You and Me on the Rock

"You and Me on the Rock" is a song by American singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile featuring American indie pop band Lucius. It was released on June 13, 2022, as the second single of the former's seventh studio album In These Silent Days. The song received three Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year, Best Americana Performance and Best American Roots Song at the 65th ceremony.

"You and Me on the Rock"
Single by Brandi Carlile featuring Lucius
from the album In These Silent Days
Released	June 13, 2022 (2022-06-13)
Studio	RCA Studio A (Nashville)[1]
Genre	Americana
Length	3:50
Label	Low Country Sound Elektra
Songwriter(s)	Brandi Carlile Phil Hanseroth Tim Hanseroth
Producer(s)	Dave Cobb Shooter Jennings
Brandi Carlile singles chronology
"Dance Around It" (2022) "You and Me on the Rock" (2022)
Lucius singles chronology
"Dance Around It" (2022) "You and Me on the Rock" (2022) "Love is the Disaster" (2022)
Music video
"You and Me on the Rock" on YouTube

Background and production

Carlile revealed that Joni Mitchell (pictured) had a direct influence on the song.

The song was written by Carlile with her long-time collaborators Phil and Tim Hanseroth. It features harmonies by indie pop band Lucius. According to Carlile, she originally sang the harmonies on the track until she overturned the decision. Then, she reached out to Lucius to replace her after producing their fourth studio album, Second Nature.^[2] She revealed to Variety that Canadian-American musician Joni Mitchell had a direct influence on the song. They initially wrote the demo on a dulcimer then sending it to producers Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings. Jennings loved the version while Cobb deemed it "way too Joni [Mitchell-esque]". The three of them then compromised and worked on the song further and reached the final version.^[3]

Before her performance of the song at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles in June 2022, she told the audience that the title was inspired from a song from her Bible camp when she was a kid which advised her to "build your house on a rock".^[4] She further explained during an interview with Stereogum a year prior that the song was written about her wife, Catherine and their kids being her "solid foundation" in her life.^[2]

Reception

The track was met with positive reviews from critics. Ben Salmon of Paste praised the band performance and described the track as "an effusive love song that recalls the strummy rollercoaster folk-pop of Joni Mitchell".^[5] Chris Willman of Variety compared the track to Joni Mitchell's 1971 single "California" and Paul Simon's 1972 single "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard",^[6] while Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described the song as an "explicit nod" to Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi".^[7]

Upon its album release, Carlile revealed to Variety that Joni Mitchell told her the track "sounded like a hit" and it was Harry Styles' favorite track of the album.^[3]

Release

The "Laurel Canyon-inspired" version of the track, featuring Carlile's wife, Catherine, was released as the lead single of the reissue of its parent album, In the Canyon Haze on September 3, 2022.^[8]

Live performances

Carlile with Lucius performed the track on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on October 28, 2021.^[9] Carlile performed it on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah on October 20, 2022 with her wife, Catherine;^[10] Saturday Night Live on December 10, 2022 with Lucius.^[11]

Music video

The music video of the track was released on June 29, 2022 and directed by Drew Tyndell.^[12] The music video features Carlile performing the song while the animation of rock-solid home rises in the background.^[4]

Personnel

• Brandi Carlile – vocals, guitar
• Lucius – featured artists, background vocals
• Dave Cobb – production, acoustic guitar
• Shooter Jennings – production
• Chris Powell – drums, percussion
• Phil Hanseroth – bass
• Tim Hanseroth – acoustic guitar
• Michael Harris – vocals engineering
• Brandon Bell – recording engineering
• Tom Elmhirst – mixing
• Matt Scatchell – mixing engineering assisting
• Pete Lyman – mastering

Charts

Chart performance for "You and Me on the Rock"

Chart (2022)	Peak position
US Adult Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[13]	19

References

1. Lavin, Will (July 21, 2021). "Brandi Carlile announces new album 'In These Silent Days' and shares lead single". NME. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
2. Brodsky, Rachel (October 1, 2021). "The Story Behind Every Track On Brandi Carlile's New Album In These Silent Days". Stereogum. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
3. Willman, Chris (December 17, 2022). "Brandi Carlile on Her Stunning Year: An 'SNL' Victory Lap, Elton John Farewell Gig, Multiple Grammy Noms for a 'Queer Domesticity' Song and More". Variety. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
4. Gilchrist, Tracy E. (June 29, 2022). "Brandi Carlile Drops Inspiring Video for Song About Her Queer Family". The Advocate. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
5. Salmon, Ben (October 1, 2021). "Brandi Carlile Stares Down Stardom on In These Silent Days". Paste. Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
6. Willman, Chris (October 1, 2021). "Brandi Carlile Brings the Drama and Dynamics to a Brilliantly Sung 'In These Silent Days': Album Review". Variety. Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
7. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (October 1, 2021). "Brandi Carlile - In These Silent Days Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
8. Freeman, Jon (September 2, 2022). "Brandi Carlile Sings With Her Wife on New Version of 'You and Me on the Rock'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
9. Zemler, Emily (October 28, 2021). "Watch Brandi Carlile Perform 'You and Me on the Rock' on 'Ellen'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
10. Fire, Larry (October 20, 2022). "Brandi Carlile Performs "You And Me On The Rock" On The Daily Show". Fire Wire Blog. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
11. Iasimone, Ashley (December 11, 2022). "Brandi Carlile Brings 'The Story' & 'You and Me on the Rock' to 'SNL'". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
12. Uitti, Jacob (June 30, 2022). "Brandi Carlile Releases New Single, Music Video "You And Me On The Rock"". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
13. "Brandi Carlile Chart History (Adult Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2023.