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Los Angeles, CA 90034
P 424.603.4655
Jim Merlis
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Unfollow The Rules finds Rufus Wainwright at the peak of his powers, entering artistic maturity with passion, honesty and a new-found fearlessness, while remaining as mischievous as ever. Recorded in the same legendary Los Angeles studios as his landmark debut, his ninth album is both a bookend to Act 1 of an extraordinary career and a distillation of 21 years of experience at pop’s most flamboyant coal face. Inspired by middle age, married life, fatherhood, friends, loss, London and Laurel Canyon, Unfollow The Rules captures Rufus at a crossroads. Ready to tackle new challenges, yet compelled to confront his past, he’s taking stock of two decades of running riot with rules, making sense of how he has matured as a musician and celebrating the contended family man he has become. “At my age – 40s, we’ll say – you start to re-evaluate the past you’ve been shackled to for so long,” says Rufus. “You can’t walk away from it, discard everything and create a new life. You’re now too old to skip town.” “Instead you have to go back and examine the forces that brought you here. In my case, that meant crawling through a minefield of drama, regret, wounds and so forth. To move forward required embracing those injuries, knowing that I’m in a good place now because of them, not despite them.” That wisdom is reflected in twelve, spectacular songs, all classics from first listen which couldn’t have been written in any previous period of Rufus’s life. His years spent composing operas and classical music, his swerve in to singing Shakespeare sonnets, his hundreds of jaw-dropping concerts, his drive to persistently push the definition of pop to its limits and his happiness at home with his husband, Jorn, and his near eight year old daughter (the bright mind responsible for the album’s title) are among the experiences instrumental to the music. “What I would like this album to symbolise is a coming together of all the aspects of my life which have made me a seasoned male artist,” says Rufus. “My aim is to emulate the greats of yore whose second acts produced their finest work – Leonard Cohen when he made The Future, when Sinatra became Sinatra in his 40s, when Paul Simon put out Graceland.” “Pop music isn’t always about your waistline. Many songwriters improve with age. I’m flying the flag for staying alive!” The twelve songs, in fact, began as life lines. Written during a six-year, self-imposed exile from pop when Rufus was immersed in other projects, in particular his 2018 opera Hadrian, he retreated to songwriting to save his sanity and remind himself that making music should be fun. “Songwriting became a real need,” says Rufus. “The classical world can be cold and stiff. It’s hard work, but also incredibly fulfilling. I wrote songs in order to stay alive artistically and saw the tricks I’d learnt from taking off on these major theatrical tangents seeping into the songs. It was a fortunate trade-off I hadn’t foreseen.” The results of that trade-off are exquisite, yet unexpected. Unfollow The Rules may be a bookend to 1998’s Rufus Wainwright – which saw the musician hailed Best New Artist by Rolling Stone – recorded in historic studios with strings, woodwind and some of the world’s greatest session musicians, but sonically it’s Rufus at his most focussed and distilled. Much of the album was recorded live, often in one take. There is no instrumental excess baggage. Rufus’ resplendent vocals are at both their soaring best and most exposed, throwing the focus on to his phrasing and allowing the melodies to unfold and take flight. “For that I am indebted to the genius of my producer Mitchell Froom,” says Rufus. “He managed to execute this very rich, luscious, grand sound with sparsity and an incredibly light hand. I can’t thank him enough for giving me that gift – the gift of nothing! Hahaha. “Mitchell opened my ears to what was really needed in terms of recording. My previous method was to throw everything at a piece and see what sticks. Do as many takes as you want and wait for happy accidents. “I still love that way of working, but I’ve learnt that less can be best. Mitchell was parsimonious. One take would do. I’d ask for trombone and he’d wave me away.” Largely recorded at Sound City Studios with a cast which included veterans from Rufus’s debut (notably drummer Jim Ketner), guitarist Blake Mills and pianist Randy Kerber, the sessions were unusually swift. “I always intended to close this phase of my career as it began – making great songs with great musicians in great L.A. studios,” says Rufus. “That was the norm 20 years ago. Now the studios are temples on the verge of being destroyed.” “Their richness and their warmth was what I wanted, not least now that I live in Laurel Canyon – I’ll happily suck up some of that glory! But being back was a reminder of the naïve youngster I once was. I spent three years in Ocean Way studios making my debut, burning through what I foolishly assumed was someone else’s money. This time we were there for one day and, arguably, got the same results.” “What I love about this album is its intimacy. There aren’t 8000 orchestras, yet I’m excited. I’m longing to take it on tour. It’s my mantle – my coming out as a seasoned songwriter.” “Others will be gone soon, so space is opening up for artists who have lasted in this business. Of course, I’m not the only one but I should be one of them.” “Already I’m looking ahead, to the end of this era and the start of something completely different and really out there. More out there than before? You’ll have to wait and see.” Career Highlights: Praised by the New York Times for his “genuine originality,” Rufus Wainwright has established himself as one of the great male vocalists, songwriters and composers of his generation. The New York-born, Montreal-raised singer- songwriter has released seven studio albums to date with, three DVDs, and three live albums, including the fantastic Grammy nominated Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall. Musically, Rufus has collaborated with artists including Elton John, Burt Bacharach, Robert Wilson, David Byrne, Boy George, Joni Mitchell, Pet Shop Boys, Heart, Robbie Williams, Jessye Norman, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Sting and producer Mark Ronson among many others. Rufus has made a name for himself in the classical music world. His much acclaimed first opera, titled Prima Donna, premiered at the Manchester International Festival in July 2009 and was performed in London, New York, Paris, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong among others. Rufus’s second opera based on the story of the Roman Emperor, Hadrian and Antinous, premiered in October 2018 at the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto and won a Dora Award for Outstanding New Opera. Rufus has also distinguished himself by playing original orchestrated pop songs, his orchestral settings of 5 Shakespeare Sonnets and pieces from an extensive classical repertoire with orchestras around the world such as the Chicago Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Residentie Orchestra, Orchestre National d’Île-de-France, the orchestra of the Teatro Real. Rufus has appeared at many of the world’s greatest concert halls and festivals including Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera, Teatro Colon, Hollywood Bowl, the Elbphilharmonie, the Olympia, Glastonbury, Roskilde, and the Kennedy Honors. Rufus has written and recorded songs for a wide variety of movies and TV shows including Brokeback Mountain, Shrek, Judy, Meet the Robinsons, The Aviator, Moulin Rouge and Boardwalk Empire. Rufus and his sister Martha Wainwright continue the legacy of their mother, Canadian folk icon Kate McGarrigle, and raise funds for the Kate McGarrigle Fund funding sarcoma research and a music therapy program. He is working on a number of film, podcast and musical projects and lives in Los Angeles with husband Jorn Weisbrodt and shares custody for his daughter Viva with her mother Lorca Cohen.
TROUBLE IN PARADISE FOR RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
FIRST TASTE OF FORTHCOMING ALBUM OUT NOW ON BMG
LISTEN TO “TROUBLE IN PARADISE” HERE
WATCH OFFICIAL AUDIO VISUALIZER HERE
Rufus Wainwright makes a most welcome return with the smart classic pop of brand new single “Trouble In Paradise.”
The song is full of firsts: his first with new producer Mitchell Froom on his new label BMG and his first new pop music since his 2012 Out of the Game album produced by Mark Ronson.
Not that Rufus has been idle these last 7 years, in fact he’s never been busier. He’s been traveling the globe touring, writing and recording operas and an elegant disc full of Shakespeare Sonnets. Last Easter he celebrated the 20th anniversary of his debut album with a sold out show at London’s Royal Albert Hall of biblical proportions that also featured most of his 2nd acclaimed record Poses. Similar US and European dates were warmly received.
That precocious debut was recorded in LA as has his forthcoming, eagerly anticipated new album. “As soon as I got to LA I realized I wanted to make another of those good, old-fashioned records,” Rufus says.
Meeting producer Mitchell Froom cemented the idea and the two set about creating what promises to be a highlight in a career full of them.
“Trouble In Paradise” is about the fashion world but also applies to the state of the planet. As for the music, Rufus says it has “a sense of sophistication and an animalistic instinct.”
He adds: “After the opera world and natural aging, I can now sing at the full power of my abilities, and this record really shows that off.”
From a man who regularly makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up with the sheer range and power of his voice, that’s one scary thought. You have been warned!
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RUFUS WAINWRIGHT EVOLVES INTO A NEW PERSONA, INSPIRED BY VOGUE’S ANNA WINTOUR IN NEW MUSIC VIDEO FOR “TROUBLE IN PARADISE” FIRST SINGLE OUT NOW FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM ON BMG
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:
http://rufuc.lnk.to/TiPMusicVideo
Rufus Wainwright made waves in the industry last week when he debuted his latest single “Trouble in Paradise,” which Rolling Stone hailed as a “clever new pop romp.” Today, Rufus shares his music video for the track, in which he morphs into a new personality, inspired by Anna Wintour, the legendary mainstay Editor-in-Chief of Vogue.
The video makes for a clever visual, beautifully set in black and white, as the creator behind the music evolves from the fashion icon into another version of himself, offering a commentary on the many faces that we put up in order to deal with and manipulate reality.
Drum beats herald a romp through the inner mind of a bob-haired fashion doyenne on her drive from the town to the country. She reflects on the true price of glamour, and weighs its spiritual costs while eyeing her future legacy, and eternity. The music, a nod to solid pop rock production of previous classic LA era’s motors the listener on with both a sense of sophistication and an animalistic instinct.
“Trouble In Paradise” is about the fashion world but also applies to the state of the planet. According to Rufus, it has “a sense of sophistication and an animalistic instinct.”
