It’s been 55 years since Loudon Wainwright III released his debut, self-titled album in 1970. Now the witty singer-songwriter, known for his observant and often self-deprecating songs about life, family, relationships, and politics, is on his way to the Bear Creek Folk Festival. He’s a little overwhelmed by the travel that will be involved. “I think it will take three flights and a horse and carriage to get there,” he jokes.
He’s quick to add that although traveling can be difficult, performing is still a joy. “Once I get there and I’m on stage, and there are some people out there who have bothered to show up and listen, I usually have a good time,” he says. “That’s still the way it is. I always wanted to be a performer, and I love, love, love it when I get the opportunity to be that.”
Wainwright is largely self-taught, as a singer, guitarist, and banjo player. “I went to boarding school in the 60s, and I had a Spanish teacher, Peter Madison, who gave me some good guitar tips. My guitar hero is Jack Elliott, and I listened to his records when I was younger. I tried to emulate the way he played the guitar. I have been playing for a long time, and after a while you get pretty good at it.”
As for the topics he covers in his music, Wainwright has moved from the charming (“The Swimming Song”) to the wild (“The Acid Song”) and all points in between. Many of his songs are intensely personal, too. On albums such as Last Man on Earth (2001) and Lifetime Achievement (2022), he explores the emotional landscape of aging, losing parents, and seeing children grow up.
“I’ve always written about how I’m feeling, and about how my life is going,” he says. “As a person in my 20s, I wrote about that, and now as a person in my 70s—I’ll be 80 soon—it’s almost like being a reporter. I’m covering a story. When I write about what is happening to me, at whatever point in my life, it’s likely that the listeners might be going through many of the same things themselves.”
His family is famous, with connections almost too numerous to name. His first marriage was to a beloved Canadian musician, the late Kate McGarrigle. He is the father of Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, and Lucy Wainwright Roche, all well-known performers with their own solo careers. He’s never shied away from writing and singing about his family, whether it be his children or his parents. A 2018 Netflix special, Surviving Twin, explored his relationship with Loudon Wainwright Jr., his father. Wainwright III sees no need to be private about what’s on his mind or in his heart.
“I have written about the family, my parents, my grandparents, and my kids. It’s a rich source of material. If I’m writing something about me and my father, or me and my daughter, it’s with the knowledge that the listener might identify.”
The Bear Creek audience can expect to hear a mix from every era of the Loudon Wainwright III catalogue. He mentions a recent festival performance that saw him playing music the audience would recognize, and some new material, too.
“I even played my dreaded hit single, ‘Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road,’” he laughs. “There was a period when I got kind of grumpy about that, and I didn’t play it. I’m playing it now. I know that people want to hear it.”
However, he adds, “I played a couple of new songs, ones that the audience would not have heard before. That’s always exciting and interesting, to see if a song works. My favourite song is always the newest one!”
Loudon Wainwright III will play Bear Creek Folk Festival, which takes place August 15 – 17 in Grande Prairie. Find ticket info and the full schedule at bearcreekfolkfest.org
“Lifetime Achievement” is the title track from Loudon Wainwright III’s latest album.