Brittany Howard on Prince, breakup songs and giving 'everything and leaving nothing'

Transcript

TERRY GROSS, HOST:

This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. Brittany Howard has returned to our show for a second visit to talk about her new solo album and more. She became well known as the singer guitarist and songwriter fronting the band Alabama Shakes. The band's second album, "Sound And Color," debuted No. 1 on the Billboard 200. In 2015, Howard received Billboard's Women in Music Powerhouse Award. She recently released her second solo album called "What Now." Her first solo album received a Grammy award, and she received four Grammys with Alabama Shakes. In her new album, you can hear the influences of soul singers, Prince, who she knew, and dance music.

The last time she was on our show, we talked about growing up in the small town of Athens, Alabama. Her father owned a junkyard and their home was in the middle of it. That home was struck by lightning and burned down when she was about 8. At the same time, her 13-year-old sister was dying from a rare form of eye cancer. Howard had it too, but survived, although one eye has only partial vision. She used her sister's name, "Jaime," as the title of her first solo album, which was dedicated to Jaime. It was released in 2019. Let's start with a track from her new album, "What Now." The song is called "Power To Undo." She wrote and produced it. She sings and plays guitar.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "POWER TO UNDO")

BRITTANY HOWARD: (Singing) Yes, I miss the way that you used to hold me like I was holy. OK, oh, yeah, I know I used to miss the way you loved me. I'm not that lonely. You have the power to undo everything that I want but I won't let you. You have the power to undo everything that I want but I won't let you. You have the power to undo everything that I want.

(Singing) What kind of love is that? How could you want me back after the damage is done, after the love is dead and gone? After the tears that I cried, how could you want to dry my eyes? How could you? How could you? How could you? How could you? How could you? How could you? How could you? How could you? How could? You have the power to undo everything that I want but I won't let you. You have the power to undo everything that I want but I won't let you. You have the power to undo...

GROSS: Brittany Howard, welcome back to FRESH AIR. I love the new album. It is a pleasure to have you back on the show. The instrumental break on that - I really love it, and it seems to fit in so well with the song. It brings to mind conflict 'cause there's so many conflicting rhythms and sounds. And the song is called "Power To Undo," and it's about the power dynamic in a relationship. And that, like, fuzz guitar or buzzy guitar - it reminds me almost a 60-cycle hum, which is the unwanted sonic interference from an electrical appliance or wire. So it seems to really relate to unwanted noise from electric power and unwanted conflict from the power dynamic in the relationship. Would you say something about whether I'm crazy in hearing that or not (laughter)?

HOWARD: Yeah. You know, I feel like you're right on the nose. Like, I knew I wanted that section or really overall song to feel really mechanical. The song to me is about riding this boundary line between breaking free into a life you deserve and going back to the comfort of dysfunctional love and kind of what you've gotten used to. And it's hard breaking into something that you don't know anything about. What is it going to be like? Who am I going to be there? And it feels sticky, and it feels just - yeah, like you said, very rusty. It's like moving these new joints you've never used before and kind of oiling yourself up with, like, this confidence that you're going to be OK. You know, and I really wanted the instruments to convey that.

GROSS: How does an instrumental break like that get mixed in your mind? Like, before you're in the studio, what are you hearing in your head? Are you hearing all these conflicting sounds that you know you want to get, or do you figure it out in the studio as you're playing?

HOWARD: For "Power To Undo," I only had so much of the demo complete. So basically, imagine I had a verse, of course, a verse, and then that was it. And everything from there on is you're just - you're just pulling from the ether. And usually, I go by feeling whenever I'm constructing a track. I try not to get too logical about it, try not to think too far ahead. And this is one of those instances where I just was like, OK, I'll just pick up my guitar and turn it on the nastiest setting I got and just go from there - really play from a place of, like, how does it feel to try to change when you're so used to this way of being. And so what happened was I created this kind of, like, symphony of distorted guitar all pushing against the rhythm and pushing against itself, like, kind of fighting for getting out of this one box, and it stays in there for the longest time, you know?

GROSS: Yeah (laughter). So is there a story behind that song? Were you in a relationship that that song is describing?

