Brandi Carlile was born on June 1, 1981 in Ravensdale, Washington. At age 8 she performed a rendition of the country music song "Tennessee Flat Top Box" with her mother. She began to play the guitar and write songs at age 15. At age 16, she began to perform as a backup singer for an Elvis impersonator.

Before signing to a major record label, Carlile with twin brothers Tim and Phil Hanseroth, performed in local Seattle establishments like The Crocodile, Tractor Tavern, and Queen's Paragon. Carlile sold their self-released recordings during their local performances.[citation needed] Carlile began to attract the attention of the music industry after Dave Matthews heard her band perform at the 2003 Read more...

Carlile worked with Reverb, a non-profit environmental organization, for her 2007 fall tour. She also performed with Ben Taylor in the Eden Presents…Alive In The World concert series for the benefit of Eden Florida, an organization that assists autistic children and adults.