You know that song that comes along once in a blue moon and takes your breath, and steals your heart, away? Well, this is that song.
- Dan Cairns (Sunday Times)
Martha Wainwright combines her intimate familiarity with folk/rock tradition with a youthful sense of adventure. Whether singing dramatic ballads or breezy pop, she is always flush with character. She is at once - wise, vulnerable and revealing. She delivers a solid musical strength to her material with a voice that can break your heart.
Martha Wainwright is the daughter of Kate McGarrigle of the renowned folk duo Kate & Anna McGarrigle and singer/ songwriter Loudon Wainwright III. Growing up in a family where music was the central focus, she sang on stage and in the studio from a very early age. She began writing songs and performing in clubs on her own since she was a drama student in her native Montreal.
Until this year she has played mostly a supporting role in her musical family, as the featured backing vocalist for her brother Rufus Wainwright's widely acclaimed recordings as well as on many of the tours supporting them. She appears onstage with the McGarrigles whenever possible and recently stunned a huge crowd in Brooklyn's Prospect Park with her beautiful and heartfelt covers of two songs by Leonard Cohen.
Now based in New York City, Martha plays regularly with her own band. She has gathered an ardent and growing following in the city's clubs and has been embraced by the downtown pop music world. She is currently recording her first full length album. This past July, Martha was cast by Martin Scorsese in the role of a 1940's torch singer for his forthcoming film, "The Aviator," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett.
Martha continues to shine as an artist with her keen insight, originality and just enough of an edge that makes everything she does memorable.
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