HOWARD: I had just left a relationship, and it was very, very hard not to go back. There was a lot of dynamics going on that I was just so used to and kind of, like, comforted by. But it wasn't necessarily good for me. And I knew I had broke free when I wrote this song. There was this calling for me to come back to it, go back to it. You can work it out. It'll be different. It's all going to work out if you just try harder. But there was also a part of me that was just so tired of trying, and I didn't want to try to fit into that person that I needed to be to exist in that relationship. And it was scary to change and to transform who I was to just being me alone, worrying about myself. And it was a really difficult time. It was a really difficult time not turning around and going back to what I was used to.

GROSS: There's two lines that really stand out in my mind - you've got the power to undo everything that I want, but I won't let you. And the other is, like, you have the power because I gave it to you. Can you talk about that second line - you have the power because I gave it to you?

HOWARD: Well, it's true. I realized that I was allowing myself to become small. I was actually going out of my way to find ways not to shine too bright or to take up too much space. So I was just participating in the dynamic by squashing myself down to make myself fit like a soggy puzzle piece.

GROSS: Why did you feel the urge to do that, the need to do that?

HOWARD: Just to stay because I thought that was love. I thought that's what love was was making it work, by any means necessary, which, of course, I know is not love - not a love I want to participate in anyway.

GROSS: Would you consider this one of the songs that was influenced by Prince?

HOWARD: Yeah, I'd say so.

GROSS: What was his role in your life as a listener and as someone who was helped by him?

HOWARD: Well, ever since I had ears, I was listening to Prince. That was an artist in my mixed household that everybody could agree was good. So, you know, I came up listening through all his albums, and also was listening to a lot of his inspirations as well. And that's really how I learned about music was just listening to the radio. I never had any formal education, and I was just very curious about everything. And I was curious why Prince was so good. And I just kept listening as if I was ever going to figure it out. I mean, he's good 'cause he's good, and...

GROSS: (Laughter) Yeah.

HOWARD: ...In the end. But he always was someone I went back to throughout my life and throughout my being a student of music. I would always go back to him because he was always reaching outside of genre, and he was always just experimenting, and I just find experimentation really fascinating, especially when you're kind of experimenting within pop music. That makes it really interesting.

GROSS: You played in Paisley Park, right?

HOWARD: That's right.

GROSS: Can you tell the story of how that happened and what the experience was like?

HOWARD: Yeah. So, you know, the Shakes album, Shakes on tour - we're headed to Minneapolis, and we get this phone call, which is basically like, Prince wants you to play Paisley Park tomorrow. And I know that we needed to go to Canada or something like that, but, you know, Prince calls you, you make it work. So we switched everything around on the tour, go to Paisley Park, and there's, like, some rules, which is like, no cussing, and don't eat any meat, you know, anything like that, no smoking.

And we get there. And I mean, it's just like this - I just remember, like, walking into this giant warehouse. Like, think of it like there's two parts to this warehouse, and it's connected by this giant double door. And when you first walk in, there's like a stage, and there's, like, the motorcycle from "Purple Rain." And also, there's this giant projector on the wall that's playing the movie "Madagascar," which is very strange. And we walk up to our dressing room, and we all can't believe that we're here.

We're all chattering, are we going to meet Prince? Are we going to meet Prince? And then, yeah, Prince sends an assistant to come grab us. And I bring everybody with me. It was, like, 15 of us. And we all go and sit in his little studio, and there he is, and he's, like, wearing all beige, and he's got some little beige Toms on his feet. And we sat down and we chatted, and he was a very delightful and funny person. He's, like, so charming. And he had this very deep voice. And we're all laughing and chatting. And then he says, I really like that song you have, "Gimme All Your Love." I'd like to play that with y'all tonight. What key is it in? And I panic 'cause I'm just drinking that in. You know, I'm trying to process that - Prince wants to play our song with us. He likes our song. You know, there's a lot I'm going through. And I forgot what key it is in, but our guitar player Heath was like, it's in F sharp, whatever.

