Released on 1st March 2024, the first EP from artist Tish Melton – When You’re Older.
Produced by Brandi Carlile over the previous year, the EP features 5 songs written by Tish. Brandi Carlile features on several tracks (see below) and the credits include some familiar names, including Phil Hanseroth, Josh Neumann, Matt Chamberlian, and Brandon Bell – a favoured mixer of the band. Several of the songs were drip fed over the course of a few months, leading up to the release of the album.
The album was recorded at Rick Rubin’s ShangriLa Studios in LA (where Brandy Clark’s album was produced a year earlier), as well as in Brandi Carlile’s home studio – Northern Lights.
The album was recorded in 2023 when Tish was 17. Yet in several of the press interviews leading up to the release, Brandi Carlile discussed it felt like she was being a mentor by Tish. This from Chris Willman in Variety:
I think that my relationship with Tish is one where I’m being mentored and learning as much as she is. And I’m pretty content and happy just to be her pal and go to a Boy Genius concert with her now and then.”
https://variety.com/2023/music/news/tish-melton-brandi-carlile-producer-video-chase-interview-1235793490/
In the podcast episode of We Can Do Hard Things (her mother is the founder, Glennon Doyle), Brandi Carlile talked about Tish’s writing and music and in fact how it’s influencing her future music self:
While we were recording I had a call scheduled with one of my great idols Sarah McLachlan, who is responsible for so many of the ways that we congregate as artists…and I have a tonne of respect for her. And when we get to talking things can get really complicated really fast and we’re both strategizing and both have these big minds. And then when we retreat into our artistry we were discussing on this call ‘What do we write about? you know?’ because we’re concerned with the big things in the world…and in the background of all this is “Long Drive” – this 17 year old brilliant songwriter that’s writing about an experience she had in the front seat of her car….and I wonder sometimes if people like me and Sarah McLachlan couldn’t benefit from the whole “STOP, get small,… what’s in arms reach – is that a song, or not? Yeah, its a song.”
Several of the artists that Brandi Carlile refers to that Tish is ‘hip to,” -as in a movement – are the likes of Lizzy McAlpine, Boy Genius, Lucy Ducas, Noah Kahan. Phoebe Bridges, Gracie Abrams.. A movement of artists writing about the “right now” small things in their daily lives.
In fact ,the Variety interview says:
She taught herself Lucy Dacus’ last solo album, “Home Video,” in its entirety, and professes that “I definitely look up to her — she’s my favorite songwriter, ever.”
Brandi said to Tish:
You get to know that you have planted seeds in me that will show themselves in the next music i make. Tish will be in the next music I make.
When Glennon asks Brandi if she’s making music right now she answers:
I am kind of getting ready to lean into it and there’s all these little pieces and fragments starting to come together. What I think of a lot Tish, you’ll recognise this, are he sounds I was making on that flying V (guitar) Fender that was dialled all the way up and feeding back….I was kind of floating around all the chords. That ambiance that’s behind a lot of cool moments, like on Long Drive and Sober, I think a lot about that – how I never would have made that sound without you and that feels like it makes it’s way into the next music I make.
By the way G – you show up in my songwriting too -as you know I just wrote that song about what we talked about backstage at GJWW.
We Can Do Hard Things – Episode 286
The album currently has only been released digitally and not on any physical formats.
Track list :
The Chase
Michelle
Long Drive (feat. Brandi Carlile)
Damage
Sober
Listen on Spotify here.
The full EP credits:
Recorded at Shangrila and Northern Lights
Producer – Brandi Carlile
Engineer – Brandon Bell
Engineer – #2 Greg White
Mixer – Brandon Bell and Colin Pastore
Mastering – Emily Lazar Lodge Mastering – Chris Allgood
Drums – Matt Chamberlain
Bass – Sebasian Steinberg & Phil Hanseroth
Electric Guitar – Brandi Carlile
Acoustic Guitar – Brandi Carlile & Tish Melton
Key/Synths – Dave McKay and Brandi Carlile and Dave Palmer
moog synth – Brandi Carlile
Cello – Josh Neumann
BVs – Brandi Carlile & Tish Melton
Vocals – Tish Melton
Banjo – Brandi Carlile
Dulcimer – Brandi Carlile
EP art – Jacq Justice
