The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert
Episode Title: Brandi Carlile | Emmy Way You Want It
Date: September 17, 2025
Overview
This episode features Stephen Colbert celebrating The Late Show’s recent Emmy win and interviewing acclaimed singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile. The discussion ranges from the joy and meaning of collaborative work, life on a family compound, Carlile’s fishing passion, her upcoming album “Returning to Myself,” and even the sweeter things in life—like a custom Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Stephen Colbert Opens with Emmy Win and Signature Monologue
- Topic: Colbert jovially acknowledges The Late Show’s first Emmy in the Outstanding Talk category.
- Highlights:
- Expresses deep gratitude to writers, crew, and especially the show’s audience.
- Pokes fun at the rivalry and camaraderie among talk show hosts (notably Jon Stewart and Jimmy Kimmel).
- Quote:
"This award belongs to all 200 of the incredibly hardworking people who make this show...and to the audience...but I'm gonna keep it. If anyone so much as touches it, I will jab your eyes out with the wings right there."
— Stephen Colbert (04:45)
2. Political Satire: Trump’s UK Visit and the State of American Politics
- Topic: Current events satire focused on Donald Trump’s trip to the UK, political protest, and recent controversies.
- Memorable Moments:
- Colbert lampoons Trump’s association with the royal family and tabloid headlines.
- Further digs at political statistics, referencing recent tragedies and political figures.
- Quote:
"He is saying that 300 million Americans died of drug overdoses last year, when last year only 62 million people died in the entire world. Where the hell did he get those numbers? Out of JD Vance's stat crack?"
— Stephen Colbert (13:54)
3. Brandi Carlile Interview: Fishing, Family, and “Returning to Myself”
a. Brandi’s Passion for Fishing
- Topic: Brandi reveals she’s an avid fisher, sharing stories about catching halibut and lingcod.
- Details: Describes fishing off the Pacific Northwest, and how it offers contemplative, mystical experiences.
- Charming Banter: Friendly competition with her wife, Scotch on the boat, and shared fishing dreams with Stephen.
- Quotes:
"Some people catch one trout and that's it. The tug is the drug, man."
— Stephen Colbert (17:36)
"There's something really mystical about it... Trying to make contact with something that you can't see but that you believe is in there, you know?"
— Brandi Carlile (18:19)
b. Life on the Family Compound
- Topic: Carlile recounts the intertwined lives of her bandmates and family, living together in a Pacific Northwest compound.
- Details: The group includes bandmates, sisters, and spouses—blurring the lines between personal and professional to cultivate a tight-knit, supportive community.
- Banter: Jokes about their “cult-like” family tree and plans for a communal log cabin dining hall.
- Quotes:
"[Your] family tree looks like a braid."
— Stephen Colbert (20:20)
"You're making us sound like a cult. Or rather, you're revealing that we are a cult."
— Brandi Carlile (20:22)
c. The New Album: “Returning to Myself”
- Topic: Brandi’s upcoming album, dropping October 24th, explores self-reflection after years of saying “yes” to every opportunity.
- Insights: She discusses the double-edged sword of musical collaboration and the importance of rediscovering her own voice.
- Quotes:
"I just wanted to take all of them and say yes to everything and do all the collaborations... and so I think that I've forgotten a little bit what it means to sort of stand on my own two feet. And then I remembered again, and that's what the album's sort of about."
— Brandi Carlile (23:19)
d. On Solitude and Authenticity
- Topic: How Carlile balances extroversion with the need for solitude, and how she integrates different parts of herself.
- Takeaway: Both her glamorous performer and “scotch drinking fisherman” personas are authentic, although rarely mixing.
- Quote:
"Both things are really true...learning how to return to myself just means finding more ways to integrate those two really different sides... with other people around all the time."
— Brandi Carlile (25:26)
e. Working with Elton John
- Topic: Last album project and friendship with Elton John, which reshaped her understanding of artistic authenticity and complexity.
- Insight: Elton’s multifaceted character (both “angelic” and “a beast in the studio”) deepened her appreciation for nuance in others.
- Quote:
"I think I just believed my whole life he was just an angel...when we were in the studio, I realized that's not true. He's so much more...our friendship grew up over that project."
— Brandi Carlile (26:18)
f. Sweet Dreams: Ben & Jerry’s “Candy Bar Lyle”
- Topic: Brandi pitches her dream Ben & Jerry’s flavor, inspired by loving candy bar mix-ins as a kid.
- Fun Surprise: Ben & Jerry’s custom-made a test pint for her, and Stephen brings it out on the show.
- Memorable Moment:
"It added years to my life."
— Brandi Carlile (27:50)
"Returning to myself is available October 24th and Jerry. Wake up, Ben. It's time for this ice cream to exist."
— Stephen Colbert (28:30)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)
-
On the Emmy Win & Show Dynamics
"This award belongs to all 200 of the incredibly hardworking people who make this show... and to the audience... but I'm gonna keep it."
— Stephen Colbert (04:45) -
Fishing Revelations
"The tug is the drug, man."
— Stephen Colbert (17:36)
"There's something really mystical about it, you know, it's like you're trying to make contact with something you can't see but that you believe is in there."
— Brandi Carlile (18:19) -
Family Compound Life
"Your family tree looks like a braid."
— Stephen Colbert (20:20)
"You're making us sound like a cult. Or rather, you're revealing that we are a cult."
— Brandi Carlile (20:22) -
Artistic Self-Discovery
"I think that I've forgotten a little bit what it means to sort of stand on my own two feet. And then I remembered again, and that's what the album's sort of about."
— Brandi Carlile (23:19) -
Ben & Jerry's Flavor
"It added years to my life."
— Brandi Carlile (27:50)
"Wake up, Ben. It's time for this ice cream to exist."
— Stephen Colbert (28:30)
Episode Segment Timestamps
- Emmy Win & Monologue: 03:56 – 15:10
- Brandi Carlile Interview – Part 1: 16:05 – 21:04
- Fishing, family life, community
- Brandi Carlile Interview – Part 2: 22:40 – 28:54
- Album discussion, solitude, Elton John, Ben & Jerry's moment
Conclusion
This episode deftly blends celebration with introspection and light-hearted humor. Listeners are treated to Colbert’s trademark wit, a warm and revealing conversation with Brandi Carlile, and a delightful exploration of identity, creativity, and community. Brandi’s openness—about her music, family, love of fishing, and Ben & Jerry’s ambitions—makes this a memorable, relatable conversation, packed with laughs and moments of heartfelt authenticity.