Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic
Brandi Carlile lists the five best songs ever written and the Hanseroth Twins cover “Sound of Silence”
Fans have long understood that “Brandi Carlile” isn’t just the name of a singer — it’s an actual band, one that has featured identical twin brothers Phil and Tim Hanseroth as core members and full-fledged collaborators for nearly a quarter century. But now we get to see and hear that group without the tip of the triangle, as the Hanseroth Twins are stepping out as a duo with a side project, their just-released debut album for Elektra, “Vera.”
"The album is almost like a memoir," says Tim Hanseroth. "It's our truth, it's our story, it's just us. And that's what led us to the name 'Vera,' which is a Latin word that means true, real, sincere, actual. In the writing, in the performing, in the singing, in the production, we just wanted it to be authentic and real." Of course, Carlile's two decades of recording have been about telling the truth, and the Hanseroths have been a big part of that, having a hand in writing most of the songs. But there was something about that reality that seemed to apply more to their lives than anything they sing honestly. And that, coupled with Carlile's own desire to take a year off from the recording/touring cycle, led to the brothers relearning what it felt like to specialize in two-part harmony — or doing actual solo lead vocals — instead of their usual three-part.
Variety caught up with the Washington-born and raised brothers during a recent promotional stop in LA, where they sang for Warner Music Group employees and invited members of the "Bramily" fandom for a showcase, shortly after making their debut at the Newport Folk Festival.
