Shot in black and white at a live show in front of an intimate audience that appears to be no more than a dozen or so fans, Martha Wainwright’s new video for ‘Dinner at 8’ is profoundly moving. Accompanied only by piano her voice, at times child-like, whispers, soars, and cuts straight to the heart. In the brief introduction, she explains that ‘Dinner at 8’ is a song written by her prolific brother, Rufus Wainwright.
The deluxe edition includes moving renditions of ‘Thanksgiving’ originally by Loudon Wainwright III, Martha’s father, ‘Dinner at Eight’ by her brother Rufus Wainwright, ‘Go Leave’ by her mother Kate McGarrigle and more. Diving into recording these tracks Martha explains: “Recorded at URSA in front of a small audience of friends, these are songs that I talk about in my memoir Stories I Might Regret Telling You. They relate to family and its complexity, as well as pain, feelings of loss, and ultimately forgiveness and acceptance. I have heard them my whole life and now I have the chance to sing them. Recorded in a live setting and in a very stripped down and exposed way, with my good friend and wonderful piano player Edwin de Goeij, we had only just learned to sing and play them and are exploring with the listener in the moment. A sometimes bumpy and emotional ride, these recordings are about the words and the meaning. The songs speak for themselves and they are songs of our time about modern family and some of the trials of life.”
This video is released in anticipation of her new release ‘Love Will Be Reborn Deluxe’ available now on all streaming platforms worldwide. Martha will be touring the UK in July and August of this year to play eight special dates across the country, including a night in London on July 27th at Cadogan Hall.
