Brandi Carlile on her New Wife and Same-Sex Marriage in Her Home State

Singer/Songwriter Brandi Carlile, 31, has had a big year.  She recently married Catherine Shepherd and released her fifth album in June entitled, Bear Creek, which debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart. 

To cap off that big year, the songstress and LGBT advocate, was recently interviewed by The Seattle Times.  During the discussion, she opened up about her newlywed status, where her career is heading, and her reaction to the news that her home state of Washington will soon be legally marrying same sex couples.

"I was wishing I was there with you all," Carlile said. "It feels tremendous to see that in my lifetime. If you had told me that when I was a teenager and struggling, I wouldn't have believed it," Carlile told the Times.  Unfortunately, Carlile was on tour in San Diego on election night and was unable to be home to celebrate the big news at home.

The story of Carlile and Shepherd began in 2009, when Carlile was launching the Fight the Fearcampaign, and Shepherd reached out to help.  The campaign was established in the memory of Teresa Butz, 39, a Seattle resident who was brutally murdered (her partner was also attacked and survived) by a stranger in her home.  The campaign provides self defense and violence prevention classes for women at community centers, homeless shelters, and other gathering places in the Seattle area.

Since then, Carlile has credited Shepherd with being her partner in everything, especially in dealing with her celebrity status.  "Catherine keeps me from being jaded. She sees the core of people and points it out to me. She sees everyone's internal 8-year-old.”

Carlile and Shepherd, a British citizen, made it official when they were married in September in Boston.  However, the couple plans to hold a separate celebration in London for Shepherd’s family. 

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