The wait is almost over for the 2024 GRAMMYs — and we're entering the most crucial period during GRAMMY season, when the Recording Academy Membership makes its voice heard.
During First Round Voting — which spans the period between Oct. 11 and Oct. 20, 2023 — the people who comprise the world's leading society of music people will decide who will be nominated to take home golden gramophones at the 66th GRAMMY Awards.
That Membership body includes Brandy Clark, a leading light in the Nashville scene whose songs have been recorded by the likes of Sheryl Crow, Miranda Lambert, Darius Rucker, Kacey Musgraves, and more. Clark's latest, self-titled album was released in 2023; nine-time GRAMMY winner and 24-time nominee Brandi Carlile produced it.
And clearly, simply making music isn't the end of the road for Clark; by participating in the Recording Academy's processes as a member, she helps give back to the music community that elevated her.
Read on for an interview with Clark about why she joined the Academy.
When and why did you join the Recording Academy?
Oh, man. I joined years ago. I always wanted to be a member. First, I was a non-voting member, and some of it was [that] I wanted to go to the GRAMMY block party that they had every year in Nashville. I always thought that looked really, really cool.
But I just thought it was important as a musician to be a part of the organization and take it very seriously. When I had enough album credits to be a voting member, that was a really big deal to me.\
\
To you, what does it mean to be an RA member?
Well, I feel responsible for the music that's being put out there. Not just myself as a recording artist myself, but also just as a member, what we choose to shine a light on.
And also, to help music for the future [through] GRAMMYs In The Schools. I try to get involved in that part of things as well. I think it's the one organization that is run by creatives, and I think it's our job to shape not only the music of today, but of tomorrow.
From your perspective, why should others also join the Recording Academy?
For that same reason. The more diverse voices we have — the more voices we have — the better the organization's going to be.
I think you've got to care about it. Like I said, it's the one organization that's run by creatives, and so we've got to be involved.
Why is it important for Recording Academy voting members to vote in the annual GRAMMYs process?
I think a lot of people complain when they see the nominations come out, and most of the people complaining are people who don't vote. Voting's the only power any of us have in any place, whether it be within the Recording Academy or within our own government. You want yourself represented? Vote.
Perhaps some of the complainers would do right by getting involved.
They have no idea. A lot of people who complain, they see a headline or something, and they think they know what's going on with committees and all that.
I was a Nashville board member and really got to see a lot inside the organization. And I think when you really get involved, you understand why things are done the way they're done. No organization is perfect, but the GRAMMYs work really hard to keep things fair when it comes to voting. I think the people who are complaining, they're not involved.
What projects are cooking for you right now?
Well, I had a record come out in May. It's a self-titled album, even though it's my fourth album. Brandi Carlile produced it and I'm very proud of it. I'm out touring it right now. It's my rawest record I've made sonically in particular, and I'm just proud of it.
Can you talk about what Brandi brought to the record?
I'd never worked on a solo project with another recording artist being the producer. I was involved in [Ashley McBryde's] Lindeville record and John Osborne produced that. That was my first experience with another artist to produce something. But I wasn't at the helm of that.
When Brandi approached me about us working together, I thought that's kind of cool.I enjoyed Lindeville, and so I dove in with her. I think having another recording artist behind the glass is an advantage because she comes at it as a recording artist, and so she wants to get to the truest part of me or whoever she's working with.
And she really did. She asks tough questions, she challenges. She's a world-class singer, so she can say, "Hey, how about you do it like this and really do it?" And brings so many gifts to the table that she shares with whoever she's making a record with.
