Eleven-time Grammy Award winner Brandi Carlile has officially unveiled her eighth studio album, Returning To Myself, which became available on October 24, 2025. This highly anticipated release marks her first collection of solo material in four years and signals a significant new phase in the celebrated artist's creative evolution.
Following the profound introspective depth of 2021's In These Silent Days, an album dedicated to revelation and the pursuit of quiet, isolated spaces, Carlile now shifts her focus toward a different kind of inner journey. Returning To Myself is centered on the profound necessity of self-reconnection and finding the emotional wellspring where genuine truth and voice reside.
A New Sonic Landscape
While Carlile’s earlier catalog often leaned heavily into the raw energy of country and traditional American folk traditions, Returning To Myself introduces a distinct and mesmerizing acoustic universe. It is notably intimate and transparent, yet saturated with a powerful inner light that illuminates its themes. The characteristic, often driving guitar attack of previous works has been consciously replaced by the gentle, enveloping texture of soft keys and synthesizers, creating an atmosphere that feels less like performance and more like the quiet rhythm of internal breathing and contemplation.
The album’s production features essential contributions from renowned names associated with musical integrity and depth: Aaron Dessner, Justin Vernon, and Andrew Watt. Their collaborative work skillfully enhances Carlile’s dynamic vocal range, allowing its full spectrum—from delicate fragility to explosive power—to shine through without ever being overshadowed by the instrumentation.
The composition “Church & State” stands out as a powerful anthem exploring internal conflict and subsequent reconciliation. Its expansive soundscape evokes the classic grandeur reminiscent of U2’s The Joshua Tree. Meanwhile, the track “Human,” which is set to serve as the emotional centerpiece for her forthcoming tour, functions as a compelling manifesto on humanity, asserting that true strength is often found through embracing vulnerability.
At its core, the record delves into the complex, often contradictory territory between achieving personal freedom and maintaining profound intimacy, skillfully navigating the delicate balance between individual autonomy and the essential human recognition of mutual dependence.
This philosophical exploration is crystallized in the album’s title track, where Carlile poses a fundamental, thought-provoking question to the listener: “Why is disconnection considered heroic?” She then provides a moving and deeply personal answer, suggesting that the act of “Returning to myself is just returning me to you.”
This realization underscores a crucial point: the path back to one’s true self is not a solitary endeavor but is impossible without acknowledging and embracing those who stand beside us. The genuine act of returning is thus born not in isolation, but through reciprocity and shared human experience.
The track “Joni” serves as a particularly tender homage to the legendary Joni Mitchell, a muse whose recent, triumphant return to the stage Carlile herself played a crucial role in facilitating.
The Pulse of Live Performance
Inspired by the powerful themes of her new record, Brandi Carlile is preparing for The Human Tour 2026. Spanning major venues across North America and Europe, the tour aims to offer audiences more than just a concert; it promises a shared experience of deep connection and belonging.
Carlile also continues her commitment to female-focused music events, hosting the Girls Just Wanna Weekend festival in Mexico in January 2026. The highly anticipated lineup for this event features major artists including Sam Smith, The Chicks, and Carlile herself.
Ultimately, Returning To Myself remains the paramount event—an album where the carefully crafted sound acts as an intimate mirror reflecting the soul, and where every song serves as a clear, resonant path leading the listener home.