'Who Believes In Angels?'

As a teenager in the early 90s, Brandi Carlile discovered the music of Elton John and Bernie Taupin which inspired her to teach herself how to play piano. At 17 She learned to play guitar. After a few successful albums, For the song "Caroline" on her third album, 2009's Give Up The Ghost, She asked Elton John to play piano on the track to which he agreed.

Carlile after releasing several more successful albums, performing with Elton on the song "Simple Things" on his Lockdown Sessions collaborative album in 2021 and bringing Joni Mitchell back into the spotlight, appeared with Elton performing "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" at the final American date of Elton's "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California in October 2022 which was live broadcast on Disney+.

With the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour concluded, in October 2023 Elton and Brandi came to Sunset Sound in Los Angeles California to create a collaborative album. Producing the album would be Andrew Watt, fresh off of producing The Rolling Stones Hackney Diamonds album. Watt would also play acoustic and electric guitar on the album as well as on select tracks, bass and drums. The rest of the recording band would consist of bassist Pino Palladino (known for his work with the Who and working with Elton for the first time since 1992's The One album.) Drummer Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Josh Klinghofer formerly of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on keyboards, synthesizers, organ and electric guitar. James King on saxophone and Ron Blake on trumpet.

The album (much like Goodbye Yellow Brick Road's "Funeral For A Friend") opens with a long instrumental passage which leads into the song "The Rose Of Laura Nyro". The titular Laura Nyro was a musician in the late 60s and was the first client of famous music agent and media mogul, David Geffen. She was an early songwriting influence for Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin, especially her second album 1968's Eli And The Twelfth Confession.

The album's second track is also a tribute to a famous musician. "Little Richard's Bible" is about Little Richard's struggle between his religious beliefs and his homosexuality.

"Swing For The Fences" was written by Carlile as an anthem to young homosexual kids and their aspirations.

"Never Too Late" was written by Brandi and Elton for the Disney+ documentary on Elton's life of the same name.

"You Without Me" was inspired by Carlile's young daughter Evangeline who had recently joined a soccer team and did not want to miss a game to attend one of her Mother's shows. It is about a child's passage of independence from their parents.

The album's title track is next. The song's lyrics written by Carlile are a tribute to her relationship with Elton. It is Producer Andrew Watts' favorite track on the album. a music video of the song directed by longtime Elton collaborator David LaChapelle was also released.

"The River Man" was based on a guitar riff producer Andrew Watt composed when he was 16 years old. Carlile was inspired by Bernie Taupin's talent for creating characters for songs in his lyrics when conceiving the title character.

"A Little Light" was conceived while Elton was reading the newspaper about all the negative news in the headlines. Elton suggested a song about the dark state of the world and bringing light into it which Carlile did masterfully with the lyrics.

"Someone To Belong To" was written by Carlile for Elton as a tribute to his longtime husband and manager, David Furnish. Musically it is based on The Everly Brothers.

"When This World Is Done With Me" was lyrically written by Bernie Taupin. While composing the melody for the song Elton had an emotional breakdown because of the lyrics commentary on mortality. Bernie says he is not sure that this will be the songwriting duo's last song but if it is "It's fine with me".

The album "Who Believes in Angels? was completed within twenty days in October 2023 and was released on April 4th 2025 on Intercope Records.