He adds: “After the opera world and natural aging, I can now sing at the full power of my abilities, and this record really shows that off.”
The song is full of firsts: his first with new producer Mitchell Froom on his new label BMG and his first new pop music since his 2012 ‘Out of the Game’ album produced by Mark Ronson.
“Trouble In Paradise” is available to stream now on all digital streaming platforms.
Not that Rufus has been idle these last 7 years, in fact he’s never been busier. He’s been traveling the globe touring, writing and recording operas and an elegant disc full of Shakespeare Sonnets. Last Easter he celebrated the 20th anniversary of his debut album with a sold out show at London’s Royal Albert Hall of biblical proportions that also featured most of his 2nd acclaimed record ‘Poses’. Similar US and European dates were warmly received.
That precocious debut was recorded in LA as has his forthcoming, eagerly anticipated new album. “As soon as I got to LA I realised I wanted to make another of those good, old-fashioned records,” Rufus says.
Meeting producer Mitchell Froom cemented the idea and the two set about creating what promises to be a highlight in a career full of them.
Fans can expect more music to come, and in the meantime, keep their eyes peeled for Rufus’ most intimate video to date. Get ready for “Trouble In Paradise” – Vogue edition.
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RUFUS WAINWRIGHT TO RELEASE
NEW 7″ EP, COME A LITTLE BIT CLOSER,
ON RECORD STORE DAY BLACK FRIDAY
TWO NEW COVERS AHEAD OF FORTHCOMING ALBUM VIA BMG
“It was a unifying moment, a glimmer of hope and an incredible testament to the reputation Wainwright deserves as a live performer.”
– Rolling Stone
“An exceptionally talented, effortless entertainer.”
– SPIN
Rufus Wainwright is set to release an A/B side 7″ EP, Come A Little Bit Closer, on November 29, Record Store Day Black Friday. The limited edition EP arrives ahead of Wainwright’s forthcoming 2020 album via BMG, and consists of two live performances of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” and Arcade Fire’s “Crown of Love.” Come A Little Bit Closer will be available exclusively at participating RSD Black Friday record stores, found here. Wainwright recently made waves in the industry after debuting the new album’s first single and video, “Trouble in Paradise,” which Rolling Stone hailed as a “clever new pomp romp.”
WATCH “TROUBLE IN PARADISE”
COME A LITTLE BIT CLOSER
TRACKLISTING
SIDE A
Harvest Moon (LIVE)
SIDE B
Crown of Love (LIVE)
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About Rufus Wainwright: Praised by the New York Times for his “genuine originality,” Rufus Wainwright has established himself as one of the great male vocalists, songwriters and composers of his generation. The New York-born, Montreal-raised singer songwriter has released seven studio albums to date with, three DVDs, and three live albums, including the fantastic Grammy nominated Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall. Musically Rufus has collaborated with artists including Elton John, Burt Bacharach, Robert Wilson, David Byrne, Boy George, Joni Mitchell, Pet Shop Boys, Heart, Robbie Williams, Jessye Norman, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Sting and producer Mark Ronson among many others. Rufus has made a name for himself in the classical music world. His much acclaimed first opera, titled Prima Donna, premiered at the Manchester International Festival in July 2009 and was performed in London, New York, Paris, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong among others. Rufus’ second opera based on the on the story of the Roman Emperor Hadrian and Antinous premiered in October 2018 at the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto and won a Dora Award for Outstanding New Opera. Rufus has also distinguished himself by playing original orchestrated pop songs, his orchestral settings of 5 Shakespeare Sonnets and pieces from an extensive classical repertoire with orchestras around the world such as the Chicago Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Residentie Orchestra, Orchestre National de lIle de France, the orchestra of the Teatro Real. He has appeared at many of the world’s greatest concert halls and festivals including Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera, Teatro Colon, Hollywood Bowl, the Elbphilharmonie, the Olympia, Glastonbury, Roskilde, and the Kennedy Honors He has written and recorded songs for a wide variety of movies and TV shows including “Brokeback Mountain”, “Shrek”, “Judy”, “Meet the Robinsons”, “The Aviator”, “Moulin Rouge” and “Boardwalk Empire”. He and his sister Martha Wainwright continue the legacy of their mother, Canadian folk icon Kate McGarrigle, and raise funds for the Kate McGarrigle Fund funding sarcoma research and a music therapy program. He has completed a new studio pop album with LA based producer Mitchell Froom to be released globally with BMG in the spring of 2020. The album’s songs and production harken back to his explosive debut album that celebrates the sound and musical heritage of Los Angeles. He is working on a number of film, podcast and musical projects and lives in Los Angeles with husband Jorn Weisbrodt and shares custody for his daughter Viva with her mother Lorca Cohen.
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CONNECT WITH RUFUS WAINWRIGHT:
INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
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RUFUS WAINWRIGHT UNVEILS UNFOLLOW THE RULES
MASTERFUL SINGER-SONGWRITER ANNOUNCES LONG AWAITED NEW POP ALBUM
STREAM NEW SINGLE, “DAMSEL IN DISTRESS”
PRE-ORDER UNFOLLOW THE RULES
UNFOLLOW THE RULES ARRIVES VIA BMG ON FRIDAY, APRIL 24
“Like the rarest and greatest artists, Rufus Wainwright captures life in all its reckless glory and painful beauty…sometimes even in a single song. Any Rufus fan knows this: as soon as you hear him, you can’t imagine a world without him.”
– Cameron Crowe
Singer-songwriter supreme Rufus Wainwright has announced the release of his long-awaited new album. UNFOLLOW THE RULES arrives via BMG on Friday, April 24; pre-orders are available now HERE.
PRE-ORDER UNFOLLOW THE RULES
UNFOLLOW THE RULES is heralded by today’s premiere of “Damsel In Distress,” available for streaming and download along with an official companion video, created by award-winning animator Josh Shaffner and streaming HERE.
“‘Damsel In Distress’ is an homage to Joni Mitchell in some ways,” says Wainwright, “particularly the structure. My husband and I now live in Laurel Canyon. I wasn’t that familiar with Joni’s music but Jörn became obsessed and took me on a journey into her music. We ended up hanging out with her and I get now why she’s one of the greats. So it’s part Laurel Canyon, part a song about a personal relationship that I’m trying to come to terms with, but mostly my Mitchell virginity being broken.”
STREAM “DAMSEL IN DISTRESS”
Wainwright’s ninth studio LP and first new pop album since 2012, UNFOLLOW THE RULES finds the artist at the peak of his powers, entering artistic maturity with passion, honesty, and a new-found fearlessness while remaining as creative, bold, and mischievous as ever. Produced by Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Paul McCartney, Richard Thompson, Suzanne Vega, Randy Newman) at a variety of legendary Los Angeles studios – including Sound City Studios, United Recording, and EastWest Studios – the album serves as both bookend to Act I of an extraordinary career which, like Unfollow The Rules, began in the studios of Los Angeles, but also now as the first lines of a remarkable new chapter. Inspired by middle age, married life, fatherhood, friends, loss, London, and Laurel Canyon, songs like “Only The People That Love” and the spirited, symphonic “Hatred” find the gifted singer-songwriter ready to tackle new challenges, yet compelled to confront his past by making sense of how he has grown both as a musician and the contended family man he has become. “What I would like this album to symbolize is a coming together of all the aspects of my life which have made me a seasoned artist,” says Wainwright. “My aim is to emulate the greats of yore whose second acts produced their finest work – Leonard Cohen when he made THE FUTURE, when Sinatra became Sinatra in his 40s, when Paul Simon put out GRACELAND. Pop music isn’t always about your waistline. Many songwriters improve with age. I’m flying the flag for staying alive!” UNFOLLOW THE RULES was preceded late last year by the romping first single, “Trouble In Paradise,” available now at all DSPs and streaming services HERE. The rhythmically complex track arrived alongside a gender-blurring companion video, directed by award-winning Canadian photographer and filmmaker Mia Donovan and streaming now via YouTube. “Trouble In Paradise” was greeted by international media attention and unanimous critical acclaim, with Rolling Stone enthusing, “Over lush pop rock orchestration reminiscent of Billy Joel, Wainwright saunters through a vocal performance that lends a lavish edge to his wry lyrics.” “The new song dazzles, dances and blossoms into something altogether delightful,” declared Cool Hunting. “Wainwright fans will be pleased.” The Times of London hailed “Trouble In Paradise” for its “soaring harmonies and woozy romanticism,” while the Montreal Gazette simply raved, “steeped in lush, soulful harmonies and backed by slow, steady, country-tinged beat, it’s a classic Wainwright torch song,” UNFOLLOW THE RULES has already been met with remarkable praise from some of Wainwright’s friends, fans, and fellow artists. “This is pop music on a grand scale; sweeping, symphonic, unabashedly emotional and fearlessly agnostic in style and delivery,” says Sting, while Cyndi Lauper described the album as “Rufus’ PET SOUNDS. It sounds like a culmination of everything he has done. It’s a great album, catchy and intelligent.” Long applauded as an ingenious, compellingly charismatic live artist, Wainwright has slated a wide-ranging global tour schedule for 2020, including international headline dates, top-billed festival performances, and more. A full-scale North American headline tour will be announced soon. Tickets will be available for purchase starting on February 28 10 AM local time. For updates and additional information, please visit rufuswainwright.com/tour.
