Announced on September 3 2025, a new single was announced from Brandi Carlile. “Returning to Myself” is the first single and title track of a new album, released on October 24th 2025.
The song was released on Apple I-tunes in Dolby-Atmos, and is produced by Brandi Carlile, Aaron Dessner (The National), Andrew Watt (who produced Who Believes in Angels?) and features Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) playing Synth.
Pete Lyman returns as Mastering Engineer, as he has done with several Brandi Carlile previous albums.
The full credits are:
Brandi Carlile (Vocals, Piano, Acoustic Guitar)
Andrew Watt (Electric Guitar)
Justin Vernon (Synth, Electric Guitar)
Aaron Dessner (Organ)
Josh Klinghoffer (Synth, Pedal Steel Guitar)
Brandi Carlile (composer)
Brandi Carlile (producer)
Andrew Watt (Producer, Engineer)
Paul Lamalfa (Engineer)
Marco Sonzini (Engineer)
Serban Ghenea (Mixing Engineer)
Pete Lyman (Mastering Engineer)
In a Variety interview with super fan and writer Chris Willman, it was reported that:
“Returning to Myself” finds the 11-time Grammy winner on a new label, or labels, both of them part of Universal Music Group. The album will be a joint release from Interscope and Lost Highway, the latter being a freshly revived Americana imprint that is now part of the Interscope fold.
Specifically Willman reports on the title track:
The title song of “Returning to Myself” reflects the idea that Carlile is at least momentarily stepping aside from her role as musical enabler — someone who has famously supported Joni Mitchell, collaborated with Elton and produced a Grammy-winning Tanya Tucker and other artists — to focus on standing alone and looking more inward. But in that song, she also debates whether focusing on oneself after a period of sharing is necessary, selfish, or perhaps a bit of both.
“I think people are going to hear that song in different ways,” she said. “Some are going to hear it as a call to return to themselves. Some are going to hear it as a justification not to. And I love that about it because it is a deeply conflicting feeling. There is no a-ha moment in that song. It’s just a contemplation of, ‘Is enlightenment aloneness or is enlightenment learning togetherness and sacrificial love?’”
The video for the single, matches the style of the album and promotion, moody black and white. The video was directed by Floria Sigismondi, who has filmed music videos for David Bowie, The White Stripes and Dua Lipa among others. She also wrote the screenplay and directed the biopic film The Runaways about the 70’s girl rock group.
The song also featured in the trailer for the 2025 Amazon movies original The Road That Leads To You
