Brandi Carlile

March 25, 2006

NL: Your passion for music started when you were very young, 8 to be exact. What got this passion going?

Brandi: My mom sang country on Friday and Saturday nights at local bars and clubs around town. It was at the time that Country music was becoming big...you know Wrangler jeans and line dancing. So, from seeing my mom sing, that's what made me want to perform and get into music. One Friday, a little girl opened up for my mom and I really wanted to be up there in her place. The next week, I picked a song and I got to go up and sing a couple songs. After my performance, I had to go home since I wasn't old enough to be in the bar.

NL: You were once a backup singer for an Elvis Impersonator?

Brandi: When I was younger, I was always running into other girls involved in music. When I was about 14 or 15, one of my friend's dads was an Elvis impersonator and asked us to sing backups at a rehearsal. I did well and was hired. Did that for about two years.

NL: And you have never had a "real" job outside of music?

Brandi: Never...well one summer me and my brother did roofs with my dad but that was it. The rest of my life, I have always made money by playing music. I would be at school all week and play bars on the weekend. When I wasn't performing, we would be having band practice in someone's backyard or crap like that.

NL: I'm sure you had multiple record labels looking at you. What made you sign with Columbia?

Brandi: We worked with producer Rick Rubin. He's a legend, who worked with Johnny Cash, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and basically formed the Beastie Boys. We were going to sign with his label, American Records but there wasn't a lot going on, so we didn't. We played this show with James Taylor and a bunch of labels were at that show checking us out. Columbia just seemed like the perfect fit. It's a great label with a lot of legends on it like Janis Joplin and James Taylor. They were also really really nice.

NL: Who's your biggest influence?

Brandi: Elton John and Bernie Toppin. Bernie's lyrics are just amazing.

NL: How did you pair up with Jamie Cullum on this tour?

Brandi: I think he's amazing and I said I'd love to play with him. I guess that's how. He's a great performer. We are about halfway through this tour and I'd love to get the chance to play with him overseas.

NL: Tell us about your new record?

Brandi: Which one? Our last one or the one that comes out in January? Well, the last one we put out we made ourselves before we were signed. It was on a shoe-string budget in a living room. Not many people know that the whole album was recorded live. We are actually going to re-record a couple songs that we weren't completely happy with and re-issue the album with those new songs on it.

The new cd will be written better and obviously, recorded better. It's got great songs and it's more climatic, but still us and not a lot of additional instruments. I'm just going to record my vocals and not be careful about it.

NL: Thanks and good luck.

By Greg Hudson

Photo © 2006 Columbia Records - All Rights Reserved

For more information, visit the band's official web site, http://www.brandicarlile.com/