RetroRadio – Brandi Carlile

RetroRadio is a series of posts of radio interviews from my time working at 98five Sonshine FM covering everything from issues of spirituality to chats with visiting musicians and celebrities.

Hopefully, the interviews spark a few memories and a few thoughts.

Brandi Carlile released her sixth studio album, By the Way, I Forgive You, in February this year. She recently teamed up with U.K. singer-songwriter Sam Smith for a duet version of her song Party of One.

Rodney_Brandi.jpgDuring the last week, she had the honour of singing my favourite Joni Mitchell song, A Case of You, with Kris Kristofferson at Joni’s 75th birthday celebration. She’s an extremely talented and highly respected artist.

All the way back in March 2008, I had the opportunity to chat with Brandi when she visited Perth to Support Maroon 5.

If you haven’t heard much of Brandi, here’s the song that first captured me, The Story.

At the time we sat down to talk, Brandi’s music had gained a wider audience through the television series, Grey’s Anatomy.

I interviewed so many people over my years of working in radio but my time with Brandi certainly stands out as one of my highlights. She’s extremely talented and it was wonderful to be able to chat with her.

You can listen to the interview using the media player below.

[Note: All RetroRadio interviews on RodneyOlsen.net are a snapshot of the time they were recorded. We all grow and change and so the opinions and thoughts of those in the interviews at the time of recording may or may not necessarily be the same as they are today.]



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Soundtrack of My Life – The Story

Soundtrack of my Life This is one of a regular series of articles highlighting some of the music that has played a part in my life. You’ll find a range of songs from old to new. Whether it’s the lyrics, the music, a time in my life, or a combination of reasons, the songs in my soundtrack are part of who I am.

If you take a good look you’ll probably find music that has been part of the soundtrack of your life too. You can also check out some of the other songs that make up the soundtrack of my life.

The Story – Brandi Carlile

It was back in March of 2008 that I met Brandi Carlile. I was working in radio and was absolutely thrilled to be able to interview Brandi. These days I certainly have more than just the one Brandi Carlile song on my personal playlist but back then it was just this one song that had totally captured me.

The Story is a song that slowly builds before taking you on your own story as Brandi’s amazing vocals begin to kick in. It’s beautiful and raw, all at once.

When I met Brandi it was hard to imagine that such a big voice could be wrapped up in the quietly spoken lady on the other side of the studio desk. She was a delight to interview and very generous with her time.

Brandi M. Carlile (born June 1, 1981) is an American alternative country and folk rock singer-songwriter. Born in Ravensdale, Washington, she dropped out of high school to pursue a career in music, teaching herself piano and guitar. Her first commercial album, Brandi Carlile, was released to critical acclaim but to limited commercial success. Carlile garnered wider recognition for her 2007 single The Story, from the album of the same name, was a greater commercial success, and was used by General Motors for commercials.

Carlile has released six albums including The Story (2007), Give Up the Ghost (2009) and Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony (2011), the last reaching number 14 on the Top Rock Albums chart. Her 2015 album The Firewatcher’s Daughter garnered her further acclaim and her first Grammy Award nomination.

Carlile’s music through the years has been categorized in several genres, including pop, rock, alternative country, and folk. She said of her style, “I’ve gone through all sorts of vocal phases, from pop to blues to R&B, but no matter what I do, I just can’t get the country and western out of my voice.” Carlile has been a part of several activism campaigns and advocates for causes ranging from spreading awareness for health issues to women empowerment. – Wiki

Take a few minutes to crank up the volume and enjoy an amazing song from Brandi Carlile then go out and buy some of her albums. You won’t regret it.

I’d encourage you to get involved too. Let me know about some of the songs that are etched in your mind. What are the tunes that bring back a flood of memories every time their opening notes start cranking out on your stereo? Are there songs you love for their music and others that speak deeply through their lyrics?



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Brandi Carlile in Perth

Rodney_Brandi.jpgIt’s hard to believe that the young lady who joined me in the studio this morning could have such a big voice.

Brandi Carlile has a big, big voice and it was a pleasure to talk to her today during my morning radio programme on 98.5 Sonshine FM.

If you’re not familiar with her music you owe it to yourself to check out the video clip for her song, The Story.

Brandi is a gifted singer/songwriter who grew up learning to make her own entertainment, camping and hiking in the nearby woods and teaching herself to sing. She grew up listening to the classic country music favourites of her parents, making her stage debut at the age of eight after she was taken to a local country radio show by her mother.

At 17, Brandi picked up the guitar, and began playing anywhere she could get a gig. While playing clubs, she encountered a band called the Fighting Machinists, featuring twin brothers Tim Hanseroth on guitar and Phil Hanseroth. She became an instant fan and when the group broke up, she persuaded the Hanseroth twins to form a group with her. They’ve been together ever since.

In 2005 Brandi Carlile was signed to Columbia Records, releasing a self-titled album later that same year. The album earned great reviews, and she was named one of 2005’s “Artists to Watch” by Rolling Stone. In 2006 she began work on her second Columbia album, produced by T-Bone Burnett. Titled The Story, the album was released in April last year.

Her music was showcased to a wider audience when Grey’s Anatomy used three of her songs: “Tragedy,” “What Can I Say,” and “Throw It All Away”.

In April 2007, Grey’s Anatomy debuted her single, The Story.

Brandi worked with Reverb, a non-profit environmental organization, during her 2007 tour.

Brandi Carlile is in Perth, Western Australia, for a concert, supporting Maroon 5.

If you’d like to hear our chat just click play on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

(Bio info thanks to Billboard and Wikipedia.) 



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