of the reunited lineup. The supplied story is broadly accurate, but its wording should be updated: the album remains unreleased as of today.

By Lauren Mitchell | JQJO News

Explain Framing

Left: Left coverage emphasizes protest themes, Trump, social justice, and Howard’s political voice. Center: Center coverage emphasizes reunion details, album release, touring, music, and verified chronology. Right: Evidence was insufficient for a distinct right-leaning framing.