He's like, OK, I'm going to come out and play that with y'all tonight. And I'm like, wow. So I'm going to fast-forward. We're playing the show. It gets to the time where he's supposed to come join us on stage. So we're playing "Gimme All Your Love," right? And it comes to the part about all the way, like, three-quarters through the song. It's the bridge section. And I'm looking for Prince and I'm not seeing him, so I guess I went, well, he must have changed his mind.

That's OK. It's a lot of pressure. You know, no problem. So we start playing, we go through the bridge. All of a sudden, he just jumps out of nowhere. I mean, the stage must have been like six feet tall. He just jumps up there, like a gazelle. Now Prince is standing next to me, and I'm like, oh. So I tell the guys, I'm like, OK, OK, just keep repeating the section. We're just go to do it over again.

And he proceeds to just, like, play the most electrifying solo. And everybody in the audience is so excited. And I'm so excited. And then me and him kind of swap solos a little bit. And then we end the song together. And he kisses me on the cheek, and he jumps off the stage and vanishes into thin air. And I never saw him again.

GROSS: It must have been thrilling.

HOWARD: Oh, it was thrilling. Yeah. And then, I mean, I'm like, on a high. Like, I can't believe what just happened after the show, you know. So I'm next to the bus. We're all loading it back up. You know, we're going to head to Canada. And then I get a phone call, and it's Prince. And he says, did you have fun? And I was like, oh, I did have fun. Yeah, it was the best. You know, I'm geeking out. I'm trying to keep it cool, but it's leaking out of me. Like, I'm giddy.

GROSS: Well, I'm glad you had that chance...

HOWARD: Me too.

GROSS: ...To work with him, be with him, be anointed by him (laughter) - somebody who is worthy of him. Yeah. Well, let's take a short break here, and then we'll hear more of your music and we'll talk some more. This is FRESH AIR.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "PURPLE RAIN")

PRINCE: (Vocalizing).

GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. Let's get back to my interview with Brittany Howard, and she used to front the band Alabama Shakes. She's a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer. She left the band to go solo, and she's released her second solo album. And it's called "What Now."

So I want to play another song from "What Now." And this is called "Samson." And it's not quite a break-up song. It's an, I can't make up my mind about whether to break up song, which seems to be a pattern. It's about being split in two about what to do, whether to break up or not. Do you want to say something about writing it before we hear it?

HOWARD: I mean, I feel like you hit the nail on the head with this one. It's definitely in this position of trying to make a decision, and there's sort of a dreaminess when you don't know what to do. You're in your head a lot. And you're in this space where you're playing out each scenario. So it's almost liminal. You're not really taking action, and that kind of puts you deeper in the spiral and in this dream state of overthinking, overanalyzing. And, yeah, I just wanted to create a song that felt like that.

GROSS: So, let's hear it. This is "Samson" from Brittany Howard's new solo album, which is called "What Now."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SAMSON")

HOWARD: (Singing) I'm split in two. I don't know what I want to do. I'm split in two. Should I stick with you? I don't know how I'm going to choose. I'm split in two. I don't want to be here. I don't want to hurt you. I know that I've been checked out. I know I need to come to. I know I'm not the person you were introduced to. It's getting harder not to disappoint you. It's getting harder not to disappoint you. I'm split in two. I don't know what I'm going to do. It's me or you. I'm split in two. I don't know how I'm going to tell the truth. I'm split in two. I can't get used to being who you need me to choose. I'm split in two. I'm split in two. I'm split in two.

GROSS: So that was the song "Samson" from my guest Brittany Howard's new solo album, "What Now. " So, again, there's a few lines I really particularly like in this. And here's a couple of them. I know I'm not the person you were introduced to, and it's getting harder not to disappoint you. And when you say, I'm not the person you were introduced to, I was wondering if the person who was being referred to in the song, assuming that it's, you know, autobiographical in some way, if they were introduced to you as Brittany Howard, in, like capital letters, like Brittany Howard, like, the powerful singer onstage. And then offstage, you're just, you know, Brittany Howard - do you know what I mean? - and if you felt that you were disappointing her because you weren't the onstage powerhouse, you know, when you were offstage.

