Brandi Carlile on Joni Mitchell: A Unique Friendship and Hollywood Lunch

More than just her heart, Brandi Carlile wears her entire life on her sleeve. And her shoulder, chest and back. “Thay’re gas station patches,” she says,showing off the numerous badges sewn all over her or else smart blue jacket,each celebrating a town she’s passed through on her 30-year journey from the backwoods of Washington state to the peak of Mount Americana.

Sitting attentively in her record label’s London offices, short blonde hair in a flamboyant flick and her natural, friendly smile lighting the room, this 44-year-old US country-rock star with 11 grammys to her name – and the crystalline voice to justify every one – looks like the world’s unlikeliest lot rat.To UK audiences only recently discovering her via this year’s Elton John collaboration, The Stadium, she might seem like a sudden arrival. But in the US, Carlile has been a quietly revered figure for years, a singer-songwriter whose emotionally raw lyrics and soaring vocals have earned her a devoted following.

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Brandi Carlile on Returning to Herself: “I was really poor, really determined and hopeful”

Brandi Carlile’s new album, Returning to Myself, is a deeply personal excavation of her life, tracing a path from the present back to her teenage origins.It’s a journey spurred by the emotional fallout of writing her 2018 memoir, Broken Horses.”I needed time off to recover from that,because it was all-consuming and very existentially complex for me.”

The album then travels backwards through marital monotony (“anniversary”, inspired by a time when Carlile was “struggling to find my footing” in her marriage) and youthful foreign flings (“A Woman Oversees”). It ends, on “A Long Goodbye”, with the 17-year-old ingenue – already singing as the age of eight, writing songs from 15 and performing around Seattle with her long-time musical partners Phil and Tim Hanseroth from 16 – leaving home on her first ever flight to chase her musical dreams across America. “I was really poor,” she says, “really determined, and really hopeful and idealistic about what the world was like.”

Her showstopping voice wasn’t god-given, but by the time of The Story she’d “willed it” to be remarkable: “I had these big notes built into it as I had all of this show-off energy where I wanted to get onstage and create these fireworks shows with my voice.” And come the 2019 Grammys, America sat up. She sang her anthem for the unloved and illegal in Trump’s America, “The Joke” (a key track in her standing as activist, ally and fundraiser for humanitarian causes, racial justice and LGBT+ issues), typhooning the song’s heart-stopping high notes into a golden microphone.

Stateside, it was her “Someone Like You” moment, unleashing a “fire-hose of opportunity” that she constantly feared would eventually fade. “For six or seven years now I’ve felt, well, one day the phone won’t ring and I’ve said yes to everything and everyone and shown up and shown up.” As a result, she scattered herself into too many pieces; Returning to Myself is something of a re-grounding exercise, of reminding herself who she is, four minutes at a time.

Elton John was pivotal in this process.He and Carlile had been friends for some time, collaborating on his 2021 album The Lockdown Sessions and co-writing the theme to his 2024 documentary never Too Late. But working together on a full album was challenging: Carlile’s undercurrent of lifelong hero worship ran headlong into the iPad-smashing, lyric sheet-shredding realities of batting creative heads with one of pop’s most volatile superstars.

“It was stormy,” Carlile grins. “It contained multitudes. But ultimately,it was totally life-affirming,and it centred me into myself in probably the way that began the process that led to this album as…

Joni Mitchell: The ‘Wild Woman’ Who Still Parties at 83,According to Brandi Carlile

It was during Carlile’s set at the Newport Folk Festival in 2022 that Mitchell performed her first full show in over 20 years,seated in an armchair and surprising even the band itself with the lustre of her performance. “Everybody had learned to sing these songs to her or for her,” Carlile grins,”then she gets out onstage and she just starts fing *singing…she’s taking the songs back.” She’s dismissive about her importance to mitchell’s return, though. “whether Joni knew that she’s the one that planned to get herself back to music or not, it really was all Joni. She allowed me to have the best seat in the house and I played a role, but she’s learned to walk three times in her life and she didn’t need anybody for that.”

A new album song called “Joni” paints the revered singer as a down-to-earth, no-nonsense, fun-loving “wild woman“. “Joni will drink you under the table,” Carlile laughs. “She’s the last person to leave the party, she’s 83 and she’s a party animal.” The track recalls one memorable night at the Grammys in Las Vegas when Mitchell spent the night bitching about the acts (“listening to the s* she was saying, it was f***ing hilarious”) and convincing starstruck blackjack dealers to lower their stakes so she could play all night.

Brandi Carlile Finds Strength in Protest Music Amidst Concerns Over marriage Equality and Political Division

brandi Carlile, the acclaimed singer-songwriter, is channeling anxieties surrounding potential rollbacks of LGBTQ+ rights and the current political climate into her music. A recent conversation with her daughter, fearing the potential overturning of same-sex marriage protections, and the galvanizing response to her protest songs have reinforced her belief in the power of music to inspire change. Her new album, Returning to Myself, is set to be released on October 24th.

Concerns Over Marriage Equality and a Potential “Bebop to Canada”

Carlile’s concerns stem from ongoing legal challenges to same-sex marriage, particularly cases and resolutions being considered by the US Supreme Court. The potential for the illegitimization of same-sex marriage has prompted discussions within her family. Her eldest daughter, recognizing the potential threat, jokingly suggested relocating to Canada to secure their rights. This sentiment reflects a broader anxiety within the LGBTQ+ community regarding the security of hard-won legal protections.

While acknowledging the fear, Carlile remains optimistic. She believes that progress is certain,stating,”The song is saying these ideologies,these people,they don’t live forever.They’re replaced by better and younger ideas.” This sentiment underscores a long-term perspective on social change, suggesting that even in the face of setbacks, more inclusive values will ultimately prevail.

Responding to the Political Climate with Music

Carlile expresses strong disapproval of former President Donald Trump, describing his statements as “shocking” and causing “daily spiritual, emotional and intellectual whiplash.” she acknowledges the efforts of groups like MATA (Make America Trumpless Again) to oppose his political resurgence. https://www.matausa.org/

Though, it’s the response to her music that has been particularly empowering. Carlile has realized the vital role of protest music in contemporary society. “It’s made me really realize how important protest music is,” she says. “if that’s your gift and you do that,every time your words are gonna strike.” Her powerful vocals and emotionally resonant lyrics have resonated with audiences, solidifying her position as a leading voice for social justice.

Returning to Myself and the Power of Artistic Expression

Carlile’s new album, Returning to Myself, is poised to further amplify her message. The album is expected to explore themes of personal growth, resilience, and social commentary, building on her established reputation for honest and impactful songwriting.

Key Takeaways:

* threats to Marriage Equality: Ongoing legal challenges to same-sex marriage are causing concern within the LGBTQ+ community.
* The Power of Protest Music: Carlile emphasizes the importance of using artistic expression as a tool for social change.
* Political Discomfort: she openly expresses her dismay with the current political landscape, particularly the rhetoric of Donald Trump.
* Hope for the future: Despite anxieties, Carlile maintains a hopeful outlook, believing that progressive values will ultimately triumph.

‘Returning to Myself’, the new album from brandi Carlile, is out on 24 October.