With six members of the Wainwright family on board, the 10th edition of the Cayamo: A Journey Through Song cruise to Mexico and Honduras this February might endure some not-so-smooth sailing. We spoke to singer-songwriter Lucy Wainwright Roche about hitting the high C on the high seas with father Loudon Wainwright III, stepbrother Rufus Wainwright and stepsister Martha Wainwright, mother Suzzy Roche and aunt Sloan Wainwright.
Last year, you and your stepsister Martha released Songs in the Dark, a beautiful album of folk songs and cover tunes. And the Wainwright family and the McGarrigle sisters are well known for all sorts of collaborating. It’s a unique dynasty, but is it just natural for you guys?
It’s something we all have in common. It’s pleasurable and fun, and we get to learn about each other in a different way when you’re working out parts and finding your place in the harmonies. It’s a microcosm for finding your place in any family. Another thing is that all of us are on the road so much individually, we wouldn’t see each other much if we didn’t work together.
Because of the family’s confessional songwriting and the candid interviews you guys give, I think there’s a perception that you’re a fractious bunch. Is that overblown?
We actually function together a lot more than families normally would do as adults. It’s true that the world has heard a lot about us from our songs. And all of it is definitely true and present in our relationships. But we’re quite invested in each other. We’re all central to each other’s lives. It may be a little less dark than it appears from the outside.
The Wainwrights took a train tour of Alaska together with fans in 2015. Can we assume the Alaskan adventure went well, given that this February you’re doing a cruise together to Mexico and Honduras?
The Alaska trip was an unusual gig. There was an intimacy, with the audiences travelling with us. A lot of the places where we stopped and played didn’t have the sound systems that all of us are used to working with. But I was proud of my family. They went with the flow. Of course, Alaska is just so beautiful.
I’d love to travel with your dad, Loudon Wainwright III. I don’t think he gets enough acclaim for his songwriting, to be honest. I think there are few better.
I agree. And I’m sure he’d be delighted to know that you think that.
Is he a good travelling companion? He’s seems like he might get a little cranky.
I’ve toured with him, and I enjoy it. He likes to get out, see museums or a movie or architecture. One time, the two of us did six-and-a-half weeks together. I didn’t grow up with him in my house. I was with my mother, Suzzy Roche. Our careers have afforded us a chance to spend the kind of time together that, if you don’t as a child, you never would usually. We know each other very well now.
What’s the format on the Cayamo cruise, as far as the work schedule for you all?
We’ll each do a show alone, and then we do two family shows. Unlike the Alaskan tour, there will be a lot of other artists on board, like Emmylou Harris and Richard Thompson. I’m sure we’ll work up some things with them as well.
Spending time with family can be stressful. What’s it like on the tours and cruises?
With the Alaska trip, we could retreat to our hotel rooms if we wanted some space or time alone. With the cruise, though, you really can’t get off. The first two full days and the final two days, you’re on the ship. So, it’d better go well.
This interview has been condensed and edited.
Cayamo: A Journey Through Song, Feb. 19 to 26, 2017. Prices per guest range from $1,023 to $11,325 (U.S.). Departs Tampa, Fla., aboard the Norwegian Jade, sailing to Cozumel, Mexico and Roatan, Honduras. (The ship is sold out; waiting list available. Info at cayamo.com.)
Follow Brad Wheeler on Twitter: @BWheelerglobe
Also on The Globe and Mail
More Related to this Story
Topics
powered by sue.ng a legal search engine