HOWARD: Yeah. You know, that's kind of the blessing and curse of being a well-known singer and performer. There's always the opportunity that they have to get to know you before they know you. And they have this idea of who you might be. And I think there's this, you know, period of a few months where they're learning who you really are. And over time, I've become aware of that. And it's always scary because, you know, like, what if they don't actually like who I am and how I can have ups and downs, too, like anybody else? It's not all bright lights and shiny, happy things happening. Like, I'm a full, complex human being, and I really wanted to write a line about that - yeah - scenario.

GROSS: So we've heard two songs of yours that are kind of breakup songs or I'm-not-sure-if-I-should-break-up songs. And you broke up with your band, Alabama Shakes, because you wanted to go solo. I think it's fair to say your music got very personal after that. Like, the first solo album you recorded was dedicated to your late sister, Jaime. And, you know, there were one or two songs about her death when she was 13. Are those songs you feel like you could have done or couldn't have done with the band?

HOWARD: I think there was a lot of healing that happened after I took my time away from the Shakes because I finally got to slow down and look at how much life had changed, which - the change was remarkable. I needed to put my feet back on the ground and figure out who I am now and what matters to me. And part of it was a healing where I could - I don't know. It's hard to put into words. Like, I know my sister would be so proud, you know? I got out of the junk yard, and I got out of Athens, Ala., and I could see the world. I'd hear different languages and see different cultures and experience the sun in different places of the world and see the ocean.

You know, it's kind of emotional when I think about how different my life has become because of music. And I do know that I love music as much as I do because of my sister. And she was, like, my first teacher and someone I looked up to so greatly, and so I just wanted to say thank you.

GROSS: Well, let's take another break here, and then we'll talk some more. If you're just joining us, my guess is Brittany Howard, and her new album - her solo album is called "What Now." We'll be right back after a short break. I'm Terry Gross, and this is FRESH AIR.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ON YOUR WAY")

ALABAMA SHAKES: (Singing) On your way to God, did you think of me? On your way to heaven, did you say, I'll see you again? (Vocalizing). It wasn't me. Why wasn't it me? On your way to the promised land, did you say, oh, she was such a friend? Then they took you higher, and I don't know if I can follow.

GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. Let's get back to my interview with singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer Brittany Howard. She fronted the band Alabama Shakes before leaving to start her solo career. Her new album, "What Now," is her second solo album.

I want to play another song from "What Now," your new solo album. And this is a song called "I Don't." Do you want to say a few words about writing it before we hear it?

HOWARD: Yeah. "I Don't" is a song I always wanted to write. It's basically just like - to me, it's like the antithesis of "Stay High." It's like, "Stay High" is all about staying in this beautiful moment and having fun and being connected. And "I Don't" is about not even remembering what that feels like.

GROSS: Where was your head at when you wrote it?

HOWARD: Too much work. I was working too much, and I just wanted to feel connected again. And so I wrote this song to just kind of make fun of myself a little bit.

GROSS: Let's hear it.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I DON'T")

HOWARD: (Singing) I don't. I don't. I don't. All work and no play makes me a very sad one. Does anyone remember what it felt like to laugh all night, all night, and sleep in late, so late, not worry about anyone or anything? Well, I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. All work and no play makes me a very sad one.

GROSS: That was "I Don't" from Brittany Howard's new album, "What Now." So you have several different voices when you sing. And the voice on this seems to me to be influenced by soul singers, male soul singers who sang in falsettos, like, say, Curtis Mayfield. Have those singers been an influence on you?

HOWARD: Oh, yeah, like, absolutely. I love groups like that. I love - I think this one to me, is, like, Delfonics or The Aquatics.

GROSS: Yeah.

HOWARD: Yeah, it was like, these groups singing about love and singing so earnestly night after night, wearing the matching suits and having all the hand gestures down. There's something so romantic about it - such a time and a place, and very nostalgic.

GROSS: A little Philly sound.

HOWARD: A little Philly sound. And I wanted to bring the idea of that and the nostalgia of it into this nostalgic song about having fun and being connected to your friends and experiencing life with joy in it, not just like this black-and-white color of I'm working, I'm working, I'm working. I can't see you right now. I'm too tired. I'm working.

GROSS: You grew up in a small town in Alabama, and your mother is white. Your father is Black. Alabama was such a hardcore segregated state. How much did you feel the after effects of that growing up?

