Twenty-five years ago, with the release of his self-titled debut album, Rufus Wainwright defined himself in defiance of his folk legacy’s family tree – his mother and aunt in the McGarrigle Sisters, his father Loudon Wainwright III – and created cosmopolitan melodies with romantic lyrics and arching chamber-pop arrangements.
More in league with opera and cabaret than folk, the ‘Rufus Wainwright’ album was a sensation. The singer-songwriter created additional albums with lyrics that touched on his proudly out life, art, literature and pop culture.
Now, 25 years later, Wainwright isn’t only celebrating his first album with its re-release featuring a new cover. The singer has re-connected with his socially aware, occasionally politicized, folk-activist roots with a new album of duets, ‘Folkocracy’, and a live showcase at the Kimmel Cultural Campus’ Miller Theater on June 23.
Talking about his “mixed feelings” towards his folk music upbringing and the proximity to his mother, the late Kate McGarrigle, Wainwright knew that “the folk idiom had given us some of the greatest songs ever written – the very compact lyrics, the power of its stories, but the folk world was incredibly heterosexual, very rigid, artistically, and, surprisingly, not filled with the most joyous folk…. It was a double-edged sword: I loved it and I hated it.”
Now, Wainwright and his longtime producer Mitchell Froom decided to reacquaint themselves with classics of the rustic, communally-based idiom.
“Thinking communally was a big part of this, which is how the duets concept came about,” said Wainwright. “And choosing what songs we did was a process that strongly involved Mitchell. I picked 30 to 50 songs that I love, that I thought that I could interpret as folk songs or that I can do in a folk manner – acoustic, intimately rendered and arranged – and from there, he picked the songs he thought would work best. I’ve always trusted Mitchell innately. He really does have me in mind when we work together—my peculiarities, my reputation, and the future of my reputation.”
Oddly enough, Wainwright had psychically prepped himself for the intimacy of ‘Folkocracy’ during the pandemic, when he played weekly series of solo events from his home, just him and his piano, sequestered from the world.
“What I have realized of late is that all this talk of AI and social media – the technological world, those mazes that we are entering – made me move toward the acoustic, to make sense of it all, to be more human, flawed, more natural. I have been looking for greater connection, and when you think about it all, the fact that I did so many little shows online during the pandemic, some of that had to have rubbed off.”
Along with contemplating the bluegrass classic ‘Down in the Willow Garden’ with Brandi Carlile, the gospel traditional ‘Cotton Eyed Joe’ with Chaka Khan, and the British folk ballad ‘Heading for Home’ with John Legend, Froom chose one of Wainwright’s own songs, the LGBTQ-inspired ‘Going to a Town’ for inclusion on ‘Folkocracy’ with luminous gay vocalist ANOHNI on board.
“Several artists passed on doing that song with me, because they didn’t want to ride that horse at that moment – which I respect – but ANOHNI, she is so outspoken, always so politically engaged and loves to ruffle feathers.”
For all the talk of folk music and his new ‘Folkocracy’, the singer is also celebrating the 25th anniversary of 1998’s ‘Rufus Wainwright’ with a re-release of additional studio session tracks and a different cover — a photo of him from this year, white beard and all.
“That first record of mine still speaks to me as it was one of the last albums recorded in that grand old style – taking three years to develop and orchestrate, 52 reels of tape, all mixed to tape and incredibly analog all the way – with that retro feel, that luster,” said Wainwright. “And the cover? I like this bearded guy. The beard is more practical than me worrying about my face every day. And as an opera fan, one of my big faves is Verdi, so I’m slowly emulating him and his look. This new maturity of mine has given some people who may have dismissed me previously a renewed interest in me, and the bearded Wainwright.”
Rufus Wainwright will perform at Kimmel Cultural Campus’ Miller Theater on June 23. For information and tickets, kimmelculturalcampus.org
