Brandi Carlile/Elton John Collaboration On The Way?
Brandi Carlile and Elton John have been working in the studio together according to a recent interview with The Who’s Pete Townshend.
Townshend let the news slip while talking about his relationship with Elton John in an interview with Clash, “He appears on Facetime every other morning… often when I’m in bed! ‘Hello it’s Elton!’” He’s great company. And he’s very smart. But he’s also a wonderful musicologist, you really keep some with what’s new. See, when he attaches onto somebody, he’s sincere about it, I still find myself pretending to like people that I’m not sure that I like because they appear to be unbelievably cool.”
“Elton is so fraught with loss at not knowing what to do next. He’s just gone over to LA to make an album with Brandi Carlile. They made an album together in two weeks. He says it’s one of the best things they’ve ever done.”
John has recently teased fans with the prospect of a new album. When inducting his longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last November, he claimed he and Taupin had recently completed an album that “is going to surprise the shit out of you.”
Meanwhile, Carlile won three Grammys for co-producing and co-writing Tanya Tucker’s comeback album, While I’m Livin’, and also produced Tucker’s follow-up effort this year. She helmed Brandy Clark’s self-titled, currently Grammy-nominated album, as well as albums by Lucius, the Secret Sisters and Tish Melton, along with Joni Mitchell’s recent live album.
Elton and Carlile are friends and have performed together many times in recent years: They performed Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me at his final North American concert at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in November of 2021. She was one of many guests to feature on his Lockdown Sessions collaborative album, and she’s covered his songs in tribute several times.