- 2025-10-07
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MUSIC
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Brandi Carlile Releases New Song “A War With Time”
American singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile released a new song “A War With Time” on October 6, 2025.
The song is the second single off of her upcoming eighth studio album “Returning To Myself”, which is set to be released on October 24, 2025.
She co-wrote the song with Aaron Dessner of American rock band The National. Produced by Aaron Dessner, Andrew Watt, and Brandi Carlile.
On the track, American singer-songwriter Justin Vernon joined as vocals.
Brandi Carlile said of the song, “'Hold their eyes make sure they know / stand your ground but see the soul / beneath the pain and broken home / with every drop of rain and bone / square your shoulders turn to stone / slowly shake your head for no / When you find yourself alone / retrace your steps and come back home.' When Aaron Dessner played me this otherworldly riff I saw the song unfold in front of my eyes like a black and white movie of my own memories... Love and gratitude to my soul brother Justin Vernon for singing with me on this one.”- Brandi Carlile told Zane Lowe of Apple Music about the song, “I was thinking about because I was up there with Aaron Dessner. I was thinking about my first trip to New York City. And I hadn't got on a plane until I was 17 years old, which only took me to Boise, Idaho. So it wasn't, but a couple of years later, I was on a plane to go to New York City for the first time. And in just any city, I hadn't been anywhere. I'd been to, like Los Angeles once in Boise, Idaho, and then boom, Manhattan. So from the Cascade Mountains, and it was like there were so many twisted and beautiful and inspiring and devastating things about it. I felt like I was tasting the whole world in one city. And I felt so grown up and so separate of my family and our trailer, and just like the way that we lived. And I was just thinking that there's that turning point, moment, like, for every young person, and you don't want it to them to go, but you want them to go. It's the order of things.”
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The new album comprises 10 tracks, produced by Aaron Dessner, Andrew Watt, and Brandi Carlile. It is the follow-up to the collaborative album Who Believes in Angels? with British singer-songwriter Elton John, which was released back in April.
Brandi Carlile Sid of the album, “It’s called “Returning To Myself”. There are many reasons for this. It’s not a “solo” album. I’m always alone and never alone at the same time. It’s just that it comes at a time where I’m reflecting and realizing that learning to stand alone is something that people are supposed to do when they’re young. Like skiing or chickenpox. That if we miss our chance when the pain tolerance is at its highest, we may never do it.”
She continued, “Fine with me. I’d rather fight off “aloneness” forever. Why is it heroic to untether when the tense work of togetherness is so much more interesting? ...because I don’t want to do it. Because I don’t want to return to myself. And that’s why I will.”
She added, “It took a lot of steady souls to free me into myself on this project, including the Twins and my band. This album is produced by me, Andrew Watt, and Aaron Dessner, with some extra special fairy dust from Justin Vernon too. I have a lot more to say about this. What a wonderful thing to be carried and yet held up so high. Returning to myself is just returning me to you.” - source : Apple Music
