We Can Do Hard Things Brandi Carlile Has Returned to Herself
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Oct 23, 2025 
Brandi Carlile, an eleven-time Grammy-winning artist and activist, opens up about her deeply personal new album, Returning to Myself. She shares the serendipitous journey of writing in a barn and the loneliness necessary for her creative truth. Brandi reflects on the beauty of vulnerability, the duality of intimacy and mystery in relationships, and embraces aging with grace in her songs. With themes of joy amidst destruction and the importance of connecting with one another, she reminds us to cherish our brief time together.
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Solitude Triggered The Album
- Brandi wrote the poem "Returning to Myself" after a lonely writing trip to Aaron Dessner's barn.
- The solitude forced her inward and launched the album's deeply personal arc.
Unexpected Barn Retreat
- Brandi flew to upstate New York expecting a hotel and instead slept in a barn without an instrument.
- That uncomfortable isolation pushed her to write and reveal more of herself.
Returning Means Returning Home
- Returning to herself meant stepping back into family and away from a relentless career sprint.
- Brandi realized her success-year intensity had pulled her from home and identity.