Brandi Carlile Reflects on Her Career and Friendship with Joni Mitchell

Brandi Carlile, now an established name in the music world, traces her rise from a young girl in rural America to a Grammy-winning artist. Carlile, who had a difficult start with music, admits she wasn’t particularly talented early on but found a way to connect with music, starting with a simple Casio keyboard. Her breakthrough moment came at the 2019 Grammys, where her emotional performance of ‘The Joke’ turned heads, opening up new career opportunities with music icons like Elton John and Joni Mitchell. Carlile credits her success to seizing every opportunity that came her way, driven by a sense of urgency from her childhood experiences of feeling different. However, after six years of constant work, Carlile found herself needing to slow down, focusing more on her personal life and her children. Her upcoming album, ‘Returning to Myself,’ reflects this shift, exploring themes of time, human connection, and her experiences as a mother. Carlile also addresses her concerns about political issues, such as the potential overturning of same-sex marriage rights in the U.S. The album’s standout moments include a heartfelt tribute to Joni Mitchell, whom Carlile describes as a fierce and wild personality, always unpredictable. Despite the pressures of fame, Carlile embraces the changes in her life, both as an artist and a person, demonstrating newfound confidence in her career.