Rufus Wainwright is back with another album, “All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu,” in which he tackles his inner demons and the temptations of drugs and alcohol.
“I hate to say it, but my artistic life revolves around my personal life, and it always works great,” the singer tells us. “I might have certain personality issues and I might need therapy for my childhood, but in terms of my writing songs there’s always this really symbiotic, powerful relationship that people enjoy. My life is just very dramatic.” We caught up with him to talk about his equally dramatic album, love life, and the passing of his mother, folk singer Kate McGarrigle, this past winter.
What was the inspiration for this album?
I have a very, very dark past with drugs and alcohol, and I loved it. It was a lot of fun, and part of me wishes it could still be that way. But I decided to stay healthy. That being said, this force still exists and somehow when it’s very, very strong it turns into [actress] Louise Brooks. I just see visions of her across the street asking me over for a martini.
How is love treating you?
I have an incredible German boyfriend, Jorn. I’m very, very lucky to have him, mainly because I am the nastiest man on Earth. I’m pretty disgusting, so Jorn is — apart from being gorgeous and intelligent and also very, very artistic — a real house frau. I wouldn’t be half the homosexual I am now without him.
Many of your songs have religious connotations — are you religious?
I’m not religious. I do believe in God, though, or a God, or some kind of power. That was very much shown to me over the period of my mother’s passing. A lot of strange things happened. I was looking into her eyes when she died, and I could definitely see she was going somewhere.
