Out songstress Mary Lambert is making a special appearance on tonight’s episode of Faking It, performing at Hester High’s prom, and we had the opportunity to catch up with her not only about the show, but what we can expect from her new album, book and music video for her new single “Ribcage.” Plus, we find out if she ships Karma and Amy.
AfterEllen.com: Very exciting that you are on Faking It. Tell me a little bit about how that came to be.
Mary Lambert: Faking It used “Secrets” for a promo they did, I think, their first season. I was so excited because it was one of the first syncs I had gotten for the song and It was exciting to have my friends like, “Oh my gosh, we heard your song on the promo for Faking It!” I was like, “What is this show?” So, actually, I started watching the show because “Well, they’re cool enough to use my song so…” and I ended up really, really liking the show, and so when they offered the guest appearance, I jumped: “Please, please let me do it!” And it ended up being perfect because it was so nice of them not to just have me playing in the background, but to also use me somewhat as a figure and say my name and have me be a part of their prom in that way.
AE: There have been so many awesome TV and movie proms with live bands and musicians playing, but I never had that growing up, did you?
ML: Never. Never. I think it’s like the duty of media and cool TV shows and movies to make you feel like your gym prom is inadequate. Like they have this really amazing live band and we all had weird CD DJ.
AE: Do you have any acting ambitions?
ML: Yeah, actually, I just did my first feature film audition. I was actually, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I was the lead in my high school’s Cinderella. I was Cinderella in high school. When I applied to the college I went to, which was Cornish College of the Arts, I wanted to double major in acting and musical theater, but the programs were so rigorous that you kind of had to choose and writing music was an early love so it was a no brainer. So I continued studying on that path and even now as I’m working on the next album, I know that the things I learned in my bachelor’s degree are much more applicable than an acting degree. So I am able to compose a lot of the stuff I want to accomplish. But it’s really neat to be able to-I have a great agency and they’re just constantly pitching me for stuff so that’s cool.
AE: When you are sent scripts or projects to work on, are you sent anything with queer themes or characters or does it range?
ML: It ranges. I mostly, what I’m finding a lot of larger companies are looking for and at least, I could be totally wrong-these are just the parts that I’ve been sent-but they’re mostly looking for plus size women and if they’re looking for a plus size woman for a feature film or an HBO/Showtime show or something, that is already really comforting that I’m being considered for a part. That to me says that there’s more people saying, “OK, I think we need to have more diversity in terms of what we’re portraying, especially when it comes to size.” When I get those parts, it’s neat to know people are looking out for that.
AE: Living in LA, I have a lot of friends who act and they will sometimes complain about receiving scripts that describe a character as “dowdy, overweight, unattractive but nice” or something with similar negative connotations that are not the most flattering. Do you ever get any of that and does that affect whether or not you want to audition for that role?
ML: Oh, I’m very grateful that I think my agency hides it. But one of the parts I auditioned for, I sort of did some research because it was based on true story. If you’re going off of a real person and the documentary sort of style, it makes sense to try and find someone who looks like that person. But if it’s a fictional character that they made up that is like “stout and ugly looking, weird mark on face”-I think that’s why I have a hard time being in LA because the insecurity is just abound. It’s everywhere and feels almost palpable. You’re so reduced in casting to what you look like and I think what I try to do in my work is remind people that it’s not about what they look like, so it feels like two very different dynamics.
AE: So much of what you do-music, poetry-is not necessarily visual, but then there are the aspects of performing, music videos and other components that are. I assume you are very much in control of the kinds of images you put out there and wouldn’t ever participate in something you don’t fully support.
ML: Absolutely. I would say the only music video that I didn’t at least co-direct was “Secrets,” and that’s because I really trusted Declan [Whitebloom]. I edited quite a bit of it, at least the storyline and what we were doing and I improvved in some ways, but the “She Keeps Me Warm” video was, conceptually, my idea and the video that’s about to come out, “Ribcage,” was completely conceptually my idea. So my goal is to provide visibility for a strong, female, lesbian, plus-size woman in media and these places where we we just see so much of the same thing and see this one standard, one idea of beauty perpetuated over and over. And it’s become the calibration of what’s good and beautiful and I think it’s so damaging because there’s so many different kinds of people. This is obviously all “duh” stuff, but you can say it and as soon as you start seeing more diverse characters in the media, it doesn’t begin to change. Your psyche doesn’t actually change.
