Martha Wainwright facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martha Wainwright
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Wainwright performing at the Cambridge Folk Festival, 2008
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| Background information | |
| Born | May 8, 1976 |
| Origin | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Genres | Folk, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Labels | MapleMusic |
| Associated acts |
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Martha Wainwright (born May 8, 1976) is a talented Canadian singer and songwriter. She has released many popular music albums.
Martha is the daughter of famous musicians Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III. She is also the younger sister of singer and composer Rufus Wainwright.
People often praise Martha Wainwright's live shows. The Telegraph newspaper wrote that her concerts prove she is a truly unique and amazing performer. Besides music, she has acted in movies like Martin Scorsese's The Aviator. She also appeared in the HBO TV series Olive Kitteridge with Frances McDormand. Martha owns a cool place in Montreal called Ursa. It's a café, a concert hall, a bar, and a recording studio all in one!
Contents
Early Life and Family
Martha was born in New York City on May 8, 1976. Her parents were folk musicians Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III. When she was one year old, she moved to Montreal with her mom and brother. She grew up in Montreal in a very musical family.
Martha is the sister of Rufus Wainwright. They often perform together and help each other with their albums. Martha also has a half-sister named Lucy Wainwright Roche. They worked together on an album called Songs In The Dark. This album was even nominated for a Juno Award.
Martha's Music Career
First Songs and Albums
Martha Wainwright's first music release was a cassette tape in 1997 called Ground Floor. It had ten songs. In 2005, she released two shorter music collections called EPs. These were titled ... and I Will Internalize. Some songs from these EPs also appeared on her first full album, Martha Wainwright.
PopMatters said the ... EP showed she was a bold new artist. The Sunday Times listed the song "..." as one of the best songs of the year. Rolling Stone called it an exciting preview of her first album. The song "..." was inspired by her father, Loudon Wainwright III. She wrote it because her father often wrote songs about his family. Even so, she had worked with her father a year earlier. .....
The song "..." was used in the TV show Orange is the New Black on Netflix. It was also featured in the HBO series Big Little Lies.
Wainwright's first full album, Martha Wainwright, came out in April 2005. It was released by Zoë Records and Drowned in Sound. This album earned her a nomination for New Artist of the Year at the 2006 Juno Awards. The album also reached number 43 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart. Her mom, Kate McGarrigle, and brother, Rufus Wainwright, helped with the album. Her cousin, Lily Lanken, and Garth Hudson from The Band also contributed. Pitchfork wrote that the album proved Martha Wainwright had a strong and unique musical style.
In 2006, Wainwright sang with the band Snow Patrol on their song "Set the Fire to the Third Bar". This song was on their very popular album Eyes Open. Snow Patrol's lead singer, Gary Lightbody, said he wrote the song specifically for Martha's voice. Alvin Chan from musicOMH praised her, saying her "haunting voice is put to good use."
More Albums and Collaborations
Wainwright's second album, I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too, was released in June 2008. It reached number 10 on the Top Heatseekers Billboard charts. It also hit number 6 on the Billboard Canada Music Charts. The album was praised for showing Martha's growth as a musician and songwriter. It was also nominated for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize. The album has 12 original songs. It also includes cover versions of Pink Floyd's See Emily Play and, in some countries, Eurythmics' Love Is a Stranger.
Many family members helped with this album, including Anna McGarrigle, Kate McGarrigle, and Rufus Wainwright. Garth Hudson also returned. Donald Fagen from Steely Dan played synthesizers on "So Many Friends." Pete Townshend played electric guitar on "You Cheated Me" and "Comin' Tonight."
Tribute to Édith Piaf
Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, à Paris: Martha Wainwright's Piaf Record was released in November 2009. This album was a special tribute to the famous French singer Édith Piaf. Critics loved it, saying audiences were "stunned" by Martha's "incredible range and talent." The album was recorded during three live shows in New York in June 2009. The album's name comes from a line in Piaf's song "Les Grognards."
Come Home to Mama
Come Home To Mama came out on October 15, 2012. It was recorded at Sean Lennon's home studio in New York City. Cibo Matto's Yuka Honda produced the album. Other musicians on the album included Yuka Honda, Sean Lennon, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, and Dirty Three drummer Jim White. The first song released from the album, "Proserpina," was written by Martha's mother, Kate McGarrigle, who passed away in 2010. Mojo Magazine called it a "brilliantly sung career best." The album reached #6 on the Billboard Canada Music Charts.
