Brit fans and an 11ft T-Bone . . Brandi’s side of The Story

Aug 3 2008 Sunday Sun

BRANDI CARLILE is a 27-year-old singer songwriter from Ravensdale, Washington, USA.

She learned to play the guitar when she was 15 and, just a year later, started working as a backing singer for an Elvis Presley impersonator. She signed to Columbia Records in 2004, and released her first solo album the following year.

For her second album, The Story — released earlier this year — Brandi worked with esteemed producer T-Bone Burnett, whose past credits include working with Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.

Brandi’s latest single — also called The Story — was released in the UK last Monday. See www.brandicarlile.com

WHAT are you recording at the moment?

We got in the studio about a week ago and we’ve started working on the next record. We’ve put rough versions down for about six songs.

HOW long is it since you finished The Story?

I think we finished it about two and a half years ago . . . it’s been out here in the US for a while already.

WHEN did you write the songs for this new record?

Some are older, but mainly during the time on the road between finishing The Story and now. Some people find it hard to write on the road, but I find it hard not to.

WHAT sort of stuff do you think about when you’re writing?

Nothing consciously. I haven’t honed the craft of songwriting to the point where I can just turn it on and off . . . it just happens when it happens.

WHAT was it like to support Newton Faulkner on his last UK tour?

It was very unexpected, but in the best way. Most the music I fell in love with when I was younger was from the UK, so to be able to go there and tour, and have a record out there, is above and beyond anything I ever thought possible.

AND what about the British crowds?

You guys were great! I found the British crowds to be really uninhibited and open-minded.

YOU worked with T-Bone Burnett. What was that like, and how did it come about?

I didn’t know him, but we met having drinks one night in New York. Basically, we were just bitching about the music industry and talking about bands. We realised there was a lot we could learn from T-Bone, so we decided to go in the studio with him.

WAS it at all intimidating?

Yes, if I’m honest . . . he’s about 11ft tall, and he’s this iconic guy and has a presence about him, plus he’s really smart.

YOU come from a musical family, and country, bluegrass and roots are in your blood, yet you come from Washington.

There’s sort of a mysterious arterial connection between the north west of America and the south east. It’s very mysterious how those areas have many parallels. My grandparents are from the south, and were involved in bluegrass and knew people who yodelled, so that just trickled down to me feeling like I was part of that culture. I was born with this odd Southern accent too!