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT WORLD TOUR 2020
APRIL 19 – North Charleston, SC – High Water Festival * 24 – Bremen, Germany – Jazzahead Festival * 25 – Bourges, France – Festival de Printemps de Bourges 27 – London, United Kingdom – Islington Assembly Hall (Two shows) ^
MAY 1 – New York, NY – City Winery ^ 2 – Huntington, NY – Paramount Theatre ^ 3 – New York, NY – City Winery, NY ^ 8 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore ^ 9 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour (Two shows) ^ 11 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up # 17 – Guadalajara, Mexico – Corona Capital * 30 – Kværndrup, Denmark – Heartland Festival *
JUNE 2 – Istanbul, Turkey – Zorlu PAC Jazz Festival *
JULY 4 – Caldas De Reis, Spain – PortAmérica * 5 – Madrid, Spain – Noches del Botanico * 7 – Oeiras Valley, Portugal – Festival Jardins do Marques * 14 – La Rochelle, France – Francofolies Festival * 18 – Echternach, Luxembourg – Echterlive *
AUGUST 1 – Glasgow, UK – Kelvingrove Park 2 – Co Waterford, Ireland – All Together Now *
NOVEMBER 6 – Paris, France @Grand Rex ^
* FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE ^ ON SALE FEBRUARY 28TH AT 10AM LOCAL TIME # ON SALE FEBRUARY 28th AT 12PM LOCAL TIME
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT’S UPCOMING ALBUM
UNFOLLOW THE RULES MOVES RELEASE DATE TO JULY 10
The much-anticipated 9th studio album by Rufus Wainwright Unfollow The Rules has moved to July 10 by BMG. The warehouse housing the CD’s and vinyl for the album are shut down due to COVID-19. Part of a statement Wainwright posted on his socials reads, “You know that I am an old school guy and for me the physical product is extremely important. I am incredibly proud of this album and the way I want you to experience it ideally is listening to it from front to back in the comfort of your living room, reading the lyrics, and looking at the booklet that I carefully designed.”
Fans disappointed in the postponement, can take some solace in Wainwright’s daily IGTV Robe Recitals that can be viewed on his Instagram channel. The daily recordings consist of Wainwright favorites, plus some rarities and songs from Unfollow The Rules. Other plans are in the works for Wainwright to showcase his music to the public in a time when touring is not an option.
For Rufus Wainwright touring information: rufuswainwright.com/tour
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT HERALDS UNFOLLOW THE RULES
WITH “ALONE TIME”
SINGER-SONGWRITER SUPREME UNVEILS POWERFUL NEW SINGLE AND ANIMATED VIDEO
LONG AWAITED NEW POP ALBUM AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER HERE
#QUARANTUNES #ROBERECITALS SERIES OF SOLO HOME PERFORMANCES PRESENTED DAILY ON INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK
UNFOLLOW THE RULES ARRIVES VIA BMG ON FRIDAY, JULY 10
“Like the rarest and greatest artists, Rufus Wainwright captures life in all its reckless glory and painful beauty…sometimes even in a single song. Any Rufus fan knows this: as soon as you hear him, you can’t imagine a world without him.” – Cameron Crowe
GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright has unveiled the latest single from his eagerly anticipated new pop album, UNFOLLOW THE RULES. “Alone Time” is available now at all DSPs and streaming services; an official companion video, created by award-winning animator Josh Shaffner and featuring illustrations by Wainwright and Shaffner, is streaming HERE. UNFOLLOW THE RULES arrives via BMG on Friday, July 10; pre-orders are available now HERE.
STREAM/DOWNLOAD “ALONE TIME”
WATCH “ALONE TIME”
PRE-ORDER UNFOLLOW THE RULES
“‘Alone Time’ is the end title of my upcoming album, UNFOLLOW THE RULES,” says Wainwright, “an old school record that attempts to take the listener on a rich journey through the myriad of experiences of this thing we call ‘life.’ It is my belief that with everyone and everything, ultimately, all conclusions are about solitude and the acceptance of that fact, and that often this is a very beautiful realization. But today, in these dark times, I’m thinking a lot about the thousands of people who, due to COVID-19, are forced to experience intense isolation at the end of their days in order to save others, and the incredible fear that that must entail. This track is humbly dedicated to them; it is a wish of hope and a prayer for grace that they feel some sense of joy and comfort in knowing they are performing such an incredible act of sacrifice for humanity.” Wainwright is offering fans further solace with his ongoing #Quarantunes series of #MusicalEverydays and #RobeRecitals, presented each day via his official Instagram HERE and Facebook HERE. The daily videos see the singer-songwriter supreme performing new songs from UNFOLLOW THE RULES alongside classic catalog favorites, surprising rarities, and beloved cover versions. Catch Rufus perform “Alone Time” on Instagram today at 10am PT/1pm ET. An ingenious, compellingly charismatic live artist, Wainwright hopes to see his fans later this year on his epic UNFOLLOW THE RULES Tour, with worldwide headline dates and festival performances currently slated to begin this June and then continue into early November. For scheduled dates and other information, please visit rufuswainwright.com/tour. Wainwright’s ninth studio LP and first new pop album since 2012, UNFOLLOW THE RULES finds the artist at the peak of his powers, entering artistic maturity with passion, honesty, and a new-found fearlessness while remaining as creative, bold, and mischievous as ever. Produced by Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Paul McCartney, Richard Thompson, Suzanne Vega, Randy Newman) at a variety of legendary Los Angeles studios – including Sound City Studios, United Recording, and EastWest Studios – the album serves as both bookend to Act I of an extraordinary career which, like UNFOLLOW THE RULES, began in the studios of Los Angeles, but also now as the first lines of a remarkable new chapter. Inspired by middle age, married life, fatherhood, friends, loss, London, and Laurel Canyon, songs like “Only The People That Love” and the spirited, symphonic “Hatred” find the gifted singer-songwriter ready to tackle new challenges, yet compelled to confront his past by making sense of how he has grown both as a musician and the contended family man he has become. UNFOLLOW THE RULES has already been met with remarkable praise from some of Wainwright’s friends, fans, and fellow artists. “This is pop music on a grand scale; sweeping, symphonic, unabashedly emotional and fearlessly agnostic in style and delivery,” says Sting, while Cyndi Lauper described the album as “Rufus’ PET SOUNDS. It sounds like a culmination of everything he has done. It’s a great album, catchy and intelligent.”
CHOIR! CHOIR! CHOIR! INVITES YOU TO SING “ACROSS THE UNIVERSE” WITH RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
“Choir! Choir! Choir! has fashioned a profound way for people to connect and interact.” – The New Yorker
Choir! Choir! Choir! and Rufus Wainwright invite singers from all around the world to help create an epic live video of the timeless classic “Across The Universe.” Unveiled this morning, the open call asks singers to record themselves at home singing harmonies to The Beatles song, which was featured on their final album Let It Be in 1970. The submissions will be collected and edited together into a piece featuring Wainwright on lead vocals. Choir! Choir! Choir! has uploaded two guide tracks (Part A – lower, Part B – higher) as well helpful instructions on their website to help guide participants through the process of recording their videos. Submissions are due by Friday, May 15 and can be uploaded directly via the same site. “It’s really hard to watch your project be altered so dramatically in an instant. But can the virus keep us from singing together? NO! Choir! Choir! Choir! is all about creating community and building safe and creative spaces for people to enjoy so… if we can’t be together IRL, we can, and will, create some beautiful harmony to send out into the world with an epic crowd-sourced video,” says Choir! Choir! Choir! co-creative director, Nobu Adilman. “And who better to do this with than Rufus Wainwright? We’ve loved collaborating with him in the past, and have always loved his take on ‘Across The Universe.’ It’s a song we need right now, and, with Rufus on lead, and the world singing along, we can’t think of anything better!” “Across the Universe has always been a special song to me. When Yoko asked me to perform it at Radio City Music Hall with her son Sean and Moby in 2011 raising funds for New Yorkers in the aftermath of 9/11, it sort of put me on the map,” says Rufus Wainwright. “It is eerie how the chorus ‘Nothing’s gonna change my world’ has taken a completely different meaning today. Because everything has changed for everyone in the world at the moment. I cannot imagine anything that has affected the entire world like this before, so that is why we want to create a version of this song where the entire world can participate. I have always enjoyed working with Daveed and Nobu in person and this digital collaboration is very exciting.” Wainwright has been playing the song since the beginning of his career. His version was included in the movie I Am Sam. This special video marks Choir! Choir! Choir!’s third collaboration with Rufus Wainwright. Their first was a 2016 performance of “Hallelujah” at the Hearn Generating Station in Toronto, ON as part of the Luminato Festival and resulted in a video that has garnered nearly 11 million views on YouTube. The second, a performance of the same song, took place at the 9/11 museum in New York to mark the end of the rescue and recovery mission. It was filmed by All Arts for Rescue Recovery and Healing: the 9/11 Memorial Glade Dedication, which is available to stream HERE. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Choir! Choir! Choir! creative directors Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman have been hosting weekly Choir!ntines live on their Facebook and YouTube garnering over a million views to date from all over the world. In April, the duo raised over $70,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society as part of a one hour “sing-a-thon” they hosted in support of the organization’s Daffodil Month. Rufus Wainwright has been posting daily videos of his songs performed at his home in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles. He has published over 50 of these daily #roberecitals #quarantunes and, to date, they have been viewed more than 1 million times. He was also the first artist to launch the Royal Albert Hall’s #royalalberthome concert series and has lent his voice to many institutions raising money for COVID-19 relief. About Choir! Choir! Choir! Choir! Choir! Choir! is a Toronto-based singing group led by creative directors Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman. The duo takes a non-traditional approach; there are no auditions, and the audience is the choir. Just show up and they’ll teach you an original arrangement to a song you love. Choir! Choir! Choir! has amassed a dedicated and passionate community of singers and a thriving international fan base on YouTube amassing millions of views.