HOWARD: My parents did a really good job of protecting me until I was older and I could see things for myself. When I was younger, it felt completely natural to have a family that's half Black and half white, and I was loved by both, and I loved them both. And would I say they were remarkably different? Not not at the base. It's all about love, and it's all about having fun with each other, enjoying each other, listening to music together, you know?

And when I started getting older, like, teenage years, started noticing that some of my schoolmates - you know, they're from different backgrounds, different colors. People would get upset when they would date each other. Or I can't tell my father I'm dating so-and-so because he'll get upset because so-and-so's Black. There was that. Going to parties and hearing the N word. Don't invite them. What are you doing here? Well, you're not like that. Like, just - I was just like, what the hell is going on out here?

And it was like these curtains were rolled back, and I was seeing a lot of racism. And I thought it had just arrived. So I go over to my mother, and I'm like, I'm hearing these things and seeing these things. And did you experience this? And my mother just started telling me, like, all these stories about what it was like raising us, like her being a white woman raising two little brown children, and the looks she got and the comments she got. Her just trying to take us to the grocery store would be a whole, like, moment. Like, at any time, someone could come up to her and just say, look what you've done. I can't believe you did that. You know, my mom went through a lot. My father went through a lot as well. It was like the whole community was against them, 'cause they - you know, 'cause they fell in love.

GROSS: Were there places that were white or black neighborhoods where you didn't feel it was safe for you to go?

HOWARD: I mean, listen, there were definitely some places I didn't want to go because I would feel uncomfortable. And those weren't ever the Black spaces. I felt completely comfortable in the Black spaces. But there were some white spaces, especially that belonged to older white men, that I knew that I would feel uncomfortable and would not be welcome, and they would not talk to me or try to get to know me in any way or form. I just kind of felt like an outlier. So I wouldn't put myself in those situations. I wouldn't go to those places.

GROSS: I know your mother collected Elvis Presley records, and it sounds like maybe exclusively (laughter) Elvis records. So you must have heard a lot of Elvis Presley growing up.

HOWARD: Oh, yes.

GROSS: There's something about him that reminds me of you, which is that he had a lot of different voices, he could sound like Lonnie Johnson or Dean Martin, or - like, there's one track from one of his movies. I forget what the track is, but I heard it on satellite radio, and he sounded almost like Chet Baker. And then there's just like Elvis-Elvis, the kind of Elvis that doesn't sound like anybody else. You have different voices too. You have a kind of falsetto voice and a more kind of like belting voice and a quieter voice. Do you feel connected to him through that idea of, like, one person can sing in different ways, and it's OK?

HOWARD: I never really thought about it like that. I'm not consciously trying to reproduce anything Elvis has done. I think it's part of my musical history. But when I'm using different voices, it's usually for the purpose of giving different feelings a voice, like, giving them context in the music because, like, for me, anytime I'm doing music is just to express the way that something feels, you know? So sometimes if I'm being more vulnerable, it's a tiny voice. It's a smaller voice. It's a voice that's scared. And when I'm feeling more powerful, that's a time I'm going to use this roar and this ferocity. You know, it's always just an expression.

GROSS: Well, let's take another break here and then we'll talk some more. If you're just joining us, my guest is Brittany Howard. Her new solo album is called "What Now." We'll be right back. This is FRESH AIR.

(SOUNDBITE OF BRITTANY HOWARD SONG, "PROVE IT TO YOU")

GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. Let's get back to my interview with Brittany Howard. She's a singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer. She used to front the band Alabama Shakes. Her new solo album, "What Now, " is her second solo album.

So we have to talk about living in what you think was a haunted house. Where was the house, and what made you think it was haunted?

HOWARD: OK, so it was my great-grandmother's house. It's in Athens, Ala. My great-grandfather built it. So it's, like, a big house, but it's very confusing inside because they went on to have, like, 12 kids, my great-grandparents, so it's like a maze. It's like a labyrinth inside. And it's very homemade. Like, the walls don't have insulation. Like, he didn't know what he was doing. But, you know, that's ultimately where I ended up living. So you can think of the house as being, like, a duplex. And the whole thing was kind of, like, painted gray, and it had, like, maybe five doors going in and out of the house.

And me and my mother decided to move in with my great-grandma because she had been robbed. Someone went in and robbed her, and she was scared. So we took part of the duplex and turned it into a place to live. We built a kitchen and built a laundry room. And my great-grandmother was a little bit of a hoarder so we had to get rid of a lot of stuff, and then we could move in. And we lived there for several, several months until, unfortunately, my great-grandmother passed away from complications with diabetes.

And so, at that point, we didn't know where we were going to live, because now we have a landlord, and we didn't know if he's going to let us stay. But ultimately, he said, hey, this house has fallen apart. So if you guys just stay in it, cut the grass, you can live there for free. OK, great.

GROSS: Oh, wow.

HOWARD: So, yeah, you know, it was an interesting place to live, wouldn't say it was super, super nice, but it was free. You know, it was a roof over the head, and it would only leak sometimes. And so, my mother eventually gets married, and she moves out. So now it's just me in this house. And I had noticed, like, sometimes weird things would happen. But my mother lived with me at the time, so I just didn't - I just thought it was her, or I thought it was some raccoons. But once I lived alone, I really had nothing to blame it on. And it was as if the haunting, the ghost - whatever it is, I don't know - was, like, now targeting me. So I would see things like cabinets slam open - like, open with a force - doors slam open. They would slam open so hard, it would hit the wall and then, like, reverberate, like do-do, do-do, do-do.

And so I started chaining doors shut so that that just wouldn't surprise me. And I would get locked out of the house. The house had, like, these old-school, like, huge slide locks. And I remember one time, I was sitting on the back porch after work on the phone with my friend. And I would hear the slide lock because it had a very distinct sound when it would close. And I had heard it. And I was like, what? So I go to check the door and I had been locked out. So I run around the house and go through the front door, come through, and sure enough, that lock had been locked.

So then, you know, I had a machete. It was my home defense machete - don't ask. I just had one. And so I got the machete out and I ran through the whole house searching everything to see if somebody was in my house, but, you know, no one was there. And then it all just kind of, like, culminated into this, like, growling that I could not place where the growling was coming from. And it was just really intense. And I started hearing footsteps around the house. And then I just stopped sleeping because I was just, like, really terrified all the time, or I would go sleep in my father's house or something like that. And, yeah, one day I just decided I had enough. And I packed up in one day, packed up the whole house, and moved in with my dad - just couldn't do it no more. It's very haunted, the house.

GROSS: That must have been very frightening. But did it make you question your sanity?

HOWARD: No, I never questioned my sanity because other people who would be at my house would have experiences. So I knew that whatever was happening was happening to other people as well. Like, one of my friends, he was playing - we were, like, going over a song. He was playing bass with me and all of a sudden, he stops playing. And I look at him and I go, why did you stop playing? We were doing good. And I look at his face, and it's like a sheet and his eyes are wide. And he just says, I'm going to get out here. And I was like, why? But apparently, he had heard somebody whisper in his ear. So just stuff like that was going on, you know, so I didn't think I was crazy at all.

GROSS: So what's happened to the house since you moved out?

HOWARD: It's still sitting there. And I'm just going to say this, I hope nobody buys it because they're in for quite the adventure with that one.

GROSS: Did your great-grandmother ever complain?

HOWARD: No, she never complained. But I don't know if anybody - there was so many people living in that house when they all lived there, you know? I'm just not sure if she...

GROSS: Because she could always think it was somebody, like, one of the kids slamming a door or whatever.

HOWARD: Yeah.

GROSS: Yeah.

HOWARD: Yeah, or she would have a renter. So there was always someone to blame it on.

GROSS: When you started performing, you were told - or maybe it was even before that. You were told you didn't look the part of a lead singer. Who told you that?

HOWARD: Oh, man, it started in high school. Like, I wanted to be in a band so bad from the time I was 11 years old. When I was 11, I saw a band to play for the first time. It was just, like, some kids I went to high school with. And it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. Like, I couldn't even really tell you what they sound like today, but I just remember it opening up a door inside of me. And I said, that's what I want to do.

So then I began hunting for musicians to play with me. And a lot of people would not want to play with me because of the way I looked. Like, I didn't look like a lead singer. And then I could feel it. The first time the Shakes got on stage, it was at this little place called The Brick Deli. And it's a real cool place. You know, the owners - they were totally open to us playing. But I do remember walking on stage and people being like, what is this about to sound like? You could feel it.

GROSS: When you were told that you didn't look like a lead singer, did you have confidence in yourself or in your music?

HOWARD: When people would judge me on the way I looked when I would get on stage - and, you know, there was a long time we were playing shows, y'all, that nobody knew who we were. It made me ferocious, and it made me sing harder and sing louder and perform just as hard as I could perform. It drove me 'cause no matter what, there's one thing you can't deny. And the one thing you can't deny is that I am giving it everything and leaving nothing.

GROSS: That's exhausting; isn't it?

HOWARD: Oh, it was super-exhausting, of course.

GROSS: So you needed a break.

HOWARD: Yeah. I needed a break. Yes, I needed to reevaluate.

GROSS: Was it also because you were angry about something?

HOWARD: Yeah. I think I was angry about a lot of things, I think some of them probably subconscious, some of them maybe even genetic. Maybe I was angry for people in my family I hadn't even met before, like my great-great-grandma. I was angry for my grandma for being silenced and for being underpaid, overworked, probably based on the color of her skin. I was angry for the way my father was raised and the things that had happened to him just for falling in love with my mother. I was angry for things that didn't even belong to me.

And then, of course, I was also just angry at not having anything, you know? We grew up in a junkyard. And, of course, my father and my mother did everything they could to make everywhere we live feel like a home. But I was just angry because I felt like I didn't have any options. I didn't have any opportunities. And I knew I was a smart kid, and I knew there were so many things I wanted to do. But it was almost like being told no all the time. And that had a lot to do with just not having anything or knowing anybody, you know? So there's lots of anger, and I got to shout it out night after night.

GROSS: We need to take another break here, so let me reintroduce you. If you're just joining us, my guest is Brittany Howard. Her new solo album is called "What Now." We'll be right back. This is FRESH AIR.

HOWARD: (Singing) You have the power because I gave it to you. You have the power. You have the power because I gave it to you. You have the power. You have the power because I gave it to you. You have the power. You have the...

GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. Let's get back to my interview with singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer Brittany Howard. She used to front the band Alabama Shakes. Her new album, "What Now," is her second solo album.

So you came out when you were 25. Where were you in your performing career at the time?

HOWARD: Twenty-five. That - I feel like that's when the Shakes were real big, you know? We were getting, like, some gold records and platinum records and things like that. It was going very well.

GROSS: You probably have, like, different sets of followers. Do you feel like you developed a gay following, a queer following that felt like a community to you?

HOWARD: Oh, yeah, definitely. I mean, my favorite shows are the ones that are filled with queer people, gay people, trans people, all of these people that just know what it's like to not be accepted for who you really are because we get to join together and raise our voices and just being joyous to be seeing each other, especially be seeing each other happy. It makes me emotional just thinking about those crowds, you know?

GROSS: You've recorded some tracks that sound, you know, kind of like dance music. I can easily hear it being played in a club. Was that something kind of new for you when you went solo?

HOWARD: Yeah. You know, I told myself, if you're going to go solo, you need to do whatever you want and however you want to do it. And I always told myself I was going to stick to that. It was such a large decision to make. And it was ultimately so I could just be creatively free - free to fail, free to not tour, free to not make money, free to be successful, just free, you know? And so I wanted to make a dance song (laughter) because it felt good. And that's what I did. And I didn't stop myself from putting it on the album.

GROSS: Which do you think is the danciest (ph) of the dance songs?

HOWARD: Definitely "Prove It To You" is the four on the floor.

GROSS: Great. That's the one I was about to play next. So why don't we hear it? This is "Prove It To You" from Brittany Howard's new album, "What Now."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "PROVE IT TO YOU")

HOWARD: (Singing) I've never been any good at falling in love. I fall so hard. I never get up. Don't hurt me, girl. I can't take it no more. Make me ask what I'm doing it for 'cause I love the way you make me feel. I hope I do it for you, baby. All I want to do is prove it to you. All I want to do is prove it to you. All I want to do is prove it to you.