Trauma Soundtrack
In 2013, Martha recorded the soundtrack for the fourth season of the TV show Trauma. For this project, she chose songs mostly from Quebec musicians. She covered songs by Offenbach, Claude Dubois, and Daniel Bélanger. She also re-recorded three of her own songs in French. One song by Kate & Anna McGarrigle was also re-recorded.
Songs in the Dark with Sister Lucy
In 2015, Martha worked with her half-sister Lucy Wainwright Roche on the album Songs in the Dark. They released it as The Wainwright Sisters. The album featured lullabies their mothers, Kate McGarrigle and Suzzy Roche, used to sing to them. It also included songs by Woody Guthrie, Jimmie Rogers, and their father Loudon Wainwright III. Andy Gill of The Independent gave the album four out of five stars. He wrote that it was a truly "charming" album. The album was nominated for Traditional Roots Album of the Year at the 2016 Juno Awards.
Goodnight City
Goodnight City was released in November 2016. It received great reviews from Exclaim!, NPR, and The Guardian. The Guardian called it "uplifting and powerful." For this album, Martha worked with friends and other famous songwriters. These included Beth Orton, Glen Hansard, Michael Ondaatje, and Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards. Goodnight City was recorded in Montreal and produced by Thomas Bartlett. The album reached #41 on the Billboard Canadian Music charts.
In May 2020, Wainwright released "Wolves," a duet with her brother Rufus Wainwright. They recorded it during the sessions for Goodnight City.
Love Will Be Reborn
In 2021, Wainwright released Love Will Be Reborn. Many people consider it her best album since her first one. Love Will Be Reborn was made during the pandemic. It was recorded in the basement of her café-bar, Ursa, in Montreal. The songs on the album were greatly influenced by her divorce. Martha started writing the album in 2017 after her separation. She has said the album looks at bigger ideas like life and death, time, trust, and being a parent.
The album features musicians from Toronto: Thom Gill, Phil Melanson, Morgan Moore, and Josh Cole of Bernice. Pierre Marchand produced the album. He also produced several albums for Kate & Anna McGarrigle. Love Will Be Reborn received excellent reviews. Pitchfork wrote that the album felt both bigger and smaller than her past work. American Songwriter said Love Will Be Reborn showed Martha Wainwright's strong emotions and passion.
Other Exciting Projects
Martha Wainwright has contributed songs to many movie soundtracks and music collections. These include The Aviator (2004), Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man (2005), and Song of America (2007).
In 2009, Wainwright appeared on her father's album High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project. This album won a Grammy Award in 2010 for Best Traditional Folk Album.
Martha Wainwright took part in the 2015 edition of Canada Reads. This is a competition where famous Canadians choose a book to defend. She supported Jocelyne Saucier's novel And the Birds Rained Down.
In 2020, she hosted a TV show called Mix sonore. This show featured Canadian musicians and was broadcast on Unis TV.
In 2019, Wainwright opened her café-bar, Ursa, in Montreal on Parc Avenue. Many artists have performed there, including Patrick Watson, La Force, The Barr Brothers, Rufus Wainwright, and Loudon Wainwright III. Her 2021 album, Love Will Be Reborn, was recorded at Ursa during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the pandemic, Martha performed concerts on rooftops in Montreal. She also led balcony sing-alongs with POP Montreal. Montrealers would sing together from their balconies to popular songs like Leonard Cohen's "So Long, Marianne" and "I Lost My Baby" by Jean Leloup.
Wainwright released her memoirs, which are like a personal storybook, in 2022. The English version is called Stories I Might Regret Telling You. The French version is Rien de grave n'est encore arrivé.
Personal Life
Martha Wainwright married her producer and music partner, Brad Albetta, in September 2007. They later divorced in 2018. They have two sons named Arcangelo and Francis.
Discography
- ... (EP) (2005)
- Martha Wainwright (2005)
- I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too (2008)
- Come Home to Mama (2012)
- Trauma (2013)
- Goodnight City (2016)
- Love Will Be Reborn (2021)
- 6 Songs (2025)
See also
In Spanish: Martha Wainwright para niños