CHOIR! CHOIR! CHOIR! ONLINE Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
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WATCH RUFUS & MARTHA WAINWRIGHT PERFORM “HARD TIMES” WITH MCGARRIGLE FAMILY AND FRIENDS
SONG IS THE GRAND FINALE TO RUFUS’ #ROBERECITAL #QUARATUNES SERIES
(Photo credit: Tony Hauser)
Martha Wainwright and many members of the legendary McGarrigle family and other friends helped Rufus Wainwright end his critically lauded #Roberecital #Quaratunes Instagram series, with a rendition of Stephen Foster’s “Hard Times.”
Watch Rufus and Martha Wainwright performing “Hard Times”
Rufus posted: “From the whole McGarrigle family and I to you, we have a single prayer for all: Hard times, come again no more. Thank you everyone for joining together with me for this beautiful performance of this classic Stephen Foster folk song! I truly could not have asked for a better way to send this series off.“
For the past 60 days Rufus has been performing a song every day via his official Instagram, HERE and Facebook HERE. The daily videos saw the singer-songwriter supreme performing new songs from UNFOLLOW THE RULES alongside classic catalog favorites, surprising rarities, and beloved cover versions.
Today’s performance of “Hard Times,” features his sister Martha Wainwright along with family and friends including: Anna Mcgarrigle Jane Mcgarrigle Lily Lanken Sylvan Lanken Vinny Dow Patrick Ferris Gigi and Islay Mac Millan Kathleen Weldon And a couple of babies.
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RUFUS WAINWRIGHT CELEBRATES NEW POP ALBUM WITH BEHIND-THE-SCENES DOCUMENTARY
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: UNMAKING UNFOLLOW THE RULES PREMIERES TODAY at 1 PM ET VIA WORLD CAFE / NPR MUSIC
SPECIAL Q&A WITH WAINWRIGHT HOSTED BY RAINA DOURIS TO ACCOMPANY PREMIERE
LONG AWAITED NEW ALBUM AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER HERE
UNFOLLOW THE RULES ARRIVES VIA BMG ON FRIDAY, JULY 10
GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright has announced the premiere of RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: UNMAKING UNFOLLOW THE RULES, a behind-the-scenes documentary chronicling the extraordinary creation of his eagerly anticipated new album. The short film debuts, directed by Jeff Richter of Earthquake Productions (Guns N Roses, Lenny Kravitz, De La Soul) today at 1 pm ET, exclusively from WXPN’s World Cafe via NPR Live Sessions HERE. In addition, today’s premiere will be accompanied by a special Q&A with Wainwright. UNFOLLOW THE RULES arrives via BMG on Friday, July 10; pre-orders are available now HERE.
WATCH RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: UNMAKING UNFOLLOW THE RULES
Wainwright’s ninth studio LP and first new pop album since 2012, UNFOLLOW THE RULES finds the artist at the peak of his powers, entering artistic maturity with passion, honesty, and a new-found fearlessness while remaining as creative, bold, and mischievous as ever. Produced by Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Paul McCartney, Richard Thompson, Suzanne Vega, Randy Newman) at a variety of legendary Los Angeles studios – including Sound City Studios, United Recording, and EastWest Studios – the album serves as both bookend to Act I of an extraordinary career which, like UNFOLLOW THE RULES, began in the studios of Los Angeles, but also now as the first lines of a remarkable new chapter. Inspired by middle age, married life, fatherhood, friends, loss, London, and Laurel Canyon, songs like the acclaimed single, “Damsel In Distress” and the powerful, album-closing “Alone Time” find the gifted singer-songwriter ready to tackle new challenges, yet compelled to confront his past by making sense of how he has grown both as a musician and the contended family man he has become. UNFOLLOW THE RULES has already been met with remarkable praise from some of Wainwright’s friends, fans, and fellow artists. “This is pop music on a grand scale; sweeping, symphonic, unabashedly emotional and fearlessly agnostic in style and delivery,” says Sting, while Cyndi Lauper described the album as “Rufus’ PET SOUNDS. It sounds like a culmination of everything he has done. It’s a great album, catchy and intelligent.” An ingenious, compellingly charismatic live artist, Wainwright hopes to see his fans later this year on his epic UNFOLLOW THE RULES Tour. For scheduled dates and other information, please visit rufuswainwright.com/tour.
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RUFUS WAINWRIGHT SHARES VIDEO FOR “YOU AIN’T BIG”
NEW SONG FROM UPCOMING ALBUM UNFOLLOW THE RULES
LISTEN: https://rufus.lnk.to/YouAintBig WATCH: smarturl.it/YouAintBig-Video
UNFOLLOW THE RULES TO BE RELEASED JULY 10
SINGER ALSO SHARES BEHIND-THE-SCENES DOCUMENTARY RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: UNMAKINGUNFOLLOW THE RULES ON YOUTUBE
WILL BE A GUEST ON PUBLIC RADIO’S LIVE FROM HERE WITH CHRIS THILE ON JUNE 13
PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE HERE: https://rufus.lnk.to/UnfollowTheRules
GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright has shared a video for “You Ain’t Big” a song off his highly anticipated upcoming album Unfollow The Rules, out July 10 through BMG.
WATCH “YOU AIN’T BIG” HERE
Wainwright says of the song and video: “I originally wrote the song “You Ain’t Big” about the strange fact that in the music business worldwide until recently (our estimation has fallen considerably) no matter how well you’ve done anywhere else, if you couldn’t make it in the heartland of the US you weren’t really considered a true star. Think Little Richard, Elvis, the Beatles and Julio Iglesias. However, in releasing this song now which references states such as Alabama, North Carolina, Kansas (where I have had the pleasure of playing shows) and even New York and California, all troubled places during this tremendously turbulent time nationwide, the term “You Ain’t Big” has taken on additional meanings. The song at heart is apolitical. Its vintage sound harkens back to the classical American country music sound of the 40s and 50s and with the help of opposing images in the video of how different life was for white people compared to black people in the 1950’s, as it has sadly remained, I think it rings appropriate for this time and professes a certain truth.” In addition to the video Rufus has made available on his YouTube channel RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: UNMAKING UNFOLLOW THE RULES, a behind-the-scenes documentary chronicling the extraordinary creation of his eagerly anticipated new album. The short film, directed by Jeff Richter of Earthquake Productions (Guns N Roses, Lenny Kravitz, De La Soul) features intimate interviews and discussions with Mitchell Froom, David Boucher, Petra Haden, Jim Keltner, Blake Mills, Rob Moose, David Piltch, and Rufus Wainwright. Also Rufus Wainwright will be a guest on public radio’s Live From Here With Chris Thile on June 13 at 6 PM. For further information go here Wainwright’s ninth studio LP and first new pop album since 2012, UNFOLLOW THE RULES finds the artist at the peak of his powers, entering artistic maturity with passion, honesty, and a new-found fearlessness while remaining as creative, bold, and mischievous as ever. Produced by Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Paul McCartney, Richard Thompson, Suzanne Vega, Randy Newman) at a variety of legendary Los Angeles studios – including Sound City Studios, United Recording, and EastWest Studios – the album serves as both bookend to Act I of an extraordinary career which, like UNFOLLOW THE RULES, began in the studios of Los Angeles, but also now as the first lines of a remarkable new chapter. Inspired by middle age, married life, fatherhood, friends, loss, London, and Laurel Canyon, songs like the acclaimed single, “Damsel In Distress” and the powerful, album-closing “Alone Time” find the gifted singer-songwriter ready to tackle new challenges, yet compelled to confront his past by making sense of how he has grown both as a musician and the contended family man he has become. UNFOLLOW THE RULES has already been met already remarkable praise from the critics, Mojo raving in a 4-star review, “it is a relief to see Wainwright honouring his formidable songwriting talents with songs as luscious as those on Poses or Want One.” And some of his recording brethren weighing in as well. “This is pop music on a grand scale; sweeping, symphonic, unabashedly emotional and fearlessly agnostic in style and delivery,” says Sting, while Cyndi Lauper described the album as “Rufus’ PET SOUNDS. It sounds like a culmination of everything he has done. It’s a great album, catchy and intelligent.”
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ALL ARTS and ARTE CONCERT PRESENTS:
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT’s UNFOLLOW THE RULES: THE PARAMOUR SESSION
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT ANNOUNCES LIVESTREAM CONCERT PARAMOUR SESSION
CONCERT INCLUDES THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED UPCOMING ALBUM, UNFOLLOW THE RULES,
TO BE PLAYED IN ITS ENTIRETY PLUS OTHER SONGS
CONCERT TO TAKE PLACE IN THE BALLROOM OF THE HISTORIC PARAMOUR ESTATE IN LOS ANGELES’ SILVERLAKE DISTRICT
Today GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright announces Unfollow the Rules: The Paramour Session, a concert that will be livestreamed on Saturday, June 27 at 2pm EST / 8pm CET.
The livestream will premiere in Germany and France on ARTE Concert and ARTE Concert’s Facebook and ALL ARTS’ Facebook for the U.S. and all other territories. ARTE’s stream of the concert will be available as VOD for 90 days. The livestream will also be accessible via Rufus Wainwright’s Official Facebook.
Rufus will perform acoustically, with a socially distanced string section, piano and guitar to accompany him, in the ballroom of LA’s Paramour Mansion, former home of silent film star Antonio Moreno. The concert will feature Rufus’ upcoming album Unfollow the Rules in its entirety plus some additional songs from Wainwright’s existing repertoire and some new compositions, one of them written during and reflecting on the lockdown period reflecting.
