Brandi Carlile's new album, In These Silent Days, is the product of reflection on the part of the singer-songwriter, and she hopes it makes listeners do the same. Carlile not only explains her inspiration for the record, but also discusses the impact of late musicians Chris Cornell and Jeff Buckley on her music and a recent special moment with her friend and influence Joni Mitchell, in a recent interview with Apple Music 1's Zane Lowe.

In These Silent Days, Carlile says, is heavily informed by the isolation and solitude of the COVID-19 pandemic. "It's me saying with the album, 'This is what I did in these silent days.' And also, 'What did you do?'" she says.

"I always want to engage the listener in a question ...," Carlile continues. "'What did you learn? What did you make of yourself? What did you lose? What happened to you in this time?'"

Another source of inspiration for Carlile was her recent memoir, Broken Horses, which she says provided "fodder for days." In These Silent Days is Carlile's first album since releasing the book this spring.

Several fellow artists have also made an impact on Carlile and her work. She recently reunited with Cornell's surviving Soundgarden bandmates during a live show in Washington, in addition to other tributes to her fellow Seattle-area native, and has enjoyed not only Mitchell's friendship, but also some special moments in the music icon's presence.

To Lowe, Carlile recalled recently witnessing Mitchell pick up a guitar again during a jam session with Dawes, Kathy Bates, Marcus Mumford and Phoebe Bridgers. "Everybody that knows Joni knows she doesn't play guitar anymore," explains Carlile — but, nonetheless, Mitchell borrowed Bates' guitar and began tuning it to play a song that Bridgers and Mumford recognized as "Come in From the Cold."

"I saw the moment Joni Mitchell opened her mouth and sang again," Carlile adds. "And no matter what happens to me in life, those things happened."

Readers can watch Carlile's full interview with Lowe above. She'll be playing Saturday Night Live on Oct. 23.

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