Alabama Shakes announce first album in more than a decade
I Must Be Dreaming is the follow-up to 2015's Sound & Color
Multiple Grammy-winning blues rockers Alabama Shakes have announced their first album in more than a decade. I Must Be Dreaming will be released on August 28, and is the follow-up to 2015's Sound & Color.
Alabama Shakes, who returned to action last September with the single Another Life and followed it with American Dream in April, will release a third single from the album, I Feel Hope Coming, on Friday, having released a 25-second preview last week.
"This younger generation makes me feel hopeful because they can see through all the political lies," says frontwoman Brittany Howard. "That song's about holding onto that hope, and refusing to give up.
"I'm really happy that song exists," adds guitarist Heath Fogg. "It came from such a joyful moment of collaboration, and exemplifies everything I love about this band being reborn."
The band have also released a trailer for I Must Be Dreaming, which was produced at Sound Emporium Studios and Blackbird Studio in Nashville with producer Shawn Everett, who won two Grammys for his work on Sound & Color.
"There's a double meaning to it," Howard says of the album title. "It could be saying, 'I must be dreaming, because the world is so fucking crazy right now.' But it could also mean, 'I must be dreaming, because the world is so incredibly beautiful.' Both those things can be true at once."
I Must Be Dreaming is available to pre-order now.
Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!
Alabama Shakes are currently playing summer festivals in Europe, and will return to North America later this month. Full dates below.
Alabama Shakes: 2026 tour dates
Jul 07: Lucca Summer Festival, Italy
Jul 09: Lisbon NOS Alive Festival, Portugal
Jul 10: Bilbao BBK Live, Spain
Jul 11: Madrid Noches del Botánico, Spain
Jul 24: Tacoma Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park, WA+
Jul 25: Eugene Autzen Stadium^, OR
Jul 26: Vancouver Freedom Mobile Arch, BC+
Jul 28: Boise Idaho Botanical Garden: Outlaw Fiel, IDd+
Jul 29: Salt Lake City Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre, UT+
Jul 31: Jackson Hole Snow King Mountain, WY+
Aug 01: Jackson Hole Snow King Mountain, WY+
Aug 21: Highland Park Ravinia Festival, IL=
Aug 22: Indianapolis Ruoff Music Center, IN#
Aug 23: Maryland Heights Hollywood Casino Amphitheater, MO#
Aug 25: Grand Rapids Acrisure Amphitheater, MI#
Aug 26: Cincinnati Riverbend Music Center, OH#
Aug 28: Minneapolis Surly Brewing Festival Field, MN%
Aug 29: Minneapolis Surly Brewing Festival Field, MN%
Aug 30: Madison Breese Stevens Field, WI%
Sep 01: Bridgeport Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, CT%
Sep 02: New York Radio City Music Hall, NY%
Sep 04: Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, NY@
Sep 05: Lenox Tanglewood, MA@
Sep 06: Shelburne Concerts on The Green, VT$
Sep 15: Montreal MTELUS, QC$
Sep 16: Ottawa CityFolk Festival, ON
Sep 18: East Aurora Borderland Music Festival, NY
Sep 19: Dover The Woodlands, DE^
Sep 25: Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Bowl, CA*
Sep 26: Dana Point Ohana Festival, CA
• With Special Guest Joel Culpepper
+ With Special Guests Billy Allen + The Pollies
= With Special Guest Liam Kazar
# Co-Headline with Tedeschi Trucks Band
% With Special Guest Hannah Cohen
@ With Very Special Guest Mavis Staples
$ With Special Guest Emily King
^ Supporting Zach Bryan
* With Special Guest Tyler Ballgame

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. He once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, has flown on the Goodyear Blimp, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
