Born in Ravensdale, Washington, a rural town southeast of Seattle, Carlile dropped out of high school to pursue a career in music.

[6] In 2019, Carlile formed an all-female quartet called the Highwomen with Amanda Shires, Maren Morris, and Natalie Hemby.

The Highwomen released their self-titled debut album in 2019 to critical acclaim and commercial success, winning the Grammy Award for Best Country Song for the track "Crowded Table" in 2021.

In 2022, Carlile won her first Children's and Family Emmy Awards for Outstanding Short Form Program in the TV series We the People.

[8] In 2025 Carlile received her first nomination at the Academy Award for Best Original Song for her writing and vocal contribution on "Never Too Late" with Elton John.

Carlile has been involved in activism and fundraising on various issues, including humanitarian aid, COVID-19 relief, racial justice, and LGBT rights.

[10] Carlile began her career performing in Seattle music clubs with twin brothers Phil and Tim Hanseroth.

[citation needed] Shortly after the release of the album, she left her home in Seattle and set out with the Hanseroth brothers, as she had worked with them on her earliest recordings and independent regional tours.

[20] By the end of 2006, Carlile had embarked on several headlining tours and supported a variety of artists, including Ray LaMontagne, the Fray, Chris Isaak, Tori Amos, and Shawn Colvin.

Nearly a minute into the second song, something about her shifted from promise to absolute certainty as Carlile let loose a hurricane of lung power" wrote Rachael Maddux for Paste magazine.

[citation needed] Three songs from Carlile's previous album, "Tragedy", "What Can I Say", and "Throw It All Away", were featured in the TV drama Grey's Anatomy.

A special two-hour episode of Grey's Anatomy also featured Carlile's song "Turpentine" during footage of the spin-off, Private Practice.

In 2010, National Geographic Channel in Latin America chose the song "If There Was No You" from the album as a jingle to promote its series Grandes Migraciones (Great Migrations).

The production is thick but elegant, applied with full knowledge that the songs could exist beautifully in a sparse acoustic-strummed daze, but that they deserve more than that."

[41] In a preview of her new album before release, the Boston Globe wrote, "Whether The Firewatcher's Daughter continues the country-folk flirtation of 2012's Bear Creek, returns to the warm adult songcraft of The Story and Give Up the Ghost, or explores some other direction entirely, she's sure to bring emotional intelligence, thoughtful clarity, and, most importantly, the most arresting female voice in pop this side of Adele.

The album starts like a house afire: Carlile totally nails the vocal on the gospel influenced "Wherever Is Your Heart", and this one makes you realize just how good she is.

"[47] She performed with the Avett Brothers on Late Show with David Letterman on May 4, 2015, singing the song popularized by the Carter Family, "Keep on the Sunny Side".

She sang the song "Mainstream Kid" (from The Firewatcher's Daughter), and dedicated the performance to Senator Bernie Sanders, who also appeared on the program that night.

[50] Carlile's sixth studio album, produced by Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings, By the Way, I Forgive You, was released on February 16, 2018, and was preceded by three tracks: "The Joke", "The Mother", and "Sugartooth".

[55] In 2019, Carlile co-founded the country music supergroup the Highwomen with Amanda Shires and Maren Morris, later adding Natalie Hemby to complete the line-up.

[57][58][59] On January 16, 2019, Carlile appeared as part of a five-hour all-star tribute concert to Chris Cornell, which took place at The Forum in Los Angeles.

[60] Carlile performed a rendition of Temple of the Dog's "Hunger Strike", Audioslave's "Like a Stone", and Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun".

[60] On October 14, 2019, Carlile performed Joni Mitchell's album Blue in its entirety in Los Angeles at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

[63] On June 2, 2020, Carlile teamed up with remaining Soundgarden members Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, and Ben Shepherd.

[64][65] At Seattle's London Bridge Studio, they re-recorded new versions of two Soundgarden's songs, "Black Hole Sun" and "Searching with My Good Eye Closed", which was released on a 12-inch single vinyl dubbed "A Rooster Says", during the second of three Record Store Day events on September 26, 2020.

[66][67] In October 2021 Rolling Stone reported that Carlile has expressed interest in continuing her collaboration with the surviving members of Soundgarden.

[73] On October 23, 2021, Carlile was the musical guest on NBC's Saturday Night Live, where she performed "Right on Time" and "Broken Horses".

The festival took place at Puerto Aventuras on the Riviera Maya in Mexico January 30 – February 3, 2019, and was fronted by all-female musicians such as Indigo Girls, Maren Morris, Margo Price, Patty Griffin, and others.

The three of them have matching tattoos of the Auryn amulet, the double ouroboros that are the central magical item in the book and movie The Neverending Story.

[93] In 2008, Carlile and Tim and Phil Hanseroth established the Looking Out Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization to give financial support to and raise awareness of causes in which they believe.