Alabama Shakes Share ‘Another Life’ Single, 1st New Original Music Since 2015

In January, Alabama Shakes shared photos of the band at Nashville’s Sound Emporium recording studio captioned, “Working on some exciting stuff!” The recently reunited group shared the first taste of those sessions by releasing the single, “Another Life,” their first new original music in 10 years.

The Brittany Howard-fronted group’s most recent album was their Grammy-winning 2015 sophomore effort, Sound & Color. Alabama Shakes recorded a cover of “Killer Diller” for the 2017 film The American Epic Sessions.

The band went on hiatus in 2018 and Howard’s solo album Jaime, was issued the following year. Howard’s follow-up, What Now was released in 2024.

Alabama Shakes embarked on a tour this year, after reuniting during a surprise appearance last December. Howard was joined by bassist Zac Cockrell and guitarist Heath Fogg for their first public performance since 2017. Drummer Steve Johnson, who faced serious legal charges during the band’s hiatus, has not been involved in the new endeavors.

Producer/engineer Shawn Everett teamed up with Alabama Shakes on “Another Life.” Everett worked with Howard on Jaime and What Now.

Howard provided a statement regarding the first new Alabama Shakes song in a decade:

“When we wrote ‘Another Life,’ I was thinking about all the lives we carry. The ones we’re living right now, the ones that slipped away because of different choices, the what ifs, the what wasn’t meant to be, the goodbyes, and the chance encounters that feel divine.

“This song is about those threads and how they stretch across time and space, connecting every version of who we are. It’s about letting them come together, letting them harmonize, and realizing that goodbye isn’t really goodbye. It’s more like I’ll see you later. A collective story that never stops unfolding. I’m glad we opened this door into this reality of us making music together again.”

Alabama Shakes, who signed to Island Records earlier this year, “will be unleashing more music in the near future.” Listen to the band’s first new original music since 2015, the newly shared single, “Another Life,” below: