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MEET THE GRAMMY CLASS: ALABAMA SHAKES


What does a Grammy nomination mean to you, Brittany?
It’s a really special feeling, since we’re being recognized by our peers—and it feels extra special because we were able to do what we wanted creatively on this record. I feel honored to be in the company of so many incredible artists. When I look back on the last year, it just all feels surreal. I have a lot to be thankful for.

This isn’t your first Grammy nomination, though it’s your first for Album of the Year. What significance does that have for you?
As an artist, you always strive for people to love the album as a whole and not just one song. So this really means the world to us. Last week, I really thought back on the entire process, the songwriting, the recording, the mixing, the sequencing and artwork. There is so much that went into the record. It makes me feel really proud to be nominated for Album of the Year I can’t help thinking about the future and where we can go with the music, but for a second, I can sit back and be really proud of what we have done as a band.

What do you consider your career highlight of 2015?
I feel lucky, as there are many from 2015. Obviously, these Grammy nominations are something I’ll never forget. Musically, it was pretty special to be able to go to Prince’s place and play for him and have him jam with us.

Who played the biggest role in helping you define your sound on this record, and what did they do for you?
I think Sound & Color was a real team effort. We were really lucky to be able to work with Blake Mills (co-producer) and Shawn Everett (engineer and mixer). They put their heart and soul into this record and I am so happy they have been nominated as well—they deserve it. I didn’t know where we were going to end up with this record, but I knew I really wanted to try to go somewhere different from the last one. Blake and Shawn really pushed us on the songwriting and performance side. And sonically, I think we took it to another level thanks to those guys.

What music most influenced you when you began to write songs?
The music that I heard early on that influenced me was Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Memphis Minnie—and then, later on, David Bowie, Nina Simone, Sister Rosetta Tharpe. There were so many influences, but those are a few.

What are you working on now?
I am working on resting a bit—this has been a long year. It’s all been worth it, but I’m pretty tired and really looking forward to some downtime before we start back up next year.

What is your take on the state of rock nowadays? Do you expect electric guitars to have a bigger place at the table in the near future?
It’s not something I really think about too often. I like so many great guitar rock bands, like Drive-By Truckers, My Morning Jacket and many others, so to me it feels like the future is bright. But I’ll leave that kind of analysis to other folks in the industry.

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