Brandi Carlile, the 44-year-old singer-songwriter from Washington state, has opened up about her life and career in a candid interview. With 11 Grammy awards, a memoir, and a new album titled Returning to Myself, Carlile is currently enjoying what she describes as 'a sweet spot'.
'I’m the happiest right now,' she said. 'My parents are alive, my kids are little, my wife is hot and my body doesn’t hurt.' However, she confessed to a phobia of embarrassment and recalled a panic attack on stage in her 20s as her most embarrassing moment, when she left the stage to an angry audience.
Carlile, who lives in a log cabin she has owned since age 21, noted that she likes her appearance—'which I think is against the law in the UK,' she quipped. She also admitted to biting her nails and never letting the truth get in the way of a good story.
Asked whom she would most like to be, Carlile chose Elton John: 'Fearless bitch with a huge heart. Doesn’t get embarrassed, knows how to apologise.' She also expressed regret for bullying schoolmates and for a lack of commitment to feminism in her 20s.
The singer became emotional discussing marriage equality with her daughters. 'My oldest let slip that she believed that if the supreme court overturned Obergefell, she wouldn’t have parents any more. I felt angry with my country and ashamed that I didn’t consider the possibility that she might think that.'
Despite her deep reflections, Carlile revealed a lighter secret: 'I try really hard to be deep but all I can think about is fishing.'