To commemorate the album’s release on July 10, the TV broadcast of Rufus Wainwright’s Unfollow the Rules: The Paramour Session, will be available for viewing in the U.S. starting at 5pm PST / 8pm EST on the ALL ARTS broadcast channel, free streaming app and allarts.org.
Details for ARTE’s TV broadcast for Germany and France will be announced soon.
Rufus Wainwright has released this statement regarding the concert:
“The Paramour Session will show a completely different side of Unfollow the Rules. Acoustic, stripped back, sparser, but. in a Rufus Wainwrightian sense of course. Good songs can survive in many different environments. I want my fans to have an opportunity to hear the music live when the album comes out. The only way we can do this responsibly during these times is with acoustic instruments, and fewer musicians in a large space, where everyone can be 6 feet or more apart, with a super small crew. Rather than attempting to imitate the sound of the album I think it’s both more responsible and more creatively interesting to try something new. There are no drums, no effects, no bass, no horns, no flutes, no back-up vocals — only strings that are bowed, picked, hammered, or strummed, and my voice. Let’s hope less is more. Of course, it helps that we are filming and live streaming this from the gorgeous ballroom of the Paramour Estate, a 1920s Hollywood silent film star’s mansion.”
UNFOLLOW THE RULES has already been met with remarkable praise from some of Wainwright’s friends, fans, and fellow artists. “This is pop music on a grand scale; sweeping, symphonic, unabashedly emotional and fearlessly agnostic in style and delivery,” says Sting, while Cyndi Lauper described the album as “Rufus’ PET SOUNDS. It sounds like a culmination of everything he has done. It’s a great album, catchy and intelligent.”
The band will consist of:
Brian Green, guitar and music director
Jacob Mann, piano and celeste
Rebecca Schlappich Charles, violin
Eliza James, violin
Jayna Chou, viola
Danica Pinner, cello
About ARTE
ARTE (Association relative à la télévision européenne) is a European free-to-air television network that promotes cultural programming. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based European Economic Interest Grouping ARTE GEIE, plus two member companies acting as editorial and programme production centres, ARTE France in Paris (France) and ARTE Deutschland in Baden-Baden (Germany). As an international joint venture (an EEIG), its programmes focuses to audiences in both countries. For more: https://www.arte.tv/en/arte-concert/
About ALL ARTS
ALL ARTS is breaking new ground as the premier destination for inspiration, creativity and art of all forms. This New York Emmy-nominated arts and culture hub is created by WNET, the parent company of New York’s PBS stations. With the aim of being accessible to viewers everywhere, ALL ARTS’s Webby-nominated programming – from digital shorts to feature films – is available online nationwide through allarts.org, the free ALL ARTS app on all major streaming platforms, and @AllArtsTV on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. New York area TV viewers can also watch the 24/7 broadcast channel. For all the ways to watch, visit allarts.org/everywhere.
Leadership support for ALL ARTS is generously provided by Jody and John Arnhold, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, the Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Rosalind P. Walter, and The Agnes Varis Trust.
PRE-ORDER UNFOLLOW THE RULES HERE:
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT RELEASES MUCH ANTICIPATED ALBUM UNFOLLOW THE RULES
MASTERFUL SINGER-SONGWRITER HERALDS ALBUM WITH NEW VIDEO FOR SONG “DEVILS AND ANGELS (HATRED)”
WILL APPEAR ON WXPN’S WORLD CAFÉ LATER TODAY
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT’S UNFOLLOW THE RULES: THE PARAMOUR SESSIONS AVAILABLE TODAY THROUGH ALL ARTS BROADCAST CHANNELS AND STREAMING PLATFORMS FOR FREE
“A stately pop throwback full of Wainwright’s signature vocal grandeur” Rolling Stone
“Mighty return from Baroque Pop Renaissance man… has the kind of flourishing confidence of an artist recording at the peak of their powers.” Q Magazine 4 star review
“Brimming with memorable melodies, swooning arrangements and smart lyrics dreamily sung…” Uncut 9/10 review
Singer-songwriter supreme Rufus Wainwright announces the release of his long-awaited, new album, UNFOLLOW THE RULES which arrives today via BMG.
LISTEN TO UNFOLLOW THE RULES HERE
To announce the album Rufus shares the video for “Devils and Angels (Hatred)” which was directed by the singer’s husband/co manager Jorn Weisbrodt with costumes by renown designer Zaldy.
WATCH “DEVILS AND ANGELS (HATRED)”
Wainwright says of the song, “My Queen moment? I wouldn’t go that far, but ‘Devils and Angels (Hatred)’ is the single and I think it’s an important song. It’s about what’s going on in the world today. We’re in the midst of a “war” that has to be won and to do that requires a dog spirit, a triumphant attitude. The concept comes from an opera I saw in Italy with my mum many years ago–Gluck’s Armide, premiered merely 10 years before the French revolution. There’s an amazing scene where the main character has to summon hatred in order to save herself. She sings an aria and hatred rises. Of course, hatred isn’t great, but it’s not all negative. It is an energy required in battle. That’s my sister Martha Wainwright on backing vocals. All of my albums have a Martha moment and this song required the big guns,” as for the video he remarks, “ we shot the video on the last day before the lock down in California. I think it captures a little bit of that end of the world spirit that people felt when this happened.” Wainwright has had a busy release week with an interview on NPR’s All Thing Considered (read interview here), an appearance today WXPN’s on World Café which can be heard on over 200 radio stations nationwide. The complete carriage list is available at http://wx.pn/wcstations. Fans can check their local station’s Program Schedule for the World Cafe broadcast time. To listen live online, fans can hear the WXPN Philadelphia stream at 2pm ET at XPN.org by choosing WXPN from the ‘Listen Live’ drop-down at the top of the page. Also today sees the TV broadcast of the concert Unfollow The Rules: The Paramour Session on ALL ARTS, available for viewing in the U.S. starting at 5pm PST / 8pm EST on the ALL ARTS broadcast channel, free streaming app and allarts.org. Rufus performed acoustically, with a socially distanced string section, piano and guitar to accompany him, in the ballroom of LA’s Paramour Mansion, former home of silent film star Antonio Moreno on June 27. The concert feature Rufus’ upcoming album Unfollow the Rules in its entirety plus some additional songs from Wainwright’s existing repertoire and some new compositions, one of them written during and reflecting on the lockdown period. Fans are also invited to attend an #UnfollowTheRules VIP Virtual Record Release Party on July 11 at 11 AM PT/ 2 PM EDT/ 7 PM BST / 8 PM CDT. Attendees will have a first look at some exclusive one-of-a-kind Unfollow The Rules merchandise, and will get a private virtual concert, including meet and greet and a tour of Wainwright’s Laurel Canyon home. For tickets and special merch bundles, visit rufuswainwrightvip.com. Wainwright’s ninth studio LP and first new pop album since 2012, UNFOLLOW THE RULES finds the artist at the peak of his powers, entering artistic maturity with passion, honesty, and a new-found fearlessness while remaining as creative, bold, and mischievous as ever. Produced by Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Paul McCartney, Richard Thompson, Suzanne Vega, Randy Newman) at a variety of legendary Los Angeles studios – including Sound City Studios, United Recording, and EastWest Studios – the album serves as both bookend to Act I of an extraordinary career which, like Unfollow The Rules, began in the studios of Los Angeles, but also now as the first lines of a remarkable new chapter. Inspired by middle age, married life, fatherhood, friends, loss, London, and Laurel Canyon, songs like “Only The People That Love” and the spirited, symphonic “Hatred” find the gifted singer-songwriter ready to tackle new challenges, yet compelled to confront his past by making sense of how he has grown both as a musician and the contented family man he has become.