GROSS: That was "Prove It To You" from Brittany Howard's new album, "What Now." Do you dance?

HOWARD: I do dance.

GROSS: Can you go to clubs anymore, or are you too well-known to do that?

HOWARD: No. You know, I got a real nice level of fame. It's like, just nice people come up and say, oh, I love your work so much. Keep doing you. And then I go, hey, thank you so much. And it feels nice. And then I go about my business. And it's wonderful. It's really wonderful.

GROSS: Well, that's great. Finally, before we have to end, Brittany, I'm wondering how your life as a performer compares with the life you imagined when you imagined what it was like to be a well-known performer.

HOWARD: That's a very good question. I remember Zac Cockrell - you know, he plays bass with me and bassist for Alabama Shakes - we used to stand on the porch of that haunted house I was telling you about. And after rehearsal, we'd stand on the porch and just kind of wrap it up, talk about what we want to change, what we want to do next week. And I remember I looked at him and I said, Zac, would you quit your job if we could actually have the opportunity to go on tour? And he said to me, I don't know, maybe - I really like my job (laughter). He was working as a vet tech. And that really blew my mind, that he'd have to think about it.

But I knew what I would do. I'd drop everything in a second just to be able to play shows, to actually play our music to people. So it blows my mind that now we headline festivals, and we have sold out huge venues, that I've met all these people that I admire, these other musicians that I have looked up to can say that they admire me, too. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be interviewed by you, Terry Gross. And It's all been kind of a wonderful dream filled with ups and downs, and it's still going. I can never predict what's going to happen, and that's my philosophy now. You never know.

GROSS: How do your parents feel about your success?

HOWARD: Man, my parents are so proud. They're my biggest fans, for sure, especially my dad, because he wants to go to everything. My dad, KJ Howard - Athens, Ala., shoutout - I love him so much, man. He wants to go to all the events. He loves celebrities. He wants to take pictures with everybody. And I'm kind of not like that. I'm, like, a little more, like, internal, you know? But he very much wants to meet Eddie Murphy. He wants to meet, you know, Oprah. And so I take him with me, and I kind of live vicariously through him.

GROSS: Did you meet Oprah and Eddie Murphy?

HOWARD: I met Eddie Murphy, but I was too shy to meet Oprah. But my dad - because she had big bodyguards, but my dad just walked right past them bodyguards and shook her hand. Yes, he did.

GROSS: (Laughter) Did you have to, like, apologize on his behalf?

HOWARD: I didn't say anything. I just pretended like I didn't know him.

(LAUGHTER)

GROSS: Brittany Howard, it's been a pleasure to talk with you again. Thank you so much for coming back to FRESH AIR.

HOWARD: Thanks so much for having me. Always a honor and a privilege to be here.

GROSS: Brittany Howard's new album is called "What Now." If you'd like to catch up on interviews you missed, check out our podcast. You'll find lots of interviews, including this week's with comic Nikki Glaser and Paul W. Downs, the co-creator and co-star of the series "Hacks." He's nominated for two Emmys. To find out what's happening behind the scenes of our show and get our producers' recommendations for what to watch, read and listen to, subscribe to our free newsletter at whyy.org/freshair.

FRESH AIR's executive producer is Danny Miller. Our technical director and engineer is Audrey Bentham. Our interviews and reviews are produced and edited by Phyllis Myers, Roberta Shorrock, Ann Marie Baldonado, Sam Briger, Lauren Krenzel, Therese Madden, Susan Nyakundi, Joel Wolfram and Monique Nazareth. Our digital media producer is Molly Seavy-Nesper. Thea Chaloner directed today's show. Our co-host is Tonya Mosley. I'm Terry Gross.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "HOLD ON")

ALABAMA SHAKES: (Singing) Bless my heart. Bless my soul - didn't think I'd make it to 22 years old. There must be someone up above saying, come on, Brittany, you got to come on up. You got to hold on. Yeah, you got to hold on. So bless my hear and bless yours, too. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.