9 questions with Brandi Carlile

For Brandi Carlile, working with Elton John proved to be the most important moment of her career.

Forget signing to a major label as a 23-year-old. Never mind all the great reviews and press for her debut album, “Brandi Carlile,” or its follow-up, “The Story.” Forget her charity work or performing in front of thousands while opening for the Indigo Girls or the Fray or headlining her own tours.

Nope, sitting in a recording studio with Sir Elton ranks highest for the folk-rock singer-songwriter.

In a recent interview, it was almost all she talked about, including how, as a teenager, she loved the British piano-rock god when everyone else was into grunge and alternative rock.

Carlile also spoke about producer Rick Rubin and her new album, “Give Up the Ghost,” which has received great reviews and landed on several “best of 2009” lists.

Before her cell phone battery ran out, Carlile answered nine of our questions.

1. Are you ready for this tour?

I'm leaving today. I guess I'm ready, but I haven't packed a single T-shirt. (Laughs)

2. Reviews have been pretty positive for your new album. Do you keep tabs on reviews?

My manager sends them over when there's a good one. Local magazines and local newspapers, those lists make a big impact on me.

If it's a magazine that I like, like Paste magazine, it makes my day. I love Paste. That magazine is like the indie 10 commandments, the indie bible.

3. What was it like working with legendary producer Rick Rubin on your latest album?

It was such a conflicting experience. It was great to have his artistry and to have him bring you into that fold of great artists that he works with. That kind of vibe was really cool and something that I always wanted to do.

But he's also an executive at a record label. It seems like a conflict of interest. You're concerned about which hat he has on.

I'm a major proponent of art vs. commerce. I kept wondering, “Am I allowing myself to be influenced by a producer or the ideas of a record-label executive?”

I know he would hate to know that's how I felt, but I have to be honest.

4. How did the record turn out because of that?

Beautifully. Sometimes that conflict and that tension led to me making decisions that were conflicted with his. It actually led to that a lot.

But I know he really likes the record. We spent a lot of time listening at his house. He also did all of the mixing and mastering of the record — he was the mastering guru. I know that he wouldn't have been so involved in that process if he didn't love the record.

5. Elton John came in and played piano and sang on “Caroline.” What was that like for you?

That was the most pivotal point on the record, if not in my career so far. He is my all-time greatest hero in life.

I was recording the song, and I kept thinking about (John's song) “Elderberry Wine,” this funky piano blues thing. I couldn't get that concept out of my head. I kept saying, “This totally needs ragtime Elton John piano on it.”

Next thing I knew I was on a plane to Vegas to do the track. When he actually did it and I got to hang out with him in person, it was incredible.

6. So, you grew up being a fan of Elton John?

Since I was 11 years old. I had every single record on vinyl and CD. And it wasn't just for his music. He made me concerned about the AIDS crisis as he was one of the founding fathers of AIDS research.

7. You're only 28. When you were a kid, most other people were listening to Nirvana or Bush, not Elton John. What was that like for you?

I was totally oblivious that it (the grunge movement) was even happening 45 minutes away from my house (in Seattle). I had no idea that the clubs I first played in, that I could have gone to see Kurt Cobain sing in front of 100 people years before.

Before I fell in love with Elton John, I was this Grand Ole Opry fanatic — Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Don Gibson.

After that it was Elton John and the Beatles and Queen. I was this 13-year-old girl in the middle of the grunge era.

8. What did you learn from working with Elton John on this song?

I learned tons and tons. One of the most compelling things I learned from him was that he is such a proponent of new music.

You wonder how a guy like him wants to still do it and still play. He's still excited.

I learned that he keeps himself really fresh by always keeping his eyes on the path ahead. He goes to the indie record store every week and he leaves with a box of physical CDs. If he likes someone, he'll call the artist or send the CD to 50 of his friends.

He's a total inspiration, a beacon of light. I hope I still feel that way in 10 years, let alone 40 years.

9. What kind of music did you talk about?

I told him about things that are in my CD player, like Neil Young's “After the Gold Rush” or Johnny Cash or Queen's “A Night at the Opera” and “A Day at the Races.”

He said, “Why do you listen to that music? You already know that music. You've already programmed it into your internal playlist and you can call on it any time. Listen to something new.”

I thought that was such an interesting point.

Contact the writer: 444-1557, kevin.coffey@owh.com

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