Alabama Shakes Announce New Album 'I Must Be Dreaming,' Out August 28 via Island Records

Alabama Shakes have officially announced their third studio album, I Must Be Dreaming, set for release on August 28, 2026 via Island Records. It's the band's first new studio record in 11 years. The lineup now stands as a trio: vocalist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, and bassist Zac Cockrell. A new single, "I Feel Hope Coming," is due Thursday, July 10, ahead of the album.

Background and production

I Must Be Dreaming was recorded in Nashville at Sound Emporium Studios and Blackbird Studio, produced by the band alongside Shawn Everett, who has worked with The Killers and is currently producing Brandon Flowers' upcoming solo album Thrasher.

The label describes the record as reaching for a "richly layered, psychedelic soul sound," with themes spanning love, death, human connection, and the contradictions and absurdities of modern life — a further musical evolution following the band's second album, Sound & Color.

Howard has said the album title carries a double meaning: the world can feel "so crazy it's hard to believe," or "so beautiful it feels like a dream" — and both can be true at once. Of the new single, Fogg said it came from "a joyful collaborative session that perfectly captures the band's reborn spirit."

The band's return

Alabama Shakes went on hiatus in 2018 and didn't announce their return until August 2025, with the single "Another Life," a track that leans into 1960s British soul and rock. Earlier this year they released the politically charged single "American Dream." The reunion was made official with a surprise show in Alabama in December 2024.

During the hiatus, Howard released two solo albums: Jaime (2019) and What Now (2024). Former drummer Steve Johnson has not been part of the band since a related legal matter in 2021.

'I Must Be Dreaming' — full tracklist

1. "Tea Time"
2. "Another Life"
3. "Garden"
4. "I Feel Hope Coming"
5. "Time"
6. "Friends"
7. "Easy"
8. "How Love's Supposed To Go"
9. "Waist Deep"
10. "American Dream"
11. "Tied To You"