People: For music energy, you need to drink Brandi
Unless you pay really close attention to TV soundtracks or obsess over the career of T Bone Burnett, odds are good you have no idea who singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile is.
But slowly and surely, her profile’s rising thanks to increased exposure on shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” YouTube postings and near-constant touring.
The 26-year-old native of rural Ravensdale, Wash., has one of the year’s best albums under her belt: “The Story,” produced by Burnett – a disc she recorded in 11 days with twins Tim and Phil Hanseroth and drummer Matt Chamberlain to capture the energy of her live performances.
Currently headlining the “VH1 You Oughta Know” tour, the avowed Elton John fanatic checked in by phone from her home in Seattle to discuss a number of topics:
Q. How did you hook up with T Bone?
A. I’d planned to do (“The Story”) in a co-producer scenario with a great engineer – it was all set, and then I happened to be in New York City the same night he was getting some kind of award. We got together and started talking about music, and he just blew my mind. He kind of had the road map for what I wanted to do.
Q. How much did T Bone contribute?
A. He creates an environment. Even if he’s not heavy-handed or heavily involved in the shaping of the music, he’s just there, and there’s something about him being there. When he speaks up, it’s always pretty profound.
Q. You called the moment in the song “The Story” where your voice cracks “technically wrong but emotionally right.” Why do you think so many modern singers airbrush the flaws?
A. I learned a long time ago that all people really want when you play live … is they want to see you (mess) up. If you make a mistake … it endears you so much to the audience. That can translate in recording, too, because nobody’s perfect and nobody wants to hear perfection, but that’s never strived for by artists, especially right now – it’s easily attainable, perfection is. … But I also understand the allure of it. … The word singer/songwriter really pertains to me, because sometimes I’m a singer, and sometimes I’m a songwriter – those two things are always in conflict with each other.
Q. How does the whole idea of genre classification strike you?
A. I just think it’s so silly, the whole concept of compartmentalizing music. I mean, there was a better time in music where Bob Dylan was country, Hank Williams Sr. was rock ‘n’ roll and Johnny Cash was rock ‘n’ roll … and it didn’t really matter.
Q. What do you hope people who discover “The Story” get out of it?
A. I hope, as a record, it transcends genre and time. I hope that’s what happens – if we didn’t get it on this one, we’ll get it on the next one (laughs).
The birthday bunch
Actress Angie Dickinson is 76. Singer Johnny Mathis is 72. Actor Barry Williams is 53. Actress Fran Drescher is 50. Actor Eric Stoltz is 46. Singer Trey Anastasio (Phish) is 43. Actress Monica Bellucci (“Shoot ‘Em Up”) is 39. Actress Jenna Elfman is 36. Actress Lacey Chabert (“Party of Five”) is 25. Actor Kieran Culkin is 25.