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Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile is making major moves in her camp, with the announcement Wednesday that she is signing with CAA as her agency for worldwide representation, as well as shifting her management to an in-house firm, Phantom Management.
Phantom is led by Catherine Carlile, the artist’s wife, who for 13 years has led her philanthropic fundraising organization, the Looking Out Foundation, and will now take on the role of senior manager. Carolyn Snell is coming on board with Phantom to manage the singer as well.
Although Carlile’s new reps at CAA are not mentioned by name as part of Wednesday’s announcement, Bryan Lourd and Rob Light are said to be taking the lead in representing the artist.
Carlile had been represented for many years by Red Light for management, with Wasserman as her agency. The singer is believed to have been happy with their efforts in establishing her as a major name in music since her debut in 2005. Behind the change, it’s believed Carlile looking to further expand her reach in other disciplines, capitalizing on CAA’s reach in the realms of film, TV and publishing.
Carlile has not yet revealed recording or touring plans for 2025 — but Tuesday’s announcement does reveal that she has a second book coming next year, from HarperCollins’ Dey Street imprint. Her first, “Broken Horses: A Memoir,” topped the New York Times’ bestseller list upon release in 2021. The subject matter of the follow-up isn’t yet publicly known, but it’s believed all her writing is being looked at for potential development in other media.
Additionally, the Hanseroth Twins — aka Phil and Tim Hanseroth, Carlile’s permanent band members and co-writers (who this year released their debut album as a duo, “Vera”) — are moving over to Phantom for management, as well.
Prior to transitioning into a managerial role, Catherine Carlile served as the executive director of Brandi’s charitable organization, the Looking Out Foundation, since 2011. The org has raised more than $6 million to support social justice and humanitarian causes. Last year, People magazine named the Carliles together as two of its 2023 Women Changing the World, noting how the Looking Out Foundation had been able to raise $300,000 in just a week to aid victims of a devastating earthquake in Syria and Turkey.
Prior to aligning professionally and personally with Brandi Carlile, Catherine had long been closely associated with another music celebrity, Paul McCartney. She worked with the rock legend at MPL Music Publishing in London for more than a decade, coordinating his charitable efforts. Since taking on a role as her wife’s philanthropic leader and eventually creative director after moving to the U.S., Catherine Carlile helped conceptualize the multi-artist fundraising album “Cover Stories,” and she took a lead role in arranging Brandi’s collaborations with artists like Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Alicia Keys, Hozier and Sam Smith.
Snell, who will be working with Catherine Carlile at Phantom, has coordinated and managed global tours for artists including Janet Jackson, Reba McEntire, Indigo Girls and John Mayer. She is a supporter and former member of the board of directors for the Nashville nonprofit Thistle Farms and worked on the recent Love Rising benefit defending LGBTQ+ rights in that city.
Carlile remains with Low Country Sound/Elektra as her label for recordings and Sacks & Co. for publicity.
The singer has been a veritable poster girl for the Grammys in recent years, most notably with an hugely impression-making performance of “The Joke” on the 2019 telecast, shortly after she graced the cover of Variety as the leader in a fresh wave of top female nominees that year. Since then she has received 11 Grammys from 27 nominations. Other accolades include two Emmys, an Americana Honors win as artist of the year, Out Magazine’s Icon of the Year honor, and Billboard’s Trailblazer Award.
She has also moved into producing other artists, winning two of her Grammys for working on Tanya Tucker’s “While I’m Livin’,” along with serving as producer for album releases from Joni Mitchell, Brandy Clark, Lucius and the Secret Sisters. She is a member of the country-rock supergroup the Highwomen, who released one album, with promises of a second. Carlile’s sixth and latest studio album, “In These Silent Days,” came out in 2021, and continued her Grammys streak, generating 10 nominations and three wins across two different eligibility periods.
Most recently, Carlile served as a host and organizer for two Joni Mitchell “Joni Jam” concerts at the Hollywood Bowl this month, following up similar comeback events she put together for her musical heroine at the Newport Folk Festival and the Gorge in Washington. Next up, she will lead her sixth Girls Just Wanna Weekend festival in Mexico Jan. 16-20, where Shania Twain joins her as a headliner.