They’re performed on shows such as Saturday Night Live and Jimmy Kimmel Live. They’ve become successful in today’s cutthroat music industry, with their latest album debuting atop the Billboard 200 with critical acclaim. Their music is a creative medley of a plethora of music genres. But here’s the most surprising fact: they’re from Athens, Alabama.

Alabama Shakes is a rock band originally formed by some teenagers that attended East Limestone High School in 2009. The band consists of lead singer Brittany Howard, guitarist Zac Cockrell, backing vocalist Heath Fogg, and percussionist Steve Johnson.

Ever since their formation, the band has released two studio albums, and performed at several venues that have widespread national audiences, such as Coachella. A large portion of their fame can be attributed to not only the large amount of musical talent possessed by the band’s members, but also their unique sound and image.

Alabama Shakes fuses several genres in their music style, such as Blues, Southern Rock, and Soul. The addition of Howard’s heavy powerhouse vocals to the aforementioned genres blend together to create a passionate, raw, and emotional style.

Several students are fans of Alabama Shakes. Daneisha Kelley, a senior, is a fan of the band for both their talent and their roots. “I think it’s really cool that a band that’s from a city 10 minutes away from Madison is so successful right now.”

Sada Forrest shares a similar viewpoint. “I think it’s cool that they’re from Athens.”

The members of the band also like the fact that they’re from Athens, as evidenced from their name and a large tattoo of Alabama on Britney Howard’s upper arm that shows an outline of Alabama. A star is placed inside the state where Athens is located.

Alabama Shakes appears to have a very bright future ahead of them. With both domestic and international concerts selling out, their music will inevitably continue to spread all around the world. But they’ll always have the privilege of calling Alabama home.