Photo: Press
Marriage, death, fatherhood, operas and a greatest hits - all part and parcel of life for Rufus Wainwright in recent years. "The height of joy and sadness, fear and love" as he puts it.
While adjusting to life as the dad of a four-year-old girl following the death of his mother, Kate McGarrigle, Wainright has well and truly thrown himself into his craft - currently working on two operas and a film soundtrack for good measure.
With so many tectonic shifts in his life to put things into perspective, not to mention releasing his Best Of compilation last year, it's plain to say that Rufus is at a reflective crossroads in his life, as a man and an artist.
Before he returns to the UK for a special London show at Chelsea Pensioner's Home this summer, we caught up with Wainwright to discuss Mark Ronson's perfect hair, his progress with new material, family life, what it's like to be a gay libertarian in the US in 2015, and his love of 'the usual kind of sad boys'.
Gigwise: Out Of The Game was a brilliant record, but that feels like a lifetime ago now. What have you been up to since then?
Rufus: It's been really amazing and incredibly scary, as being a father entails. I have a four-year-old daughter now and never in my wildest dreams did I imagine being at the height of joy and sadness, fear and love, and everything that comes with it. At the same time. I'm also working on a couple of operas, and doing music for [a film]. I do have my hands full, and I definitely miss the pure fun and relaxed atmosphere of doing pop records. At least when I get back to that world, I'll be very, very excited.
Have you not been dabbling in the pop world or writing new material recently?
I haven't really been focussing on that really. I made Out Of The Game with Mark Ronson and he's a dear, dear friend of mine. I've basically been enjoying his success skyrocket and that's been very fun to see, because I know he's been wanting it for so long. I'll just wait until he's done then I'll pick up the pieces.
Are you looking to work with Mark again then?
I would love to work with Mark again, or Marius De Vries who produced Want One and Want Two. I have a very good working relationship with my past producers but we'll see, it's always so hard to guage how well that works out, but I would love to work with Mark again - especially just to be able to look at him from across the studio floor.
He has such good hair.
Yes, I know. It's perfect!
Out Of The Game was a pretty big departure for you in that it was a lot more 'pop' and dance-y than your past work. Do you have any desire or where you want to go with your sound from here?
Well, because I write songs all the time, they just arrive of their own volition. I will be the end of the next couple of years have quite a large catalogue, and having not fallen in to the two-step of doing a record, going on a tour, doing a record, going on a tour, and having removed myself from the slog, I feel like I'll have a really big body of material and will be able to do pretty much whatever I want - whether it's a depressing piano record, a dance record or something in between.
Much wiser men than me have told me that marriage colours the way you look at the world. Would you say it's shaped the way you look at songwriting?
There's certainly more to write about. There's a lot going on right now with my family in general. My aunt is writing a memoir, I think Martha is writing a memoir, my father is doing a play about his life, there's a lot of retrospection at the moment. Certainly with my mother's passing, that's serious retrospection, but I would say that myself included, I do think it's a good time to expand on the past and see what the future needs.
What's it like being a Libertarian in the US in 2015?
I just feel different after getting married. I still believe that everyone should just do what they want to do, but whether it's the environment or socio-political disparities or the fact that gay rights are a human right and it's a matter of life and death, I think we have be fairly pro-active in the United States. We have to get the Government to do that. Especially when you have a child, you have to worry about the future. I wish I could potter off and do what I want, but I want to drink good water!
Do you think that your work on your upcoming operas and soundtracks might bleed into your next pop record?
Definitely. By the time I've done my next opera (it's called Hadrian, about the emperor Hadrian, of 'The wall' fame) I'll definitely be ready for a pop record. I'll just be sick of trumpet players!
What kind of contemporary pop music are you listening to at the moment?
I really like the new Sufjan Stevens record about the death of his mother. I also love Perfume Genius and I'm always a big fan of my friend Anthony (Hegarty, Anthony & The Johnsons). So, the usual kind of sad boys!
What can fans expect from your upcoming gigs and the London Chelsea show? Is this very much a 'greatest hits' affair or something different?
Yes, very much greatest hits. I'm very excited because I've learned that I'm one of the first pop things they've done at this venue and it's certainly for a good cause. There are so many fantastic environments I've played in the UK, and I think this will be one for the books.
Is it just going to be quite a stripped back affair with you and a piano?
Yes, just me, a piano, a little guitar, I'm debating whether or not to bring out special guests, but there will be more word on that down the line. But yes, just me!
No giant sandwiches or oiled up Cupids this time then?
I don't think I'll have the sandwich, but I'm poking around some of my fabulous London friends who I want to get up to help the elders.
Rufus Wainwright play the Live At Chelsea series at Chelsea Pensioner's Home in London on 12 June. For tickets and more information, visit here.
Or, you can win tickets to the show here.
