RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
Releases Critically-Acclaimed Album Unfollow The Rules
Masterful Singer-Songwriter Heralds Album
With New Video For Song “Devils And Angels (Hatred)”
Announces Rescheduled 2021 UK Tour
“A stately pop throwback full of Wainwright’s signature vocal grandeur”
Rolling Stone
“Mighty return from Baroque Pop Renaissance man… has the kind of flourishing confidence of an artist recording at the peak of their powers.”
Q Magazine 4 star review
“Brimming with memorable melodies, swooning arrangements and smart lyrics dreamily sung…”
Uncut 9/10 review
Singer-songwriter supreme Rufus Wainwright announces the release of his long-awaited, critically-acclaimed, new album, UNFOLLOW THE RULES, which arrives today via BMG.
Listen to UNFOLLOW THE RULES HERE
Rufus has also announced the rescheduled dates for his UK headline tour, including two shows at the London Palladium on 18thand 19thOctober 2021. Tickets are available HERE
2021 Tour Dates
June
Sat 26th BATH, UK, Forum
Sun 27th LLANDUDNO, UK, Venue Cymru
July
Thurs 1st RUDOLSTADT, DE, Rudolstadt Festival
Sat 3rd CALDAS DE REIS, ES, Port America Festival
Weds 7th MADRID, ES, Noches del Botanico
Mon 12th AMSTERDAM, NL, Live at Amsterdam Bos
Tues 20th CARTAGENA, ES, La Mar de Musicas
Sat 31st GLASGOW, UK, Kelvingrove Bandstand
October
Weds 6th SOUTHAMPTON, UK, O2 Guildhall
Fri 8th NEWCASTLE, UK, The Tyne Theatre & Opera House *
Sat 9th EDINBURGH, UK, Usher Hall
Sun 10th MANCHESTER, UK, Bridgewater Hall
Tues 12th SHEFFIELD, UK, City Hall
Weds 13th YORK, UK, Barbican
Fri 15th CAMBRIDGE, UK, The Corn Exchange
Sat 16th LIVERPOOL, UK, Olympia
Mon 18th LONDON, UK, The London Palladium
Tues 19th LONDON, UK, The London Palladium
Weds 20th BRIGHTON, UK, Brighton Dome
Fri 22nd SOUTHEND-ON-SEA, UK, Leas Cliffs Pavilion
Sat 23rd EXETER, UK, The Great Hall
Mon 25th BIRMINGHAM, UK, Symphony Hall
Tues 26th OXFORD, UK, New Theatre Oxford
Weds 27th CARDIFF, UK, St. David’s Hall
- = moved from The Sage in Gateshead
To announce the album Rufus shares the video for “Devils and Angels (Hatred)” which was directed by the singer’s husband/co manager Jorn Weisbrodt with costumes by renown designer Zaldy.
Watch the video for ‘Devils And Angels (Hatred)’ HERE
Wainwright says of the song, “My Queen moment? I wouldn’t go that far, but ‘Devils and Angels (Hatred)’ is the single and I think it’s an important song. It’s about what’s going on in the world today. We’re in the midst of a “war” that has to be won and to do that requires a dog spirit, a triumphant attitude. The concept comes from an opera I saw in Italy with my mum many years ago–Gluck’s Armide, premiered merely 10 years before the French revolution. There’s an amazing scene where the main character has to summon hatred in order to save herself. She sings an aria and hatred rises. Of course, hatred isn’t great, but it’s not all negative. It is an energy required in battle. That’s my sister Martha Wainwright on backing vocals. All of my albums have a Martha moment and this song required the big guns,” as for the video he remarks, “ we shot the video on the last day before the lock down in California. I think it captures a little bit of that end of the world spirit that people felt when this happened.”
Following the success of ‘Want One’ in May, Rufus will join Tim Burgess again for a special release week #TimsTwitterListeningPartyto share stories surrounding ‘Unfollow The Rules’ on Tuesday the 14th July at 19:00 BST. Fans are also invited to attend an #UnfollowTheRules VIP Virtual Record Release Party on July 11 at 11 AM PT/ 2 PM EDT/ 7 PM BST / 8 PM CDT. Attendees will have a first look at some exclusive one-of-a-kind Unfollow The Rulesmerchandise, and will get a private virtual concert, including meet and greet and a tour of Wainwright’s Laurel Canyon home. For tickets and special merch bundles, visit rufuswainwrightvip.com.
Wainwright’s ninth studio LP and first new pop album since 2012, UNFOLLOW THE RULES finds the artist at the peak of his powers, entering artistic maturity with passion, honesty, and a new-found fearlessness while remaining as creative, bold, and mischievous as ever. Produced by Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Paul McCartney, Richard Thompson, Suzanne Vega, Randy Newman) at a variety of legendary Los Angeles studios – including Sound City Studios, United Recording, and EastWest Studios – the album serves as both bookend to Act I of an extraordinary career which, like Unfollow The Rules, began in the studios of Los Angeles, but also now as the first lines of a remarkable new chapter. Inspired by middle age, married life, fatherhood, friends, loss, London, and Laurel Canyon, songs like “Only The People That Love” and the spirited, symphonic “Hatred” find the gifted singer-songwriter ready to tackle new challenges, yet compelled to confront his past by making sense of how he has grown both as a musician and the contented family man he has become.
CONNECT WITH RUFUS WAINWRIGHT