RUFUS IS A HITMAN

Originally published in The Irish Times, April 20th 2012.

 

THE FIRST THING you think of is Freud. Then, noticing the relaxed posture, Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra, or perhaps a painting by some Renaissance artist. It’s not quite clear whether Rufus Wainwright is waiting to be psycho-analysed or pampered, but stretched out on a sofa in a room of a trendy London hotel, the singer/songwriter certainly looks comfortable.

“He felt like he was coming down with something yesterday, so he did most of his interviews lying down,” his publicist explains. And today? “Oh no, he feels fine today. He’s just relaxing.”

MARK KOZELEK: Q&A

Originally published on Entertainment.ie, September 2008

You have this reputation as a writer of very intense,  intricate songs. Are you really as intense as you’re made out to be, or is that whole persona just something that’s been invented by the media?

I don’t know. I write songs, but can’t help what’s projected onto me. I’m faced with the same day to day stuff as anybody else. I spent last week fixing things that were broken in my apartment and running errands. Most of the people I interact with on a daily basis don’t even know what I do for a living, so the ‘persona’ thing doesn’t amount to much. Even on tour, I spend two hours a night singing songs, and the rest of the time, staring at the back of people’s heads on airplanes, some fat guy coughing on me.

CALEXICO: Q&A

*When I spoke to John Convertino about two years ago, I wasn’t expecting too much; I liked Calexico, but was by no means a die-hard  fan, and in any case, it was just a simple Q&A for the website I worked for at the time. Just five minutes into the (phone) conversation, though, and the drummer was already ranking (and still does rank) as one of my favourite interviewees –  an utterly charming, friendly and intelligent bloke that talked for almost 30 minutes longer than our allotted time together.

Originally published on Entertainment.ie on September 3rd, 2008

‘Carried to Dust’ is a bit of a return to your ‘old’ sound after the rockier ‘Garden Ruin‘…