On April 4, the world will get to hear the realization of a lifelong dream for Brandi Carlile when the Maple Valley singer-songwriter and Elton John drop their surprise, 10-track collaborative album, “Who Believes In Angels?”
One of the Pacific Northwest’s most iconic voices, Carlile shared the news Wednesday in a statement addressed to her fans. “I’m getting to live out the life-affirming dream of making music with the person who is the only reason I ever wrote a single song,” she wrote. “Elton wanted to make an album with ME! He called me one day on the phone and told me to come for breakfast. As soon as I sat down at the table he said, ‘I think we should make an album! We should do it with Bernie, and Andrew Watt producing.’ “
The Bernie in question is Bernie Taupin, John’s longtime lyrical collaborator who helped him write massive hits like “Tiny Dancer” and “Rocket Man.” Watt most recently helped Pearl Jam produce their 2024 album “Dark Matter.” He also manned the boards for Eddie Vedder’s solo album “Earthling.”
“I was stunned,” Carlile added. “And worried (John would) change his mind, regret asking me, or that something catastrophic would prevent such an otherworldly thing from happening to me. But he always does what he says he’s going to do.”
The pair spent nearly three weeks recording “Who Believes In Angels?” at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles. The process wasn’t always smooth, but the result proved to be incredibly rewarding, John said in the album’s teaser trailer. “For me, it’s immaculate. This came out the way I wanted it to come out. This is one of the greatest musical experiences of my life.”
“Who Believes In Angels?” is available for pre-order now. The title track and lead single are streaming now.
The team of Carlile, John, Taupin and Watt are also up for an Oscar. Their “Never Too Late,” from the documentary “Elton John: Never Too Late,” was nominated in the original song category.