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT UNFOLLOW THE RULES (BMG) Release Date: Friday, July 10, 2020
TRACKLISTING
ACT I 1. Trouble in Paradise 2. Damsel in Distress 3. Unfollow The Rules 4. You Ain’t Big
ACT II 5. Romantical Man 6. Peaceful Afternoon * 7. Only The People That Love 8. This One’s For The Ladies (That Lunge)
ACT III 9. My Little You 10. Early Morning Madness 11. Devils and Angels (Hatred) * 12. Alone Time
* French versions for Peaceful Afternoon “Pièce à Vivre” and Devils and Angels (Hatred) “Haine” available as well
June 26 – Bath, England @ Bath Forum June 27 – Llandudno, Wales @ Venue Cymru July 1 – Rudolstadt, Germany @ Rudolstadt Festival July 3 – Caldas de Reis, Spain @ Port’A merica Festival July 7 – Madrid, Spain @ Noches del Botanico July 12 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Live at Amsterdam Bos July 20 – Cartagena, Spain @ La Mar de Musicas July 31 – Glasgow, Scotland @ Kelvingrove Bandstand Oct 6 – Southampton, England @ O2 Guildhall Oct 8 – Newcastle, England @ The Tyne Theatre & Opera House (*moved from The Sage in Gateshead) Oct 9 – Edinburgh, Scotland @ Usher Hall Oct 10 – Manchester, England @ Bridgewater Hall Oct 12 – Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England @ City Hall Oct 13 – York, England @ Barbican Oct 15 – Cambridge, England @ The Corn Exchange Oct 16 – Liverpool, England @ Olympia Oct 18 – London, England @ The London Palladium Oct 19 – London, England @ The London Palladium Oct 20 – Brighton, East Sussex, England @ Brighton Dome Oct 22 – Southend-on-Sea, England @ Leas Cliffs Pavilion Oct 23 – Exeter, England @ The Great Hall Oct 25 – Birmingham, England @ Symphony Hall Oct 26 – Oxford, Oxfordshire, England @ New Theatre Oxford Oct 27 – Cardiff, Wales @ St. David’s Hall
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RUFUS WAINWRIGHT’S UNFOLLOW THE RULES DEBUTS #8 ON BILLBOARD’S AMERICANA/FOLK CHART AND #12 ON INDEPENDENT ALBUM CHART
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT WATCH PERFORMANCE ON CBS THIS MORNING SATURDAY SESSIONS
VIEW VIDEO FOR “DEVILS AND ANGELS (HATRED)”
“A stately pop throwback full of Wainwright’s signature vocal grandeur” Rolling Stone
“Mighty return from Baroque Pop Renaissance man… has the kind of flourishing confidence of an artist recording at the peak of their powers.” Q Magazine 4 star review
“Lush, theatrical” All Music 4 star review
“Brimming with memorable melodies, swooning arrangements and smart lyrics dreamily sung…” Uncut 9/10 review
Singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright’s Unfollow The Rules already critically lauded, proves to be a commercial success too across the world with the album bowing at #8 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk Chart and #12 landing at on The Independent Album Chart. In the UK the album was the #8 physical album and #27 best-selling album. The praise in the press for Unfollow The Rules has been global with the majority of the reviews being either 4 out of 5’s or 9 out of 10’s. In the US, NPR All Songs Considered‘s Robin Hilton calls the album, “Just extraordinary, just breathtaking…” and Pitchfork recognizes Rufus’ work with, “an opulently crafted highlight reel, a career-spanning sampler of the singer’s many styles and guises.” In the UK’s, CLASH gives the album a 9/10 calling it, “a timely reminder of everything that’s wonderful about Wainwright,” while Mojo’s 4 star review says, “Unfollow The Rules showcases Wainwright’s skills in the highest definition.” And The Guardian raves, “a lush, engaging study in domestic bliss.”
Listen to UNFOLLOW THE RULES HERE
This past Saturday, Rufus brought the Joni Mitchell-inspired “Damsel In Distress,” “Devils and Angels (Hatred)” and the title song “Unfollow The Rules” to the highly rated and influential CBS This Morning Saturday Sessions which can be viewed below:
Rufus also shares the video for “Devils and Angels (Hatred)” which was directed by the singer’s husband/co manager Jorn Weisbrodt with costumes by renown designer Zaldy.
Watch “DEVILS AND ANGELS (HATRED)”
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CHOIR! CHOIR! CHOIR! AND RUFUS WAINWRIGHT SHARE COVER OF “ACROSS THE UNIVERSE” FEATURING THOUSANDS OF SINGERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
WATCH: Choir! Choir! Choir! w/ Rufus Wainwright + 1500 singers from ACROSS THE UNIVERSE! HERE
Choir! Choir! Choir! and Rufus Wainwright share a powerful new version of “Across The Universe” featuring virtual contributions from around the world. The truly global video is comprised of thousands of singers who submitted videos from a myriad of locations across the planet. Watch it HERE. The project began with a simple phone call between Rufus Wainwright and Choir! Choir! Choir! co-founders Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman. Teaming up once again, they invited people from all over the world to submit videos of themselves singing the timeless Beatles classic. Wainwright, who takes on the lead vocals, celebrated the release of his brand new album, Unfollow the Rules, this month. They hoped to hit a lofty goal of 500 submissions after participants learned a harmony through an instructional video – either a part A or part B. To everyone’s surprise, an overwhelming 1500 submissions came pouring in from across the globe. After weeks of reviewing the clips, undertaking a massive audio mix, and several cracks at the arduous video edit, the resulting work – which was compiled with the help of Steve Major & longtime collaborator Byron Wong – is a beautiful piece featuring thousands of passionate souls singing in their homes accompanying the gorgeous soaring voice of Rufus Wainwright. “I have sung ‘Across the Universe’ for many years. But only now do I truly understand the chorus. It is really the universe that is singing ‘Nothing’s gonna change my world.’ It is a thrill to express this eternal fact with so many voices from all around the planet,” Wainwright says. “Whether it’s living through COVID-19, standing with equality, the Black Lives Matter movement: when we give back to our communities, we will always feel stronger and less alone,” says Nobu Adilman. “We are overjoyed to share our cover of The Beatles’ ‘Across The Universe’ with Rufus Wainwright and a truly international Choir! Choir! Choir!. As the days pass, we hope we never forget that our voices make a huge difference. In times of pandemics, massive economic hardships and social change, we will be there for each other.” This special video marks Choir! Choir! Choir!’s third collaboration with Rufus Wainwright. Their first was a 2016 performance of “Hallelujah” that has garnered nearly 35 million views. The second, a performance of the same song, took place at the 9/11 museum in New York to mark the end of the rescue and recovery mission. It was filmed by All Arts for Rescue Recovery and Healing: the 9/11 Memorial Glade Dedication, which is available to stream HERE.
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RUFUS WAINWRIGHT ANNOUNCES “RUFUS-RETRO-WAINWRIGHT-SPECTIVE!”
A VIRTUAL LIVESTREAM TOUR OF ALL HIS ALBUMS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
TOUR STARTS OCTOBER 9 WITH FIRST SIDE OF HIS 1998 DEBUT ALBUM RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
CONCERTS TO BE STREAMED EXCLUSIVELY VIA VEEPS
Today GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright announces Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective! a virtual live-stream tour through all 9 of the acclaimed musician’s groundbreaking studio albums. The tour will see the albums be performed in chronological order with one album side performed for each date. Wainwright also shares the dates for the first four albums, starting on Friday, October 9 with Wainwright performing the first side of his much-lauded debut album Rufus Wainwright. More dates will be announced for the winter at a later time. Tickets for individual shows are $20.00 in advance and $25.00 day of show, and 4 show bundles are also available. Bundles come with the opportunity for fans to participate in intimate Q&A’s with Wainwright and other surprises. Go here to purchase tickets. Wainwright was on the forefront of live-streaming with his IGTV Quaratunes Robe Recital series where each day he performed a song a day while playing in his bathrobe at his home. In June he upped the production with a performance of his new album Unfollow The Rules in a session at the old Hollywood Paramour mansion. Now with Rufus-Retro-Spective he takes a step further playing 45 minute concerts highlighting albums from his illustrious catalogue. Guitarist Brian Green and keyboardist/pianist Jacob Mann will accompany Wainwright in these concerts and fans will be treated to songs he has not played in many years with exciting new arrangements. On top of the songs from the albums, Wainwright will sprinkle in cover songs that fans can vote from over 100 that he has performed in the past, or has wanted to perform in concert. Says Wainwright of this exciting tour, “Special times need special artistic ideas. They also need leadership and unity but we are far from that here in the US. So we as musicians, can give the world our voice, to offer reflection and vision at the same time. I cannot tour my new album “Unfollow the Rules” which is why I have had ample time to reflect. I consider “Unfollow the Rules” a bookend to my first album, both were recorded and produced in Los Angeles, in a lot of the same studios and with a lot of the same session musicians. I consider “Unfollow the Rules” my first album of maturity as a songwriter, following in the footsteps of the greats a lot of them have left us already or will very soon. So, it’s time to look back to look forward. I’m excited for fans to join me on my trip into the past and on this virtual world tour of my entire studio album catalogue.“ Below are the dates for A RUFUS-RETRO-WAINWRIGHT-SPECTIVE! October 9 — Rufus Wainwright: From “Foolish Love” to “Baby” Most of these songs were written in Montreal. I tried to make it in New York but nobody was interested in my tapes and style I guess. Van Dyke Parks got my demos to Lenny Waronker and I was signed to Dreamworks. At that time they had one more artist secured and that was a gentleman called George Michael who my fans know from his amazing cover of “Going to a Town.” Three years later and over 50 songs demoed and a seven-figure production budget spent that I had to recoup obviously, I released my first record. What I think will be most interesting with these shows is how my voice has changed since I recorded these songs and to actually perform all of these in a stripped back fashion. My style has been called operatic-pop or baroque pop if they found a category for it at all and yes, I do like a big dramatic moment but I think true quality reveals itself with less and I think these songs will hold up in this chamber setting. October 16 — Rufus Wainwright: From “Beauty Mark” to “Imaginary Love” This show starts with “Beauty Mark” which is about my mom. She was always my first audience until the day she died. She was also my fiercest critic. There are a lot of songs that are not on this album, most of them probably did not withstand her criticism. There are over 50 rolls of tape (yes, remember those analogue days?) from my recording sessions of this album in a Universal Music vault somewhere. Luckily, they were not in the one storage building that burnt down in Burbank years ago. I don’t believe that love is imaginary anymore. Love is the greatest gift and weapon that we have against darkness and hatred and I hope that this show will shine some light into the twilight of our days. October 23 — Poses: From “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk” to “Tower of Learning” Second albums are the hardest to make and I feel I did a pretty good job on this one. I was a pretty messed up young adult. Who has cigarettes with chocolate milk? There are a lot of musical influences in these songs from Rembetika (Greek folk music) on “Greek Song” to Oum Kalsoum on Poses and some people got me and Thom Yorke confused when they heard “Shadows”. I think there is a lot of Bjork influence in there as well. This show will end with “The Tower of Learning” which is a place I feel where our entire political cast should be spending some more time. October 30 — Poses; From “Grey Gardens” to “In a Graveyard” I loved playing all of these songs on my last “All these Poses” tour backed by a large and muscular band and am excited to give them the living room treatment during these shows. Not sure yet what to do with “Evil Angel” as that was such an epic moment on the Poses show. That song will definitely be dedicated to Donald Trump and a few other political leaders globally. Hope they will all soon be “In a Graveyard” of history. November 6 — Want One: From “Oh What a World” to “Vibrate” My youth is coming to an eclipse on the “Want” albums and so is my addiction to alcohol and drugs. I think I was transferred to another label within the Universal family at this point and the albums really didn’t do much in Europe. We then hired the fabulous Barbara Charone to do my press in Europe and got the label to re-release the two albums in the UK and it really launched me in the UK. These tours were a blast and a bit of a blurr. I think “Go or Go Ahead” is probably the most epic song I have ever written or recorded and I am really curious how we are going to do it in our living room. November 13 — Want One: From “14th Street” to “Dinner at Eight” Working with Marius de Vries on these albums was a pure joy. Our motto seems to have been: If we can make it lush, why don’t we make it lusher? These songs are like indigenous rainforests, you can get lost in them. The songs are very much about my experience around the time that I wrote them but there is a universal meaning in them as well which I think will become clearer during these shows. Everyone has had a “Natasha” as a friend who finds herself on the precipice of life, every child has anxieties about growing up and feels a “want” to live up to your idols or everyone who is the child of divorced parents knows that a family “Dinner at Eight” will never be the same. When David Bowie called that song the best song written about a father and son relationship, I was incredibly proud. Even when I was young, I always felt a little bit old at the same time and these songs really express that feeling to me. November 20 — Want Two: From “Agnus Dei” to “Hometown Waltz” “Want Two” is really one gigantic b-side to Want One. It is even more free, more experimental than “Want One” I feel. If “Want One” is like a rainforest, this is a Rosetti painting of a rainforest with a “Peach Tree” added for color. I am not sure what I was thinking when I wrote Agnus Dei but I probably had a premonition that something fundamental might collapse in my life, that things cannot go on like this forever and that we needed a prayer to save us. November 27 — Want Two: From “This Love Affair” to “Old Whore’s Diet” Touring the “Want” albums was incredible. I got crucified, not by the press or audience, but by my fellow bandmembers on stage during “Old Whore’s Diet” and we stripped. At the end of the tour I had a boyfriend who is now my husband. It pays to advertise and all these songs really are unabashedly about me and pouring out all my emotions and desires. “Discretion I’m hardly known for” I sing on “Crumb by Crumb”, a song I have not performed live in probably over a decade. I am still that person but I am also not. I look forward to putting on the cloak of these songs again and feeling like being in my twenties again. Additional shows covering the rest of Wainwright’s catalogue will be announced at a later date.
