Rufus Wainwright: "To my past self I would say: 'You are not as good as you think you are when you are drunk'"

BarcelonaUsual presence at Catalan music festivals, Rufus Wainwright (Rhinebeck, New York, 1972) will perform on Sunday, June 28 at Blaumarí Music, the concert series born this year and which takes place on a stage over the water at Port Vell in Barcelona. With a musical career ranging from pop to folk, through classical music and opera, the American musician will offer a concert with some of his best-known songs. All this after a few weeks ago he reproduced his show at the Royal Albert Hall in London in tribute to Judy Garland, one of the great milestones of his career and which celebrated twenty years this year.

He has performed many times in Barcelona, but this is the first time he will do so at Blaumarí Music, which has a stage just above the sea. Does the place where he sings change his way of approaching or conceiving a show?

— Yes, in fact it influences it a lot. I must say that Barcelona has been part of this process because I have performed in many beautiful and different places, whether it was the Liceu or the Razzmatazz hall. I have the feeling that when I perform in Barcelona it is as if I were performing in ten different cities, because there are many beautiful and different stages and this [Blaumarí Music] is another example. I am very fortunate to have such a wonderful audience in Barcelona because it allows me to discover diverse places and it always makes it different.

What kind of concert will he do this time?

— I'm in the middle of several projects right now. The Dream Requiem is still touring around the world, in August it will be performed in Helsinki and then it will go to Montreal. Then I have the Kurt Weill song project [in 2025 Wainwright released an album in which he performs songs by the German composer] and I sing them here and there, but right now I'm really ready to make a pop record and I'm working with a famous producer whose name I can't yet reveal but who will excite everyone. So I think in Barcelona you will hear some of my old songs, but also some new material that I'm working on for the new album.

After so many years on stage, has your relationship with your songs changed? Do you discover new things about yourself when you sing them?

— I now enjoy the fact that my voice is much more athletic than when I started my career. I think, especially after the shows dedicated to Judy Garland, I had to focus a lot on my breathing and my pronunciation, so now singing my older songs is a lot of fun because I have more vocal control. When I started my career I was so excited and had so much energy that there was a bit of confusion as to what I was doing. In those early years there was a madness that I love, but now I am more in control of my instrument and it allows me to look at my songs in a different way musically.

He has referred to an upcoming pop work and now we see collaborations between musicians of different generations, such as Robert Smith and Olivia Rodrigo. Is this a possibility that might interest you?

— Recently I had an interesting experience. I've been nominated for a Grammy three times, but I've never been to any of the galas for various reasons. But the last time I was nominated, I decided to go, and suddenly, I was featured in a segment of the broadcast where I shared time with some of the biggest stars of the moment, like Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Usher. Everyone was there, and I was quite shocked when I realized how much young people love me. Many young artists, like Olivia Rodrigo, came up to me and said, "I've been a fan of yours for years and it's truly an honor to meet you." I've realized that younger generations understand that I'm an important part of the musical process even though I've never been massively famous like they are. Right now I feel a connection with younger artists, so I'm not against a future collaboration.

With which artist would you like to collaborate?

— Well, about four years ago I collaborated with Carly Rae Jepsen and, in fact, The loneliest time is one of my most popular tracks. I like Lana Del Rey and I like Harry Styles. I wouldn't mind singing with Harry Styles, we could dress in a very revealing outfit and maybe have a private rehearsal [laughs].

At this point in your career, what stimulates you when composing?

— I am always stimulated, I have never had problems getting inspired. In reality, sometimes I wish I could stop composing because it takes up so much of my life. I am very fortunate to have this constant musical flow, but honestly, sometimes it can be a problem. At this point in my life, I should be able to do nothing for five seconds and just enjoy the present. But I always end up going towards music, which is good for you. But I should learn to pause.

He has always spoken very clearly and directly about politics, but it seems that in recent years artists have been less inclined to publicly position themselves. Is that so?

— I think right now the most important thing is to choose your battles, because many things are happening in the world. For me, right now, the most important things are the midterm elections in the United States and gay and trans rights. Obviously, what is happening in the Middle East and in Ukraine is appalling. Also with the environment, the list is very long. But right now I am very focused on getting both the US Congress and Senate to be Democratic and also protecting my brothers and sisters from the LGTBIQ+ community because we are in danger all over the world. I must say that I admire Spain very much for its political courage, because it does not stay on the sidelines and makes decisions.

For many people, music is a healing tool. Do you remember a moment in your life when music was especially comforting?

— For me it has always been like this, but the moment when it was especially intense for both me and my sister [the also singer Martha Wainwright] was when our mother, Kate McGarrigle, died. She was one of the greatest singer-songwriters of her time. When she died we could listen to her songs and really be with her, as if she had never left. Having the music of my mother, who is no longer with us, is a great gift and I feel fortunate that the day I leave, my daughter Viva will also have this kind of postcard from beyond [in 2011, Rufus Wainwright and his friend Lorca Cohen, daughter of Leonard Cohen, became parents to Katherine Viva, conceived through artificial insemination. The two friends share custody with Wainwright's husband].

Looking back and remembering what it was like when you started your career, what advice would you give your past self?

— I would tell my past self: "You are not as good as you think you are when you are drunk." When I was younger, there were many moments when I acted drunk and thought I was being great, and then you see videos and think: "Oh, my God." Just don't think you're great when you're drunk. It doesn't mean you can't get drunk, but just don't think you're putting on a great performance when you're drunk, because you're not.