Brandy Clark Stakes New Direction on Upcoming Self-Titled Album

Brandy Clark is one of the most critically-acclaimed country songwriters of our generation, garnering nine Grammy nominations among other accolades, and is a stellar singer and performer to boot. Now she’ll be making another run for critical acclaim on May 19th when she releases her new self-titled album produced by fellow Pacific Northwest native Brandi Carlisle.
“This album is a return home to me in many ways,” says Brandy Clark. “Musically it’s the rawest I’ve been since ’12 Stories’ and maybe even rawer. When Brandi and I sat down and talked about working together, one thing that really intrigued me was her saying ‘I see it as your return to the Northwest.’ That comment inspired so much for me. It took me back to where and how I grew up. ‘Northwest’ and ‘She Smoked In The House’ were both a result of that early conversation.”
Brandy Clark and Brandi Carlisle collaborated previously on the song “Same Devil” from 2020, but Clark has always worked with Nashville-based producers on her records, namely Jay Joyce who produced her previous two releases. This means selecting Brandi Carlile for this self-titled effort is a significant change of pace.
“Working with another recording artist on this project was such a gift that I didn’t even know I needed and changed the way I want to write songs and make records moving forward,” Clark says. “My hope is that anyone who hears this album will feel the heart that I put into every note of it.”
You can immediately hear that in the debut song of the album called “Buried,” which takes a more acoustic and intimate approach compared to the more mainstream and sometimes rock-oriented production style of Jay Joyce. Along with producing the album, Brandi Carlile also guests on a song, as do Lucius and Derek Trucks.
Brandy is one of the greatest songwriters I’ve ever known,” says Carlile. “And I feel like I now know exactly who Brandy Clark is through the portal of this singular brilliantly written album. When I heard the songs for this album, they took me back to the first time I heard ‘Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.’ I was thinking about Tom Petty, The Pretenders, Kim Richey, Sheryl Crow, Shelby Lynne and the soul of ’90s Americana before it had a name. This is the time Brandy has chosen to reveal herself to the world as an artist and a woman and I was blessed beyond measure to be the person she trusted to support and facilitate that swan dive.”
The album was recorded at the Shangri-La studio in Malibu, California. Always look out for those mid career self-titled albums. They often go on to define an artist better than their earlier work. Brandy Clark is now available for pre-save and pre-order.
Brandy Clark Track List:
1. Ain’t Enough Rocks (feat. Derek Trucks)
2. Buried
3. Tell Her You Don’t Love Her (feat. Lucius)
4. Dear Insecurity (feat. Brandi Carlile)
5. Come Back To Me
6. Northwest
7. She Smoked In The House
8. Up Above The Clouds – Cecilia’s Song
9. All Over Again
10. Best Ones
11. Take Mine
March 24, 2023 @ 10:41 am
Awesome to see Lucius floating around and appearing on so many peoples albums the last few years. They’re fantastic. This album can’t NOT be good. Stoked.
March 24, 2023 @ 10:54 am
Not sure what “return to the northwest” means or why that dramatic narrative is necessary, but looking forward to it…. 12 Songs is great.
March 25, 2023 @ 9:55 am
Probably because of incredible geographic diversity of the Pacific Northwest, and perhaps because it has been a big part of country music historically, producing legends like Don Rich, Bonnie Guitar and Mark O’Connor as well as being part of the early careers of Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn and Buck Owens just to name a few. And unlike the eastern part of the country we have real mountains. Also most people have some fondness for where they grew up.
March 25, 2023 @ 10:27 am
Nice appreciation of the PNW, but what does it have to do with this Southern California recorded album? Is a PNW album a “raw” album? Is “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” a “Northwest” album, since that’s what it immediately reminded Brandi of? Explain it to me.
March 26, 2023 @ 10:29 am
Forgot to add that I wrote one of my most PNW centric songs in south Australia so I am pretty sure you don’t have to record/write in some certain place to be inspired by it. At least in my experience.
March 25, 2023 @ 3:54 pm
There are fake mountains in the east?
March 25, 2023 @ 10:53 pm
No. It’s just that the mountains out here in the east are older and have had more time to erode so they’re not as tall.
March 26, 2023 @ 10:20 am
You can drive to the top of Mt Washington, which is the only one of note. As for her record, maybe she wrote it here, I don’t know. Maybe the songs relate to the PNW, or her feelings of home. That’s what I would imagine. Personally for me a PNW album would be very much related to my work in shipyards and fabrication shops, nature and the very interesting history of the area. Also a big part of my work is inspired by the high desert openness, but also the ocean/Puget sound/tall trees. Also, no offense to the large hills over in the east and south. I think they are really cute!
