lifeblood: songs: backgrounds: caroline

2010-02-16: carlile, ray team up at melting point, online athens:

brandi carlile grew up admiring the soulful, southern harmonies of the indigo girls.

as a 15-year-old, she dreamed of playing eddie's attic in decatur - a place far removed from her hometown of ravensdale, wash. - because it was a stomping ground for the famed-folk duo of emily saliers and amy ray.

in carlile's world, dreams tend to come true.

during a recent phone interview from lexington, ky., where carlile was preparing for a show, the 28-year-old recalled pulsating with excitement on a night about four years ago. it was the first time she walked into eddie's attic to play her own show.

carlile's excitement blossomed to a full-on freak-out when the club's manager pointed to a sign on a table that read "reserved for e. saliers."

"i just about lost my mind at that point," carlile said. "emily showed up early, and we sat around talking. i played the show and dedicated a song to her."

carlile refuses to chalk up the events of that night as mere luck.

"i think it happens when it's meant to," she said.

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2011-06-20: brandi carlile and indigo girls on world cafe, npr:

hailing from washington state, brandi carlile began her music career at the age of 8, when her musician mother brought her on stage to sing a rosanne cash song. from then on, music was her constant companion, as she taught herself to sing, play the piano and later the guitar. her latest album, 2009's give up the ghost (produced by rick rubin), featured a guest appearance by elton john and helped earn carlile the "breakthrough" artist honor at seattle's city of music awards. she performed songs from that record on the music-themed cayamo cruise, an annual tour through the eastern caribbean.

carlile was joined by the world-famous indigo girls, amy ray and emily saliers, whose last album, poseidon and the bitter bug, came out on their own record label, ig recordings, in 2009.

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2013-10-08: checking in with brandi carlile, the baltimore sun:

it looks like you got contributions from a number of high-profile players, from amy ray to elton john and chad smith. did you go into the recording process with the idea of working with other people, or did it just happen that way?

chad smith was an amazing rick contribution! as well as benmont tench. elton has been a childhood hero since i was 11 and he brought the song "caroline" completely to life! amy is my dearest friend and i couldn't imagine making this record without her voice.

how did the elton john collaboration come to be? did you meet him to record, or was it done separately?

i flew to vegas to record "caroline" with elton john. he was unbelievable and played in one take what i knew somewhere in the back of my mind he would play ... he then sang perfectly and schooled me on new music. he introduced me to leon russel causing a ripple effect through my song writing i'm sure. he invited me and the twins (tim and phil hanseroth) back the next night to see him play and he dedicated "tiny dancer" to me!! the twins still won't stop teasing me for crying in the theater!