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ICYMI: RUFUS WAINWRIGHT PERFORMS “YOU AIN’T BIG”
ON JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!
SONG IS FROM HIS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ALBUM
UNFOLLOW THE RULES
WAINWRIGHT’S
RUFUS-RETRO-WAINWRIGHT-SPECTIVE
CONTINUES THIS FRIDAY
A VIRTUAL LIVESTREAM TOUR CONTINUES
WITH AUDIENCE GUESTS JAMIE LEE CURTIS AND CHRISTOPHER GUEST
WAINWRIGHT PERFORMANCE FOR AUSTIN CITY LIMITS
SET TO AIR OCTOBER 24
Last night, Rufus Wainwright performed a rousing version of “You Ain’t Big” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! It can be viewed here. A second song, “Alone Time,” is available exclusively on the show’s YouTube channel and can be seen here. Both songs are from the Grammy-nominated singer songwriter’s acclaimed album Unfollow the Rules.
Wainwright is also playing his second date of Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective! this Friday, October 16. Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective! is a virtual live-stream tour through his groundbreaking studio albums. This Friday’s show will focus on the second side of his much-lauded debut album, Rufus Wainwright. As with the first show from October 9, actors Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest will make up the “studio” audience. October 9th’s show earned a four-star rave review from the Sunday Times of London, which said the show was, “an enjoyable evening at home with a likeable musician – and his famous friends.” Go here to purchase tickets for October 16th’s. show.
Wainwright has yet another upcoming TV appearance: his debut performance on the legendary Austin City Limits TV show. His nearly hour-long performance will mainly draw songs from the aforementioned Unfollow The Rules, although other songs from his classic catalogue will be featured as well.
RUFUS, MARTHA AND LUCY WAINWRIGHT BRING THEIR ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SHOW ‘A NOT SO SILENT NIGHT – VIRTUALLY TOGETHER’ FOR THE FIRST TIME DIGITALLY AROUND THE WORLD ON VEEPS
Siblings Rufus, Martha and Lucy Wainwright bring their beloved Christmas show ‘A Not So Silent Night – Virtually Together’ to a global audience for the first time streaming live on veeps.com on December 20th at 12PM PST, 3PM EST, 8PM GMT from Los Angeles, Montreal and New York. They will be joined by aunts, mothers, fathers, nieces, cousins, sons and daughters of the acclaimed musical clans of the Wainwrights, McGarrigles and Roches.
First performed in 2005, this holiday celebration is equal parts concert and family reunion. Due to COVID-19, this year the family reunion will be a virtual one with different strands of the family and musicians coming together in Rufus’ living room in his home in Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles, Martha’s arts and community center “Ursa” on Montreal’s Parc Avenue, and City Winery in New York for Lucy Wainwright Roche and her mother Suzzy Roche and their dad Loudon Wainwright III. The live stream will switch between these three locations and take this family tradition to its roots back to Rufus’ and Martha’s childhood where they would perform Christmas carols and songs with their grandmother, mother, aunts and cousins in the living room of their St. Sauveur weekend cottage and give it a 21st century digital twist. Everyone’s living room, audience and performers alike, is now the internet. Unlike in previous years, where the family gathered special guests to perform alongside them, this year all songs will be interpreted by family to minimize social interaction but maximize intimacy.
“Eleven years ago, our mother Kate McGarrigle played what was to be her last performance ever at the Royal Albert Hall which was one of the most beautiful and emotional nights of my life,” Rufus Wainwright recalls. “Last year, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of this show for which she wrote the song “Proserpina” with three sold out shows at the Royal Festival Hall in London and the National Concert Hall in Dublin. We have brought the Christmas show to Montreal, to Carnegie Hall and Town Hall in New York, to the Ryman in Nashville, to Royce Hall in Los Angeles. Each year I hear from fans why we are not doing the show in Germany, Paris, Spain or other places. During these times where people are craving more and more the comforts of things that have become impossible, we decided we could not skip this year and decided to bring the Christmas show to potentially every fan around the globe virtually from our homes in LA, NY and Montreal.”
Tickets start at USD$20 and USD$25 for day-of-show on VEEPS or go to https://rufuswainwright.com Special experience packages are also available. This live streamed event is presented in collaboration with previous McGarrigle/Wainwright Holiday Concert presenters UCLA Center for the Art of Performance, Town Hall in NYC, City Winery, and the Southbank Centre.
Featuring
Rufus, Martha and Loudon Wainwright
Lucy Wainwright Roche, Suzzy Roche
Sloan Wainwright, Jane and Anna McGarrigle
Lily Lanken, Sylvan Lanken, Chaim Tannenbaum
Jorn Weisbrodt, Gigi and Islay McMillan
Arcangelo and Francis Albetta
Brian Green, Jacob Mann
The show will be accessible for purchase and stream until January 6th 2021. On January 8th 2021 at 2PM PST, 5PM EST Rufus Wainwright will continue his Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective with the first part of his album “Release the Stars”.
Special Christmas merch items are also for sale at Rufus Wainwright’s UK merch store:
https://rufus-wainwright.backstreetmerch.com
The new signed vinyl edition of Northern Stars is available at the US merch store:
https://rufuswainwright.merchtable.com/
The concert will benefit the Kate McGarrigle Fund, a collaborative program from Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) and the Kate McGarrigle Foundation that aims to provide music therapy resources to cancer patients with a passion for music, as well as much-needed funds for sarcoma research.
For more information about the Kate McGarrigle Fund, please visit https://standuptocancer.org/kate-mcgarrigle-fund/
# # #
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
“RUFUS-RETRO-WAINWRIGHT-SPECTIVE! 2021”
SINGER-SONGWRITER ADDS RARITIES LIVESTREAM TO CONCERTS FOR SPRING 2021
NOMINATED FOR A GRAMMY® BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM FOR UNFOLLOW THE RULES
After last week’s exciting news that Rufus Wainwright has received his second GRAMMY® Award nomination in his career for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for his album Unfollow The Rules, the singer-songwriter announces Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective! 2021 the virtual live-stream tour through all 9 of his groundbreaking studio albums. The tour will see the albums performed in chronological order with one album side performed for each date. Wainwright shares the dates for the last four albums, starting on Friday, January 8 with Wainwright performing the first side of his much-lauded album Release the Stars. More dates will be announced for the winter at a later time. Tickets for individual shows are $20.00 in advance and $25.00 day of show, and 4 show bundles are also available. Bundles come with the opportunity for fans to participate in intimate Q&A’s with Wainwright and other surprises. Go here to purchase tickets.
Wainwright was on the forefront of live-streaming with his IGTV Quarantunes Robe Recital series where each day he performed a song a day while playing in his bathrobe at his home. In June he upped the production with a performance of his new album Unfollow The Rules in a session at the old Hollywood Paramour mansion. Now with Rufus-Retro-Spective he takes a step further playing 45-minute concerts highlighting albums from his illustrious catalogue. Guitarist Brian Green and keyboardist/pianist Jacob Mann will accompany Wainwright in these concerts and fans will be treated to songs he has not played in many years with exciting new arrangements. On top of the songs from the albums, Wainwright will sprinkle in cover songs that fans can vote from over 100 that he has performed in the past, or has wanted to perform in concert.
