Watch Brandi Carlile’s Cathartic ‘The Joke’ on ‘Kimmel’

The power of Brandi Carlile’s recently released track “The Joke” was certainly not lost on the audience at Jimmy Kimmel Live when the singer with the soaring voice performed it – and another new cut, “The Mother” – during Wednesday night’s episode of the ABC late-night series.

Carlile introduced the song late last year with an affecting live performance from Nashville‘s RCA Studio A and here delivers yet another quietly explosive rendition of a tune she says is a message of hope “for people that feel under-represented, unloved or illegal.” As her distinctive voice cracks and swells, the crowd responds with the same fervor that has become a familiar staple of Carlile’s live concerts.

Carlile’s upcoming LP, By the Way, I Forgive You, was co-produced by Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings, the latter of whom can be seen playing piano for Carlile during “The Joke.” Jennings‘ legendary father, Waylon, was among the artists who utilized RCA’s “A” room during his recording career.

In a bonus performance, Carlile also offered an acoustic, solo take on “The Mother,” another cut from the new album. Inspired by Evangeline Ruth, her 3-year-old daughter with wife Catherine Shepherd, “The Mother” offers Carlile’s observations of her own place in the world both before and after her daughter’s arrival. Watch that performance below.

By the Way, I Forgive You is currently available for pre-order and will be released February 16th.