Brittany Howard might be best known for the bluesy rock of her band Alabama Shakes — a reunion of which she hasn’t counted out — but on her last project, What Now, she stretched her creative muscles to include the dancefloor shimmy of “Prove It To You” and the psych-soul of “Red Flags.”
Still, her latest project might be an even further cry for fans of the Alabama native. Her new band is called Kumite — y’know, like in Bloodsport (or that one episode of The Boondocks — and, as it turns out, they’re a hardcore band, as fans at their debut show in Nashville learned this past weekend. Stereogum reported on the show, which took place at Basement Inn with Snõõper, Inner Peace, and Second Spirit, supporting Nashville Launch Pad, the Second Harvest Food Bank, and Southern Movement Committee. You can check out a few videos of the new band here, here, and here.
Ahead of the show, Howard posted a message of inspiration and solidarity about the ongoing wildfire crisis in Los Angeles County, writing, “It is heartbreaking to watch these communities be destroyed.” She also explained why the benefit show on Sunday was so important to her. “Sunday night is about bringing people together who support a message of peace, love and inclusion. To be honest, it is less about a concert or making a statement musically and more about uniting people in a safe place during these crazy times we are living in.”