Each album features a special guest as Wainwright’s micro-audience. The 2020 concerts featured an eclectic Hollywood mix of people ranging from Jamie Lee Curtis and Chris Guest to Darren Criss and Joel McHale. The 2021 shows will continue featuring a special guest per album.
Says Wainwright of this exciting tour, “I did not expect to have so much fun redoing my first 4 albums with Brian and Jacob on guitar and piano in October and November. So many songs I had not performed live in decades as I always thought they needed a large band but they actually hold up quite well in this very intimate living room setting. I wasn’t sure how fans would react and whether anyone would buy tickets. Well, my fans have and I am incredibly grateful for their support and for the opportunity to go all the way on this road to my last album. I am so excited that Unfollow the Rules was just nominated for a Grammy and I would love to actually end this retrospective as a Grammy winner. But even without I feel I have won a lot through this experience.”
“There was an almost-classical dedication to organic, intricate, rehearsed musicianship—a rarity in today’s crowded popular music scene. Indeed, Wainwright’s virtuosity would be right at home in a concert of Ravel or Rachmaninoff.” - mxdwn
“Wainwright is funny and self-deprecating throughout, while his songs are richly observed. It made for an enjoyable evening at home with a likeable musician--and his famous friends.” - The Times UK
Below are the dates for A RUFUS-RETRO-WAINWRIGHT-SPECTIVE 2021!
January 8 - Release the Stars (Side 1)
January 15 - Release the Stars (Side 2) + Fireside Chat
January 22 - All Days are Nights: Songs for Lulu (Side 1)
January 29 - All Days are Nights: Songs for Lulu (Side 2) + Fireside Chat
February 5 - Out of the Game (Side 1)
February 12 - Out of the Game (Side 2) + Fireside Chat
February 19 - Take All My Loves: 9 Shakespeare Sonnets
February 26 - Rufus at the Movies (Soundtrack Songs) + Fireside Chat
March 4 - Unfollow the Rules (Side 1)
March 12 - Unfollow the Rules (Side 2) + Fireside Chat
March 19 - Rarities Part 1 + Fireside Chat
March 26 - Rarities Part 2
January 8 -- Release the Stars: From “Do I Disappoint You” to “Rules and Regulations”
“Release the Stars” is the first album I self-produced. It was a milestone for me and I think set me up for writing my first opera and orchestrating it as I did a lot of the orchestrations myself on this album. A lot of it was recorded in Berlin in one of the most beautiful rooms in a former East Berlin recording studio. Berlin is a broken city that proved to be healing for me. I don't even know how we are going to do “Do I Disappoint You” with our small band but I promise not to disappoint you. “Going to a Town” is probably the closest I come to writing a political song in the tradition of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan or any of the great musicians from the 60s and 70s who were such an integral part of the civil rights movement. It is sad that writing political songs is so out of fashion these days where our freedom is in danger more than ever.
January 15 -- Release the Stars: From “Not Ready to Love” to “Release the Stars”
I wrote “Not Ready to Love” a few weeks before I met my future husband. Writing songs is very therapeutic and once you get them right and pour the emotion into melodies and harmonies, you can release them and move on. I am so happy that I wrote that song when I did. “Tiergarten” from the previous show is the first song that is about him and he appears on “Sanssouci” which is part of this show.
January 22 -- All Days are Nights: Songs for Lulu: From “Who Are You New York?” to “Sonnet 43”
I know this is maybe my most challenging album and quite a shock after the Want albums and Unfollow the Rules. They were in technicolor and Songs for Lulu is black and white not to say “bleak and white”. The songs are etchings whereas my previous albums were collections of multi-layered oil paintings. I worked on the piano arrangements over months and practiced the piano every day for hours to master them. It was around this time that my mother died and this was one of these moments where art and life truly are meant to run alongside each other for maybe longer than I had wished. I was alone on stage for this tour in a black dress with feathers and a long train (same dress as in the “Devils And Angels” video) with white, blue and black makeup. I was just as alone emotionally having lost my mother. There were shows on tour where I cried for the entire duration of the first half.
January 29 -- All Days are Nights: Songs for Lulu: From “Sonnet 20” to “Zebulon”
I won’t be attempting to play these arrangements again myself. I have asked a friend and wonderful pianist to accompany me on these songs. This is really how they are intended to be performed like “Lieder” with an accompanist and vocalist. It would take me too long to get them back into my fingers. “The Dream” is almost impossible for me to play just as it is impossible for dreams to become reality but then again, they do if you work hard enough. I am excited about singing these songs and not have to worry about hitting the wrong keys. These might be the most exciting shows of the whole retrospective for myself artistically.
February 5 -- Out of the Game: From “Out of the Game” to “Montauk”
I probably did not have more fun recording an album than “Out of the Game”. I worked with Mark Ronson and felt like the next big pop star. Guess what, the big breakthrough didn’t happen. I realized I was already somewhere where maybe all these people who are breaking through will never get. I have been in this business consistently for over 20 years. I am still in this ocean of song and business but I am swimming and keeping afloat where a lot of others have drowned over the years already. This album is sort of a reminder for myself that the game is always continuing and you got to keep inventing your own rules. “Montauk” is the song that mentions my daughter for the first time and it is one of her favorite songs so it will be special to sing that now that she lives half her time with us.
February 12 -- Out of the Game: From “Bitter Tears” to “Candles”
“Candles” is the song that really deals with the death of my mom. Lulu was the album that accompanied her death but it takes a long time for emotions to pour into music and this is the song that helped me through her death the most and was written in response to it where the Lulu songs were written long before she passed. On the recording, my entire family plays an instrument or sings from Lucy to Martha, Loudon to Anna McGarrigle. Most songs in this show are very much about male desire and love but it certainly takes a very different turn in the end. Giving them what they want and then taking it away is something I have always enjoyed doing.
February 19 -- Take All My Loves: 9 Shakespeare Sonnets: From “When Most I Wink” to “Farewell”
Lyrics are the hardest for me to write, they definitely take the longest. Melodies come much easier. Writing songs to Shakespeare Sonnets was amazing as Shakespeare’s lyrics are just perfect. Not really able to do all these songs though as they were originally written for the Berliner Ensemble a German-language theater company where Brecht/Weill’s Threepenny Opera premiered. Some of them are in German and some of them were written for the entire cast so need a chorus to perform them and I have not been able to clone myself just yet. I will keep on trying but I feel that musically I have really achieved inhabiting and expressing multiple personas with. But you will hear some of the Sonnets here that I hardly ever perform solo and in different arrangements than the ones that are on Songs for Lulu.
February 26 -- Rufus at the Movies (Soundtrack Songs): From “Hallelujah” to “One More Chance”
Technically this show is not really part of the album retrospective but with every rule, there is a rule that it needs to be broken. Some of these songs have actually probably become my biggest songs and many people today know me as the guy who sang “Hallelujah” on the Shrek soundtrack. But I also wrote songs for Disney, Brokeback Mountain and other mainstream and indie films so here is a bit of a buffet.
March 4 -- Unfollow the Rules: From “Trouble in Paradise” to “Peaceful Afternoon”
This is the third version of these songs from my latest album. The record “Unfollow the Rules” is a condensed retrospective of my entire catalogue in itself. It brings back all the themes and presents them in a more concentrated, more essential way. The album is lush but if you would take one piece away the entire construction of the songs would collapse. This show ends with “Peaceful Afternoon” which for me is really the center song of this album finding peace and happiness at home, being content with where you are and of course it also sings about the place from which you will hear and see all of these 18 shows.
March 12 -- Unfollow the Rules: From “Only the People that Love” to “Alone Time”
There is the full studio version of these songs on the album and a live version with a string quartet from the Paramour Session, and now an even more stripped-down version of these songs. I love constantly changing the way these songs are heard and performed. Every great painter makes studies for their paintings and this is one of these studies that hopefully contains everything that the mature songs have. Hear song-writing and producing in the making. Our living room is where most of these songs were written. Where on my first and second album, I was yearning to transform into Icarus, to travel to Grey Gardens, to escape to Barcelona, to wander on 5th avenue in flip flops, with “Unfollow the Rules'' I have arrived home, artistically and physically in a space that gives peace. After 18 shows I feel we all have a bit of a right to say that we came “home”. I hope you enjoyed the journey and feel it was a homecoming for you as well.
Rarities
Part 1 + Fireside Chat (March 19, 2020)
“Rarities”: From “Money Song” to “In With the Ladies”
It is hard to say why songs don't make it on an album. Sometimes you don't know why you lose touch with a friend and I guess it is the same with songs. But then when you play them again, you love them again like a long lost friend. If you own the House of Rufus box set you will probably recognize some of these songs but I am not totally sure yet whether I will follow exactly the order and list of the songs on the Rarities CD in the box set.
All streams will be available for rewatch for one month after the livestream event.
Rarities
Part 2 (March 26, 2020)
“Rarities”: From “Cowboy Song” to “Dreams and Daydreams”
These are really treasures from the early days of my artistic songwriting. I have changed as an artist immensely, matured as a human being and it will be exciting to revisit these old songs. I am curious what they will sound like with my voice today that has gone through so much. I was surprised when I revisited a lot of the songs on my “All These Poses” tour and how my singing and interpreting had changed, and I am sure the same will happen with these.
All streams will be available for rewatch for one month after the livestream event.
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