Brandi Carlile on her jaw-dropping year: An 'SNL' victory lap, an Elton John farewell concert, multiple Grammy nominees for a song 'Queer Domesticity' and more

As we catch up with Brandi Carlile on a phone call, she can talk at her leisure as she travels by train, to Washington, D.C., where the night before she sang in honor of U2 and Amy Grant at the Kennedy Center Honors, to New York, where she is about to perform with Marcus Mumford and Jon Batiste for a child benefit war. From that show, she'll head straight to rehearsals for her second "Saturday Night Live" appearance of the year. This East Coast whirlwind actually started days earlier in New York City, where she headlined the American Museum of Natural History's annual gala, giving everyone a FOMO moment when Steve Martin took the stage to play the banjo with her.

In other words, this is pretty much a typical week in the life of Brandi Carlile circa 2022. Blink and you'll miss something that for most other artists might be a highlight of her career, but for her is…well, probably also a highlight of her career, but one of many ticked off sequentially as she becomes arguably the most in-demand and obliging singer in the world right now.

Our conversation is meant to focus on the love she's getting from the Grammys, with Carlile entering in the 2023 edition with seven nominations, the most she has had in a single year after securing at least two each year for the past four consecutive ceremonies. But also talking about his year that was, there's so much more to discuss than could even be mentioned for a moment in an hour-long conversation. To tick a few, if not all of them:

Sat down with Elton John to sing "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" at Dodger Stadium for his final leg of the globally webcast US tour. Devising a "Joni Jam" with his beloved Joni Mitchell at the Newport Folk Festival, soon to be a live album. Being the co-driving force (with Batiste) of Mitchell's MusiCares star salute. Paying tribute to Dolly Parton with Pink and others at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. Doing knockout performances at nationally televised memorial services for Naomi Judd and Loretta Lynn. Going out on certain dates of the "Judds Farewell Tour" to take Naomi's place next to Wynonna (while her brother played bass in the band). Do a live Imax concert that's released in hundreds of venues in real time. As executive producer and part-subject of a theatrical documentary, "The Return of Tanya Tucker - Starring Brandi Carlile". Do another edition of her annual Girls Just Wanna festival in Mexico. Being celebrated by the human rights campaign. Release of a deluxe version of his Grammy-nominated album "In These Silent Days", including an entirely separate version of the album with different newly recorded arrangements. A collaborative single with friend Allison Russell. A guest spot on Mumford's solo debut. Producing a 2022 album for Lucius (his "SNL" vocal accompanists) and a 2023 album for Tucker and Brandy Clark. "SNL" x2.

Oh, and a few exceptions aside: a full circle behind "Days" (and "Daze" ) . Becoming one of the top four Grammy nominees of the year for his recorded production. And motherhood.

If you imagine she's exhausted by it all as the year draws to a close, imagine again. “I love working. I really am,” she said. Unsurprisingly for her, it's about connections as well as accomplishments. “The other thing about working so hard is that it really makes you feel like you have family everywhere you go,” she says. "It's all felt a bit like a family reunion lately."

With "Saturday Night Live" it's hard to think of many people who did twice in the same calendar year. We don't know what that means except that people really like seeing you on TV, so that speaks for itself.

Can I tell you w...