In 2012, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis released their hit single, “Same Love”. The track was a major force in the debate for marriage equality and expressed sentiments of acceptance, tolerance and, of course, love. But the track would not nearly have had the impact it did had it not been for the inclusion of singer Mary Lambert. Lambert’s soft but stirring voice turned the song from a valiant effort into a classic. And she became a Queer Icon, as a result, showing up on red carpets and MTV Awards shows with other icons like Madonna and Queen Latifah. Today, more than a decade later, Lambert continues to make music with an edge that may in the world need. Here today (July 7), we wanted to premiere her latest single, “The Tempest”, a track that is inspired by playwright William Shakespeare but that is also a modern marvel. Part-country twang, part-poignant anthem, Lambert’s new track is a perfect reflection of where she’s at. Below, we caught up with the singer to check in about her illustrious past, present and future.VICE: What was it like for your brain to be part of one of the biggest songs of the 21st century in “Same Love”?Mary Lambert: Literally still feels very bonkers. Now that I have more perspective and it’s been over a decade since “Same Love”, it actually feels even more surreal than it did at the time. I’m just so proud of 23 year-old me for channeling something kind of profound.VICE: It’s got to be a big career win but it must also be hard to navigate afterward. How did you think about your songwriting after “Same Love”?ML: After “Same Love”, I was able to sign with Capitol Records and I got to write some really fun pop music. But before that, a lot of my songwriting was tied from my poetry, and I was much freer with my expression. The next record I’m working on is a return to that style of writing. After I had signed to a major label, the prerogative with songwriting became about how to bridge my hyper-vulnerable writing style with being accessible. The focus was really on how to reach a wider audience, and at the time I saw it as a fun writing challenge and an opportunity to try a new hat on, but I did have to do a significant amount of editing. I am definitely proud of the songs I released around that time, but my last record and the one I’m working on right now feel like getting back to my sweet spot of songwriting where I am able to center honesty and real life experiences and play with poetry a little. VICE: What was it like for you to be considered a Queer Icon after the song release?ML: It’s so fun! I think I’ve hermited a bit since then and dealt with some internal demons about self-worth and value, but being called a Queer Icon at that time was everything I could have ever wanted. When I was a kid, I would rush home from school so I could play “Award Show,” which was a pretend game I made up for myself after I had written my first song. I would introduce myself to the “audience,” which was my beanie babies and various stuffed animals, give a speech about my humble upbringing, and then perform two chords. I did that for years, probably. When “Same Love” took off, I felt like I had been preparing for it my whole life. One of the most surreal moments was when I met Melissa Ethridge on a red carpet. I said, “My mom is going to freak out when I tell her I am meeting you!” And she said, “My daughter is going to freak out when I tell her I’m meeting you!” I’ve been so fortunate to have so many pinch-me moments. VICE: You’ve been vocal on social media about body positivity and self-love. What have been the results, good and bad, from being so public with these messages?ML: I think that the majority of people are on board with the general idea of body positivity and self-love, but I think there is often a caveat when it comes to people who are fat. The message many of us receive is that being body positive is okay “as long as you’re healthy,” and my work as a fat positive person centers around poking holes in that caveat—what does it mean to be healthy? Why is health so synonymous with morality? What if healthy for me looks different than you? There’s also this foregone conclusion that everybody should not only want to be in a thin body, but that it is possible for everyone to be in a thin body. I started a workshop about five years ago called, Everybody is a Babe, and it’s been life-changing being able to help folks and work one-on-one with them. Almost 700 people have taken my course, and the community is such a loving, encouraging environment where radical self-love goes hand-in-hand with collective liberation. I see fat positivity as liberatory work, but in this resurgence of weight loss obsession, I think my beliefs are seen as “too radical” by most folks, and I’m okay with that. I’m not for everyone. VICE: How has all of this influenced the way you approach songwriting today?ML: I spent most of my life chameleon-ing myself into whatever another person might want from me—my parents, my partners, society. I used to see the ability to morph and adapt as a loving act, that