Sarah Toce
Two-time Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter/spoken word artist Mary Lambert has been splitting her time between the east and west coasts since the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the world last year. Now, as Seattle Pride gets underway, the 32-year-old Everett, Wash. born star is attending celebrations virtually. One thing she’ll surely miss this year, though, is that “Wildrose margarita!”
Calling it her “Seattle Pride tradition,” Lambert looks forward to next year when she can participate in person at her favorite hangout.
“I hunkered down in Massachusetts during the pandemic, so I’m actually not able to be in town, but I am so excited to catch all the virtual stuff and feel connected that way! And I’ll be able to come back super soon!” she shared with The Seattle Lesbian.
Lambert self-describes as “a queer femme – more specifically, a bear femme, which is a term I made up a few years ago. Bear femmes are round and cute and eat all your honey and are good to cuddle with. They also like hiking, chopping wood, and will maul you if you fuck with them.”
Speaking of cuddling, Lambert is clear about what she most craves this Pride.
“Hugging people,” Lambert says. “Being able to see folks face to face and building a community. I’m definitely not taking gatherings for granted ever again!”
There is a time and a place for everything. Lambert knows this firsthand and, when asked to share lessons she’s learned during quarantine, she offers her say.
“There is a time and place and frame of mind to process intense stuff, and there’s also a time and place and frame of mind to just distract yourself,” she says. “I think culturally we’ve started to shame people for reaching for their phone or watching TV to distract themselves, and I think distraction is a totally valid way to cope. I think distraction can also be part of healing.”
Self-care is a theme in Lambert’s music – and also throughout her life. Lambert has learned recently to schedule and prioritize her day in a way that feels more probable than in the past.
“I learned that scheduling shit with room for flexibility can be life-changing,” she shares. “I know exactly what I’m doing next Thursday at 3:25pm. There is real comfort in that. Even if my plans change, it feels really nice to have something to work toward. And even in my schedule, I can be gentle and offer buffers to myself – like I can build in mandatory time for self care.”
Lambert says she is project-oriented and “writes music in waves,” which is currently lending itself to television and film work for the star. “But if I’m songwriting, it tends to come from a desire to process and needing a way to express emotion that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to.”
One thing she hopes the world will process, though, is her net worth because it’s definitely not what’s being reported. At least she can laugh about it, though.
“I think somewhere online it says my net worth is $3 million, which is a big LOL,” the star says.
Net worth aside, Lambert is just like the rest of us: she welcomes room for growth, says she’s “blissed out with her sweetheart,” aims to change hearts and minds a la “Same Love,” and her favorite thing to do on a rainy day is watch The Princess Bride. We’ll take it.