March 24, 2023 @ 12:03 pm
Excited for this album! Glad to see “Up Above the Clouds” on the track list. She’s played it live a couple times and I really love it.
March 24, 2023 @ 12:08 pm
I hope Brandi Carlile doesn’t do what she did with Tanya Tuckers last release. I don’t get why shes the new “it” producer. Curious about a new Clark album, though!
March 25, 2023 @ 10:11 am
She produced the last Secret Sisters album too, and I swear it sounds like she’s singing every track.
March 24, 2023 @ 2:48 pm
The two Brandi/ys are at it again! They’re collaborating just to confuse us with their identically sounding, minimally differently spelled names. There’s no way they’re not doing it on purpose.
This piece of news just made my day. Thank you, Trigger. Thank you, Brandi. And thank you, Brandy.
March 24, 2023 @ 4:09 pm
There are Some Good FEMALE Country Singers/Songwriters I Listen Too and Keep Stock of in My Store. I ABSOLUTLEY Adore Brandy Clark !, Her Writing Reminds Me of The Female Version Of Jim Croce. You Just wanna sit down and LISTEN for the Punch Lines. Emily
Nenni Is another. BOTH do Not Get The Recognition They Deserve. Kacey Musgraves USED to be at the top of the list, But, She Lost Her Mojo.
March 24, 2023 @ 6:31 pm
Yawn. Buried is exactly its title. Lyrics and music are not at all inspiring. It is coffee house music, not resembling country in any sort of fashion. Probably will be considered for song of the year, it’s that bad.
May 28, 2023 @ 7:39 pm
What are your favorite songs then, and do they include the breakup stuff? Just curious.
March 24, 2023 @ 9:59 pm
Is Derek Trucks secrelty making a (solo) move into our genre? I’d welcome him.
Brandy Clark would have been huge in mainstream country music in the late 80’s through the mid 90’s along female acts Mary Chapin Carpenter, Suzy Bogguss, Kathy Mattea, Pam Tillis and Trisha Yearwood. She’s a little too late and dated for country music today.
March 27, 2023 @ 10:03 am
His wife had a flirtation with country in a duet she did with the late John Prine.
March 27, 2023 @ 2:34 pm
Color of the Blues…. I just queued it up. Fantastic.
I’ve tried to get into Tedeschi Trucks Band. Maybe now that I’m a Billy Strings fan they will stick. I was hoping to catch them on one of Willie’s Outlaw lineups, but they were never on the bill of shows I attended.
March 24, 2023 @ 11:04 pm
Are both brandy/I lesbians?
March 26, 2023 @ 5:48 am
If they’re lucky.
March 27, 2023 @ 8:58 am
…relevance?
March 25, 2023 @ 5:47 am
Im not feeling buried. Lyrically its alright but with the music it sounds a little bland and unoriginal.
March 25, 2023 @ 8:40 am
Brandy and Brandi are great singers/songwriters (with Ms. Carlisle also being a Highwoman.) Unfortunately,with today’s Country music being a cowboys’ club ,both are vastly unsung,but let’s hope Brandy’s eponymous album gets her some deserved recognition .
March 25, 2023 @ 10:25 am
That’s a ridiculous statement. Ashley McBryde, Lainey Wilson, Tenille Townes, Brit Taylor, Sierra Ferrell, Hailey Whitters, Esther Rose and Morgan Wade would laugh at the “cowboy club” notion. And besides, Brandy has plenty of recognition already, and in my humble opinion, was one of the best parts of McBrydes Lindeville album last year. The Missed Connection Section is pure gold.
(Didn’t mean to post twice)
March 29, 2023 @ 7:54 am
…that’s a great list of women who get far less attention than their talent merits, haha!
March 26, 2023 @ 5:14 pm
A new Brandy Clark album is always a must-buy for me.
Thanks for all that you do to keep us updated on great music, Trigger!
March 27, 2023 @ 6:47 am
Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally are the composer/lyricists for “Shucked”, the upcoming Broadway musical set in fictitious Cob County. A plucky young woman must save the local corn crop. Music is aid to be a blend of country and show tunes. Will SCM be offering a review for readers who might travel to NYC for some Broadway fare?
August 24, 2023 @ 5:31 pm
Why no review of this album?