it was beautiful to be malleable and changeable for others, but now I see it as an act of fear. I never really gave myself an opportunity to ask myself what I wanted because I was always terrified of being alone, and I would cling to relationships that were not suitable for me. I got comfortable swallowing swords and staying digestible and agreeable. I think this happens with artists sometimes as well. We forget to inspire ourselves, and the sole impetus for creating becomes about being likeable. If most artists never become “successful” or make enough money to sustain themselves, we might as well at least like what we make! I’ve adopted a new model of writing for myself, and editing for the audience. VICE: What are you working on now? Tell me about it all!ML: Yes! Yes! Yes! I may have been comfortable swallowing swords in the past, but I’m wresting them from my throat for this new work. “The Tempest” is the single I’m releasing today, and it’s one that I’m most proud of. I took a virtual course on Shakespeare a few years ago, and I was reminded of the genius of so many plays. I wondered what it would be like to reinterpret some of my favorites with current issues in song. I read The Tempest and saw so many parallels of white cis men in positions of power parading their greed and thirst for power as somehow benevolent. Prospero is the protagonist of the story, but I was more curious about the characters who are forced to endure the whims of Prospero’s power and magic. I saw the parallels of how empire destroys the earth because it feels entitled to its resources, instead of being of it. Simultaneously, I had just been asked to perform at a halftime show for the Seattle Sounders, and I knew I wanted to write a grittier, more rock-forward song, but I was struggling with the lyrical elements. “We’re gonna win the big goal” didn’t feel very authentic to my songwriting, but after sitting with it a bit, I realized that Roe v. Wade being overturned gave me a sense of something I actually wanted to fight for; bodily autonomy. Many folks I knew who were trans or gender nonconforming were just fighting for their right to exist, to simply go to a public bathroom, and I wanted the song to be for anyone in this world who’s rights are frequently up for debate, but who rarely get the opportunity to speak about them. For an ideology like Christian nationalism that is all for “state’s rights” and personal freedom to remove LGBT authors from school curricula because of religious beliefs, they are frighteningly comfortable forcing women to give birth and telling parents of trans kids what to do.I was super excited to get some good friends on this track—my dear friend, Jake Woodruff from Defeater plays guitar on this one, and Kyla Moscovich, the Grammy-winning horn player, performed a killer trumpet solo in the bridge. I have been working on this new album in my home studio for a couple of years now. I wanted this next LP to center my songwriting, so I have labored over the writing of each of these songs more than anything I’ve ever worked on. Since composing the music for the documentary 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture, I have taken myself more seriously as a producer and engineer, and have produced the album top to bottom, as well. I’m still tinkering with it, and probably will for a bit longer, so I don’t have a release date yet for the album, but “The Tempest” feels like a great representation of where my production style can go. It was just so fun to make. VICE: How are you different today than you were eight years ago and what do you appreciate most about those changes?ML: Eight years ago I felt like my success was pre-ordained. I was grateful for the opportunities I had, but I was a little entitled. I thankfully have gained a little humility since then, and probably needed to have a bit of a reality check. “Same Love” came out before I had ever released any other music, and every solo song I had released afterwards seemed to do very well. I felt like I was untouchable in a way. I had suspected I hadn’t paid my requisite dues, but thought maybe I was exempt. I’ve eaten a little humble pie since then, and I think I’m better for it. I got a little lazy with my songwriting and poetry, so it’s felt good to push myself to be more creative and be inspired by other artists instead of being competitive. I can appreciate the success I’ve had in the past, and also be comfortable with where I am now. If it comes back around—awesome. It’d be rad to have a comeback and have a lot of work. But I’ve also enjoyed my peace and connecting with the diehard fans who have stuck with me for this long, and love being able to have game nights with friends and grow a garden with my partner. VICE: What’s one sentence you wish you could tell yourself 20 years ago?ML: Your bipolar disorder is real, the meds work, and you don’t need to create chaos to make great art. Also, don’t date liars.Photo via Mary Lambert “The Tempest” music videoThe post Premiere: Mary Lambert Releases Scalding New Single “The Tempest” appeared first on VICE.