Elton John and Brandi Carlile have become thick as thieves in recent years, and now the pair has put the finishing touches on their first collaborative album, Who Believes in Angels? The 10-song effort will arrive April 4 from Interscope and is preceded by its title cut, which is out now.
The project was produced and co-written by longtime John collaborator Andrew Watt and features a backing band of Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, bassist Pino Palladino (the Who, John Mayer) and multi-instrumentalist Josh Klinghoffer (Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers). It includes the previously released, Oscar-nominated song “Never Too Late” from the Disney+ documentary of the same name.
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Who Believes in Angels? was written and recorded from scratch over 20 days at Los Angeles’ Sunset Sound Studios, per Interscope. Fans can get a glimpse into the process via a short film, which marks the first John has allowed his writing and recording process to be filmed.
“This record was one of the toughest I’ve ever made, but it was also one of the greatest musical experiences of my life,” John says. “It has given me a place where I know I can move forward. Who Believes In Angels? feels like going into another era and I’m pushing the door open to come into the future. I have everything I’ve done behind me and it’s been brilliant, amazing. But this is the new start for me.”
Adds Carlile, “I’m still reeling from the fact that I got to do it. I think all ships rise with Elton John’s standards for songwriting, and it was an incredibly challenging and inspiring environment to work in, everybody throwing in ideas, everybody listening to everybody else’s ideas. It felt like a family. The world is a wild place to live in right now. It’s hard to find peace and triumph. It’s a radical act to seek out joyful and euphoric happenings. And that is what this album represents to me.”
John and Carlile are also planning a Mach 26 event at the London Palladium, which is billed as a one-off blend of “performance and storytelling.”
Here is the track list for Who Believes in Angels?:
The Rose of Laura Nyro
Little Richard’s Bible
Swing for the Fences
Never Too Late
You Without Me
Who Believes in Angels?
The River Man
A Little Light
Someone To Belong To
When This Old World Is Done With Me
To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.