We had a music teacher in sixth grade, and I saw her tune her guitar. I said, ‘Whoa. There’s a certain way to do this.’ I bought a packet of strings – some of mine were broken – and had her tune it for me. For a while, I just kept it like that. But I got the Internet finally, when I was 14, and started learning. Brittany Howard Read Quote
The first time I learned how to play, my guitar was out of tune. I didn’t know it; I just started writing songs. Brittany Howard Read Quote
My favorite guitar players are Chuck Berry and Brian May and Dave Davies from the Kinks. Brittany Howard Read Quote
We’re from Athens, Alabama. That’s my town. People think it’s Muscle Shoals, but they have no idea. It’s a quiet, sleepy little town, about 45 minutes from Muscle Shoals. It’s really hard to be a band in Athens; there are no venues. Brittany Howard Read Quote
I wear a lot of black, and it’s not because I’m depressed or anything. I like black jeans – they’re pretty much the only colored jeans I wear. James Jeans have the most comfortable fabric. I’d say in general, I dress pretty comfortably. Brittany Howard Read Quote
I probably bring four dresses on the road and rotate those. I always wear something light when I go onstage because I move around a whole lot. It’s a sweaty business. Brittany Howard Read Quote
Where I’m from, we don’t do the kiss-on-the-cheek thing. Sometimes we can feel a bit awkward in England. Someone needs to let me know what the rules are because I don’t want to be rude. I need a little more etiquette coaching. Brittany Howard Read Quote
When I picture England, I picture little gardens and beautiful yards. I don’t really like cities; I like to go and see things like that. Brittany Howard Read Quote
For my band’s debut tour in 2011, we road-tripped across the country in a 15-passenger van. It was the first time I’d left Alabama. I drove through scenery I’d only ever seen in calendars: auburn leaves falling in Vermont, the sun setting over purple mountains in Arizona. It was incredible. Brittany Howard Read Quote
