This week, we here at the Outpost got word that singer/songwriter and HSU alumnus Melody Walker won a Grammy for Best American Roots Song at Sunday’s ceremony. We reached out, and she was nice enough to respond to a few queries via email.

What was being at the Grammys like? What were your favorite parts of the experience? What surprised you?

It was a bit of a whirlwind for me because I had to (air quotes) play a sold out show in Chicago the night before with my Grateful Drag band BERTHA. Couldn’t exactly skip out on that. So I had to try to sleep from 2am to 4am and then get up to wash my hair and catch a flight to LA. My grade school best friend picked us up from LAX with bagels and cold brew and got us to our hotel with about an hour to freshen up and get dressed before the show. So that was crazy with no time really to stop and be anxious about the award.

My favorite part was claiming the recognition with peace in my heart, mind and soul. I don’t know if that makes any sense, but I’ve done a lot of work in the past 5 years to try and create the kind of musical career I actually want, and this feels like a signpost that I’m on the right path. It has a deeply personal meaning for me that I get to define. But it’s definitely a nice bonus that it might get someone to answer my emails, LOL.

As for surprise? I’m not surprised by anything anymore. My experience has been that once you get to a certain career milestone, or award or success, you know too much about how that sausage got made to enjoy it innocently. And maybe that’s as it should be. People who have success too early get chewed up and spat out. I may not have a lot of bread, but I get to butter it myself, ya know?

Your music has strong social justice themes. How do your beliefs shape how you craft your music?

Art is a powerful tool that is often vastly underutilized. It can be harder to find the sweet spot of message and music, but it just takes practice. I’ve been trying to do that for a long time, and sometimes I fail, but I’m better at it now for having tried and failed so much. I’m never gonna write a song that directly contradicts my values, but I may write more tempered versions of my politics to build bridges to understanding. I think a lot about VPSA (a framework for community organizing work) when writing songs. It begins with establishing shared values and I think music can do a lot to start that process. Shoutout to the late Eric Rofes for teaching me how they did it in the ActUp days.

How did your time here in Humboldt influence your songwriting?

Well, first off, I went to music school at Humboldt State (aka CPH). I thought I was going to be a Political Science major and a Music minor, but quickly realized that music was where I could make the biggest impact. Shout out to all my professors, but especially Eugene Novotney and the late Deborah Clasquin for really believing in me. But more than that, it was the local music scene that really was my incubator. I played in a million local bands here during and after graduating college, and learned how to be a professional musician. Shoutout to my bandmates from WoMama and AkaBella, and to local activist songwriter Joanne Rand who let me sing backups with her and study her witchy ways. I remember being so stunned by her power as a performer and communicator and I wanted to learn how to do that. There really is a certain magic behind the Redwood Curtain, and that idealism is what drew me to come live in Humboldt Country for 8 formative years. It’s also funny to note how many rambling street musician types rolled through Humboldt, including Ms. Sierra Ferrell, the artist I wrote with and won the GRAMMY with. I’m sure that I must have seen her busking on the plaza one day, long ago, with a dog on a rope, but we wouldn’t meet until 2020 in East Nashville.

How would you like your career to progress from here?

I want to write with the cool side of pop and country music. Artists like Maren Morris and Chappell Roan. Folks who aren’t afraid to say something and stand up to power with their art. But I’ll write with anyone who is interested in writing about something other than trucks, beer and Republican Jesus.