Grammy nominee Caspar Babypants tells how he found his voice making music for children

SEATTLE — The 62nd annual Grammy Awards are Sunday night and one of the artists nominated is Seattle’s own kindie rocker Caspar Babypants. His real name is Chris Ballew.

Ballew was the former lead singer for the Seattle rock band The Presidents of the United States of America.

KIRO 7 got a chance to talk with Ballew and long before he knew Caspar Babypants was his calling – and that he’d one day be up for Best Children’s Album at the Grammys for his album “Flying High,” he was tinkering on a song called noodles and butter for the last 30 years.

For Ballew and his alter ego, it’s always been about the music.

“I’m feeling fantastic. I really am not emotionally invested in winning or losing,” Ballew said.

In fact, he said he didn’t put any work into getting nominated.

“I kinda decided when I first started this in 2010, that I would be sort of hands-off as active promotion goes and just really put all of my energy into the songs.”

This is his first nomination as Caspar Babypants, but he’s no stranger to the Grammy Awards, having been nominated twice before in the 90s with his former band.

“The Presidents were great, and it was an amazing thing but the entire time, I felt this little voice saying there’s something else, you need to keep digging. This isn’t it.”

So, he kept digging … looking inside himself, writing more music.

“After 15 years of digging, I found Caspar Babypants and now I’ve made 16 records in less than 10 years. And it’s evidence of me finding my true self because songs just keep pouring out,” Ballew said.

The songs are folksy, quirky and catchy, striking a chord, not just with kids but parents. The songs he said are meant to alleviate stress for families.

“To that end, I feel like I’m already successful in an ultimate way because families do resonate with the music that way,” Ballew said. “So, getting an award is icing on the frosting.”

That’s way Ballew won’t be at the Grammys. He was already booked to play the Marysville Opera House.

“Ultimately, when I looked inside myself, I just felt like keeping the commitment was more me than going to L.A. and doing that thing,” Ballew said.

So, even though it’s taken 30 years – he finally feels in harmony with himself.

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