Elton John: ‘I cannot live without new music. I cannot live without it’

Elton John and Brandi Carlile join Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 to discuss of the release of their forthcoming collaboration, Who Believes in Angels?

The duo sits down with Zane at The Troubadour in Los Angeles and share about writing their new single, “Swing For The Fences,” telling LGBTQ+ stories through music, and Elton John’s mentorship of young artists.

Brandi Carlile tells Apple Music about writing “Swing For The Fences” and offering encouragement to LGBTQ+ youth

Zane Lowe: “Swing for the Fences.” Brandi, this is a huge song and a moment for you to really stretch out into what you do, which is write songs, beautiful, brilliant, heartfelt songs. More often than not, is saying something that matters to you and therefore matters to people. You are an unafraid writer. I’ve said that to you before. When it comes to making music, fear does not play a role, and I really admire that about you. A tough song to write, probably a hard song to listen to, because even when you wrote it, things are getting worse.

Brandi Carlile: Yeah, yeah, I’m glad it exists.

Zane Lowe: So the song is changing shape in real time.

Brandi Carlile: Yeah. Well, I think that the way it sits in the sequence, which was an accident, is serendipitous in its own way, because you got songs about Laura Nyro and Little Richard, who are sort of our queer predecessors. They sort of came before Elton and I in many ways, and weren’t allowed really, I think, to fully walk through the world unabashedly as gay people. And then, we’ve got this song that’s kind of an anthem of encouragement to LGBTQ youth. I think it’s a really interesting way to follow up the lives of those two icons that influenced us so much. But I think who, deep down, we wish could have walked through the world the way that we are getting to walk through the world now.

Zane Lowe: Goes through the wall, bloody and bruised.

Brandi Carlile: Yeah. So I love that we were able to take that encouragement, and hopefully, it can aggregate. Hopefully, it can help those marginalized kids and those young people right now, and they can look to me and Elton and they can go, “Yeah, I’m going to be okay. I’m going to be all right,” because we got their back.

Elton John tells Apple Music about mentoring young artists

Brandi Carlile: Look at Elton and the way that he cultivates these relationships with young people. And by the way, he’s known for finding young artists and calling them, encouraging them, but he doesn’t just do that. He’s also honest. He also says, “But I think your best work is ahead of you.”

Zane Lowe: Has that come at a price for you, to some degree personally? What you stand for is so important to all of us and to the world. And it will go down in history as being a part of who you are in the spirit of the man.

Elton John: It’s essential to who I am. It’s vital to who I am. I cannot live without new music. I cannot live without it.

Zane Lowe: And what about the honesty it’s taken to be able to plant your flag in the ground and help others on such a huge global level?

Elton John: And it’s so funny everyone’s saying, “Oh, things don’t happen so quickly for people like RAYE and Olivia Dean.” And look, Sabrina Carpenter, this is her sixth record. Then Chappell Roan was dropped by Atlantic Records, because it’s taken them five or six years…

Zane Lowe: …Charli xcx 10 years on.

Elton John: But it’s stood them in the greatest stead because they were ready.

Zane Lowe: Yeah, that’s right.

Elton John: I was playing with Bluesology for years and then, backing Patti LaBelle and Major Lance and Billy Stewart. And when I came to the Troubadour, I was ready. I was totally ready. I saw Chappell Roan in London, I was blown away. She’s ready. Because all heartbreak and all the disappointments, they make you stronger. And I would try to relay that to people… But it’s so great to see these people who are so talented. [I say] it don’t happen too quickly. You have the disappointments. It makes you stronger, it gives you backbone. But I’m always there. I say, “Listen, Humble the Great, call me up, do this, do that. But you’re doing really great. It’s going so well.”