In July, Brandi Carlile was inducted into the ACL Hall of Fame, a well-earned moment of appreciation for the songwriter who has worked to reignite appreciation for so many artists that influenced her. While Carlile’s 2025 album, Returning to Myself, pays homage to Joni Mitchell in moments of style and subject, it also lives up to its title in exploring the myriad, ever-changing facets of Carlile’s own life and creativity, from the evolution of motherhood to fierce, politically charged rockers. Yet the connecting thread remains the sincerity in her familiarly raw and poetic storytelling. The Head and the Heart open. – Doug Freeman