I Don't

Album: What Now (2024)
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Songfacts®:

  • "I Don't" is a slow, bluesy rock song that is an ode to our post-pandemic existential malaise. Brittany Howard laments a world where laughter feels like a distant memory and sleep just won't come.
  • "I Don't" is the second track on Howard's sophomore album, What Now, a record co-piloted by her trusted sonic wingman, Shawn Everett. The track itself is a sonic swirl - a sweet blend of doo-wop harmonies and vintage R&B all nestled in a bed of warm, deep-space production.

    "There's a lot of experimentation on this album, some stuff we used and some we didn't," Howard told Uncut magazine. "'I Don't' started off completely differently, and I assigned my demo song on a keyboard, so each key had a different part of that demo and we transformed it into a whole new song, which is the 'I Don't' that's on the album. Just to get there took a few days, so everything was such a ride."
  • What Now builds on the confessional groundwork laid by Howard's debut solo effort, Jaime. But this time, the focus isn't just on a broken relationship (following her split with musician Jesse Lafser). It's a broader exploration of the emotional wreckage left behind by a world turned upside down.
  • Howard laid down the guitar tracks while jazz drummer Nate Smith provided the rhythmic pulse on percussion. The other musicians are:

    Lloyd Buchanan: keyboards
    No Stress: keyboards
    Zac Cockrell: bass

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