AE: What can you tell us about the video and when is it coming out?
ML: Well “Ribcage,” we’ve been working on it for a long time, and I think part of it was that the label isn’t really involved at all. This has pretty much been my own project that I’ve just been pushing forward. I wanted to make an art piece, I think after focusing so much on getting sales and pleasing the corporate business side of music, I really missed creating art and I think “Ribcage” is-I love it. It’s my favorite song on Heart on My Sleeve and I wanted to make a video sort of based on the hangover of “Secrets,” where I’m wearing a dress very similar to “Secrets” and it’s basically about what happens when you are too vulnerable; what happens when you have given everything and you’re still not able to connect with an audience. So it’s pretty dark, and I felt a little strange having “Secrets” be my first major label debut because it really put me in this one sort of light and it’s scary because-we’re all complex and we’re all multi-faceted, but there’s a darkness and a sadness to what I do. And I’m continually working and healing through it, but the art that I create has had some sarcastic sort of dark tones to it so to be able to express myself through another art form like doing a music video has been really cool. I think it’s probably going to come out-we’re getting the last draft this week, so we’ll probably come up with a cool campaign and go. So hopefully within the next month.
AE: I know you are working on both a new book of poetry and a new album. What can we expect from both of those?
ML: The album’s already off to an awesome start. I’m just really grateful for the way I get to create now and that I have the freedom and stability to create in a sane, sacred timely pace and not feel super rushed or like my whole career is going to die if I don’t make something really fast. But I’m really taking my time and crafting the songs beforehand, and then working with my producers. I’m working with my producers that I did my very first EP with in Washington and they’re really talented guys and they’re my buddies. We went to college together briefly so it’s neat to be around people that I feel safe with. And I think something happens when you work with big heavy-hitting producers. Whether you have a strong voice or not, it’s really hard not to accept someone’s advice or artistic input and say, “Oh, well, you have all this experience and you’ve done this and this and this, so why wouldn’t I take your input and change my song in this way?” Because really it comes down to am I creating the song that’s me, that’s tangibly, you can look at it and say, “That’s my heart on audio file.” And often if you’re working with these producers, they have their own agenda, so they’re going to–they’re thinking about themselves along the way, too. And with Braden and Soren, the guys that I work with, I just feel so free and like I get to write anything I want. And what I get to do on this album, too, is I get to put my classical chops back to work. So I’m composing some string quartets with sort of a melodic motif that are in the songs, so I’m recreating those melodies into a string quartet that sort of serves as an outro into an interlude between songs. It’s a much more arduous process but I think a far more rewarding one. And I get to be at home composing string quartets watching the fall leaves change, so my life sucks. [laughs]
And the collection of poetry has been on-going. I’m probably about halfway through. But I’m not really forcing that one either. It’ll come out when it comes out. But I try to devote at least an hour or two a day to write and get some things done. I think there’s going to be a little more–there’s going to be some more essays in there and anecdotes, but mostly collections of poetry.
AE: Will the album be on the same label?
ML: I’m with Capitol so I’ll release it with them, and we have a single that I’m really really excited about. I don’t know when it’s going to come out but we’re finishing it right now. I’ve been really understood with the major label, in terms of the things I want to accomplish and the things they want to accomplish. We’re not on a strict timeline, which is really cool. I hope to have the album done, finished writing by January. That’s my goal.
AE: And since you’re going to be on Faking It tonight and are a fan of the show, I have to ask: Do you ship Karma with Amy?
ML: I am a firm believer of if it didn’t work out, there’s a reason it didn’t work out. I have to trust that in my own life. I’ve had times where I’ve been with a girl and it goes one or two years and I think, “But what if?” No, it ended because it ended and it needed to end that way, and if you live vicariously and go into the past of how great it was at one time, you’re not going to do well. So my thought is I don’t believe they should be together. I would be interested to see what happened if they got together, But I don’t think it’s right. There’s always going to be something missing for Karma, I think.
Faking It airs Monday nights at 9:30pm ET/PT on MTV.
