Martha Wainwright on authenticity, touring and building a long-lasting career in music
Cecil Castellucci, BFA 93, and Martha Wainwright engage in conversation at this year's Wild Talks lecture.
At this year’s annual Wild Talks lecture, singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright engaged in a heartfelt conversation with writer and musician Cecil Castellucci, BFA 93. The two traced Wainwright’s artistic journey from a music-filled childhood to her creative practice today. More than 230 audience members braved the snow to attend the event at the Concordia Theatre on January 26.
Wainwright grew up surrounded by musicians and began developing her own voice at a young age. At home, she and her brother Rufus held informal singing contests, while sibling harmonies taught her how to blend in. “My aunt, Anna McGarrigle, […] suggested when I was starting out to try and make this connection between the sound and this person inside of you,” Wainwright said. “And then that has really been my guide.”
Feeling hesitant to craft songs in front of her family, she took her guitar into her room to write on her own, developing what would eventually become her signature sound. Early in her career, live performances served as deadlines: booking shows motivated her to complete songs and try them out in front of an audience.
Wainwright said she often looked to female songwriters for examples of how to balance professional responsibilities and motherhood. “I recognized myself more in female songwriters,” she said. “You can hear [their lives] in their voices.” This perspective, along with lessons from the women in her own family, helped shape how Wainwright structures her career — from the types of gigs she takes to when she plays them.
She highlighted the importance of touring as a practical skill stemming from her do-it-yourself days. Wainwright described years of travelling with a guitar, playing night after night and learning how to connect with an audience. That experience, she suggested, is what allows her to move between projects and sustain a long-lasting career.
When asked what resonates most with her listeners, Wainwright pointed to the authenticity she brings to the stage. Audience members often tell her they feel a sense of liberty during her performances.
The conversation also touched on co-writing and interpretation. Increasingly open to collaboration, Wainwright has learned how her strengths can complement a partner’s musical ideas. She adds that interpreting other artists’ songs has expanded her range and influenced her own songwriting.
Having lived between Montreal and New York, Wainwright credits the contrast between the two cities with shaping her artistic approach — New York’s competitive edge set against Montreal’s room to experiment. “When I was young, writing songs here and playing a lot, there was a feeling of you could kind of do anything,” she said. “I found here there was a little bit more of a freedom to be explorative and weird.”
Wild Talks is an annual lecture series that brings influential artists to Concordia and honours Catherine Wild, former dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts. The series is made possible thanks to the generosity of Emaral Investments.