St. Vincent Proud of ‘Great Legacy’ Behind Alternative Grammy Win
Earlier today, at the pre-telecast “The Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony,” St. Vincent won her first golden gramophone, beating Arcade Fire and Jack White for Best Alternative Music Album. The singer-songwriter-guitarist (known offstage as Annie Clark) is currently between shows in Australia, and while she couldn’t accept her trophy in person, she spoke with Rolling Stone shortly after it was announced.
“I just wanted to make music and tour,” Clark said, explaining that even a few years ago, she couldn’t have imagined having a Grammy resting on her mantle. “That’s what we’re still doing.”
This wasn’t just Clark’s first win – it was her first nomination as well. And she couldn’t think of a category she would be more proud to be nominated in. “The question is always ‘Alternative to what?'” she said. “But I think they added this award in response to the Seattle bands of the early-Nineties – and that’s a great legacy to follow.” (Clark actually got a chance to play with one of these Seattle bands last year when she was among the four women singers who fronted Nirvana at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Brooklyn.)
Although Clark was excited to win the award, she insisted that the music is its own reward – and she makes it for herself first. However, if she had been in charge of the nomination committee, she says she would have recognized records like Tim Hecker’s Virgins and Jenny Lewis’ The Voyager.
As it stands, the other Best Alternative nominees were Alt-J’s This Is All Yours, Arcade Fire’s Reflektor, Cage the Elephant’s Melophobia, Jack White’s Lazaretto, the Neighbourhood’s I Love You and Panic! at the Disco’s Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!.