Watch Brittany Howard’s Unapologetically Dynamic ‘What Now’ Performance For ‘Austin City Limits’

Singer-songwriter Brittany Howard returns to Austin City Limits in an episode airing on PBS this Saturday, October 26 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT (check local listings). A preview of Howard’s 50th anniversary season performance of the title track to her recently released album, What Now, premieres exclusively below.

The Nashville-based Howard made her ACL debut in 2021. Her return appearance sees Howard backed by an eight-piece band including vocalists Shanay Johnson and Karita Law, drummer Nate Smith, guitarists Brad Allen Williams and Alex Chakour, keyboardists Paul Horton and Lloyd Buchanan, and Howard’s Alabama Shakes bandmate, bassist Zac Cockrell.

“Live music is such an important thing, you know,” Howard said from the ACL stage. “I saw my first live band play when I was 11 years old, and it was from that moment that I decided that this was what I wanted to do. And I studied hard and I worked real hard, taught myself how to play, and I taught myself how to write songs, and now I get to be here with all of y’all.”

Howard’s 13-song ACL set consisted of selections from What Now, alongside other career highlights. Released in February, What Now was co-produced by Howard with longtime collaborator Shawn Everett at Nashville’s Sound Emporium and historic RCA Studio B.

Full Austin City Limits episodes can be viewed online at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately after the initial broadcast. Tune into PBS this Saturday, October 26 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT (check local listings) to watch Brittany Howard’s appearance on the 50th season of Austin City Limits.

Preview the episode by watching Brittany Howard perform “What Now,” as well as fellow album track, “I Don’t,” below: