Writer. Editor. These are my short radio stories.

Sound & Color – the follow-up to Alabama Shakes’ Gold-certified debut album, Boys & Girls, which earned the group three GRAMMY® nominations, including a nod for Best New Artist – will be released in North America on April 21 by ATO Records. Rough Trade will release the album in the UK/Europe on April 20. 

Sound & Color demonstrates the tremendous strides made by Alabama Shakes since the release of 2012’s Boys & Girls. From the gently swaying, chiming title song to the garage-rock freak-out on “The Greatest” to the psychedelic space jam “Gemini,” Alabama Shakes build on the soulful blues-rock base and map a surprising, innovative new direction. 

“We took our time to write this record, and I’m really glad we did,” says lead singer/guitarist Brittany Howard. “We were able to sit down and think about what’s exciting to us. This record is full of genre-bending songs.”

Sound & Color was recorded at Nashville’s Sound Emporium studio. The band co-produced the album with Blake Mills—a young guitar wizard who has helmed sessions by Sara Watkins and Sky Ferreira, and played alongside everyone from Norah Jones and the Dixie Chicks to Lana Del Ray and Kid Rock. 

The success of Boys & Girls paved the way for Alabama Shakes – comprising lead singer/guitarist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell, drummer Steve Johnson, and touring keyboard players Ben Tanner and Paul Horton – to become one of the most celebrated live acts in the world, as they delivered unforgettable performances everywhere from “Saturday Night Live” to the main stages of festivals like Bonnaroo and Glastonbury. Boys & Girls charted in the Top 10 in both the U.S. and the U.K. and "Hold On," the Gold-certified lead single, was voted the #1 Best Song of 2012 by Rolling Stone.


damn i’m feeling so sexistential
march 27th.

Sisters Leah and Chloe Smith founded Rising Appalachia on their back porch in Georgia, playing simple fiddle and banjo melodies and leaning into their families rich musical traditions. It has since become a globally recognized Americana and world folk ensemble, celebrating a unique blend of Southern-rooted music, storytelling, and community. The band features David Brown (bass, guitar), Duncan Wickel (fiddle, cello), and Biko Casini (percussion), and infuses music with a unique tapestry of Appalachian, Irish and traditional influence but stays connected to simple songwriting. Rising Appalachia has captivated audiences for nearly 2 decades, from busking in New Orleans to touring Europe, and has been featured at prestigious venues like Red Rocks, Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Woodford Folk Fest. Their performances at NPR's Tiny Desk and Preservation Jazz Hall have solidified their status in the folk music scene. Breaking industry norms, the band's approach to music is as much an artistic statement as it is a movement, culminating in their newest album, 'Folk and Anchor' a carefully curated collection of cover songs. This project includes remakes from Bob Dylan to James Blake, Erykah Badu to Beyonce and showcases their eclectic style, inviting listeners into a rich musical journey.

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