NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks to Brandi Carlile, whose new album features covers of her songs by the likes of Dolly Parton and Pearl Jam. The proceeds are designated for children in conflict zones.

NPR All Songs +1: Brandi Carlile Reflects On 10 Years Of 'The Story'  

  Since War Child's inception, music has been central to the charity, from raising awareness about children's lives being severely affected by war, to raising money through albums and concerts.

Syria "My dream is that Syria will be beautiful again." The conflict in Syria is old news now. But there’s a human story underneath each of these airstrikes and at the end of each sniper’s barrel. Eleven year old Maryam’s is just one of them.

  "We're promoting a dialogue between people from the North, South and the U.K., and we're asking if we can depoliticize children and talk about compassion. That's what I hope [the project] accomplishes." #CoverStories

  “If there is one thing I want to achieve with this record – of course I want it to achieve fundraising and awareness – but I really want the diversity of voices on this album to create a scenario where we stop politicizing babies and children and talking about them like they are commodities instead of human beings who we have a higher calling to protect.” - Brandi Carlile

  You might wonder how a critically acclaimed but relatively unknown singer-songwriter recruited Adele, Pearl Jam and Dolly Parton to cover her songs for a benefit album. But the biggest get on Brandi Carlile’s “Cover Stories,” made up of new renditions of the material on her 2007 album, “The Story,” comes from outside the music world: Barack Obama.

  Not since Aaron Dessner joined forces with The Red Hot Organization and released Dark Was The Night, in 2009, has a charity record been as relevant and crafted as Brandi Carlile’s latest project, Cover Stories.

Adele, Dolly and more lend voices to Brandi Carlile’s latest project..