The Personal is Political This is why trans-activism and self-love are important to musicians the Heather Mae Trio. Introduction by Angela Sells Interview by JJ Jones Photo by Rah Walters Queer supergroup, the Heather Mae Trio, does more than make music. The three use their time on stage to make a statement. The group includes Tom Tom’s tech and gear editor, JJ Jones, a Berklee-trained musician, educator, and drummer. Jones founded EmpowerDrumming.com, an education company exclusively geared toward female-identifying drummers. Heather Mae is an imaginative lyricist with a powerhouse voice who forged new ground with her last album, I AM ENOUGH. Songs on the release addressed LGBTQ discrimination, gender stereotypes, body image, and mental health issues. Mae is working on an upcoming release, Glimmer. Bassist Joe Stevens is a California-born singer/ songwriter, trans-activist, and multi-instrumentalist. He played with Coyote Grace, which toured with the Indigo Girls, and released his first solo album, Last Man Standing, in 2014. He starred in the documentary Real Boy about a transgender teen finding his identity and voice and co-wrote the musical The Civility of Albert Cashier based on the true story of a transgender civil war soldier. Jones spoke with Mae and Stevens over a conference call about fighting the good fight with music.
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Tom Tom: Your politics and your songs are also really personal. But ultimately, your message and creative vision transcend politics. It’s about self-love and self-acceptance and knowing that you’re enough. When I try and describe you, I always say, “It’s like she’s on fire. She’s on a mission.” Heather, why are you on a mission? What was the journey that brought you to this place in your art, your politics and your career? Heather Mae: Well, in terms of a new vision, I lost my ability to sing [because of vocal nodules]. I was so sad and felt like I lost my chance to make an impact on this world or to do something good with this voice
that I’d been given and the love and passion for writing songs. I remember sitting in front of my keyboard putting my hands on the keys, thinking, “If I could just have one more chance to do this music career again, I promise (saying it to whatever deity is out there), I will use my music for good: to help marginalized people. I will be honest about my beliefs, I will stand up for the little guy and girl, I will stand up for beings who need a voice and will be a mental health advocate, which is what the next record is about. So, there really was an actual moment when I made the decision to keep that promise if I got the chance. And I did, and I’ve kept my promise.
It reminds me of when people have a neardeath experience. It was like the death of your voice or the death of you as an artist, so all of the promises that people make [in that context], “I promise I’ll be good if . . .” Was this your version of that with your art to promise to help people and be of service? Mae: Yes. When I first started writing these songs, it’s all based on feel. So, I knew all of the songs would be topical about what I believe in helping the world be a better place and more inclusive, but would also be musically authentic. What you see on stage is my brain: what I envision the song to feel like, from the writing process to the song’s performance. I’ve seen hour-long lines of people who just want to meet you and hug you [after shows]. I imagine that is also feeding you as an artist, creatively and politically. Mae: I think, honestly, it’s less about them meeting me. An amazing musician, Ellis, said once in a performance class that people don’t come to see you, they come to be seen. I really believe that: when I sing my songs, I am just making them realize how very un-alone they are and how comfortable they could be in their own skin, imperfections, and flaws, or in their body type, their political beliefs, their queerness; it is my job to make them feel seen. After the show, people come up to me and often I say very little. It’s mostly others telling me about life experiences and how understood they feel. It’s an honor to me when people come up after a show. That’s the whole point, to make people feel understood. It means I’m doing my job.
