Mary Lambert
“It changed my life in every single, material way,” Mary Lambert says of the call to write and sing on Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ hit “Same Love.” From that moment 10 years ago, Lambert went from juggling jobs in food service to receiving Grammy nominations and signing a deal with Capitol Records. But it wasn’t just about the glitz, Lambert tells GO. “Once I saw and experienced how writing my truth was not something that was rebuked or just tolerated, but rather encouraged and appreciated, I was hooked.” After “Same Love,” Lambert’s meteoric rise was swift. Her single, “Secrets,” hit number one on the Billboard dance charts and was certified RIAA Gold, and her EP Welcome to the Age of My Body and full-length album Heart on My Sleeve led to hits and acclaim from The New York Times, which called Heart “refreshing and severely personal.” But in 2015, Lambert decided to part ways with her label and management. Now dividing her time between Seattle and western Massachusetts, she focuses on writing, composing, and music production—and her fanbase is along for the ride. “I’ve been so fortunate to have fans that have really stuck by me through all my iterations of art—my work as a poet, my work as a voice actor, my work as a fat activist,” Lambert says. “All I’ve ever wanted to do was to help people and I think through my work I’ve been able to facilitate healing by being radically vulnerable, and that feels like a really profound gift.” As she writes about her queerness, trauma, and body image in an honest and compassionate way, Lambert likes to call herself “the fat lady who makes everyone cry.” –LE
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