Brandi Carlile

Brandi Marie Carlile, born June 1, 1981, is an American singer-songwriter and producer who works across folk rock, alternative country, Americana, and classic rock. She has won eleven Grammys and two Emmys, and has been nominated for an Academy Award. In 2026, Time named her one of its Women of the Year. By 2025, she had put out eight studio albums, the first being her 2005 self-titled major-label debut.

Early life

Carlile grew up in Ravensdale, Washington, a small town about 30 miles outside Seattle, in a house that was the only one for miles. She spent her childhood playing in the woods, building forts, and making music with her brother Jay and sister Tiffany. At age four, she nearly died from bacterial meningitis, with her heart stopping several times and a coma following. Her early years were split between King County towns like Black Diamond, Maple Valley, Auburn, and Sumner, with a brief stint in West Seattle.

She started singing country songs onstage at eight, performing Johnny Cash’s “Tennessee Flat Top Box” with her mother, Teresa Carlile. She began writing songs at 15, and at 16 worked as a backup singer for an Elvis impersonator. Diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder as a teen, she attended Tahoma High School but dropped out to chase music. After discovering Elton John, she taught herself piano, and at 17 learned guitar.

2004–2006: Career beginnings and debut

Her career kicked off in Seattle clubs with twin brothers Phil and Tim Hanseroth. Columbia Records signed her in 2004 based on home-recorded songs, and her 2005 debut album Brandi Carlile mixed those early tracks with new recordings. A 2006 re-release from Columbia included re-recorded versions of “Throw It All Away” and “What Can I Say.” The album got strong reviews, landing her on Rolling Stone’s “10 Artists to Watch in 2005” list and similar nods from Interview and Paste.

Critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted that while the buzz and cover art might make her seem like a prepackaged creation, her music felt rich, warm, and fresh—blending folk and art-pop. The album hit No. 80 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the US Folk Albums chart. Soon after, she left Seattle to tour with the Hanseroths, who had been part of her earliest recordings and regional tours. The trio spent nearly two years on the road, shaping songs for her next album, The Story.

By the end of 2006, she had headlined tours and opened for acts like Ray LaMontagne, the Fray, Chris Isaak, Tori Amos, and Shawn Colvin.

2007–2009: Breakthrough with The Story

Her second album, The Story, was produced by T Bone Burnett and included a collaboration with the Indigo Girls on “Cannonball.” Recorded in just 11 days with Carlile, the Hanseroths, and drummer Matt Chamberlain, it aimed to capture the raw energy of her live shows. The crack in her voice on the title track was an accident from that quick recording process. “The Story” got heavy play in General Motors ads during the 2008 Summer Olympics, boosting album sales by 368 percent (from 1,323 to 6,198 copies) and downloads of the single by 28,091 copies. The song peaked at No. 5 on the charts.

2017–2020: Grammy success with By the Way, I Forgive You

Carlile later released Give Up the Ghost (2009), Bear Creek (2012), The Firewatcher’s Daughter (2015), By the Way, I Forgive You (2018), In These Silent Days (2021), and Returning to Myself (2025). She won three Grammys for her songwriting on Tanya Tucker’s 2019 album While I’m Livin’. At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, she was the most nominated woman, with six nods including Album of the Year for By the Way, I Forgive You and Record and Song of the Year for “The Joke.” In 2019, she formed the all-female quartet the Highwomen with Amanda Shires, Maren Morris, and Natalie Hemby. Their self-titled debut album came out that year to critical and commercial success, and they won the Grammy for Best Country Song for “Crowded Table” in 2021.

Her two Emmys came in 2022 for Outstanding Short Form Program for the TV series We the People (a Children’s and Family Emmy) and in 2023 for Outstanding Original Song for a Preschool Program for the YouTube series Jam Van. In 2025, she earned her first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song, co-writing and singing on “Never Too Late” with Elton John. Beyond music, Carlile has been active in fundraising and activism for humanitarian aid, COVID-19 relief, racial justice, and LGBTQ rights.