Singer/songwriter Lucy Wainwright Roche, daughter of Loudon Wainwright III and Suzzy Roche (The Roches) and half-sister of Rufus and Martha Wainwright, has been traveling with her large musical family pretty much her whole life. On February 18th (that’s tomorrow!), she’ll be gracing the stage at Eddie’s Attic with her mother Suzzy and special guest Gina Breedlove
We got to chat with Lucy about family, album inspiration, and the 4th of July in Ireland. Read on to see what she had to say!
Both of your parents are musicians. What was it like growing up in a musical family? Did you spend a lot of time on the road with them?
Yes, I spent a lot of time on the road with my mom and her sister’s (The Roches). We would tour in the summers and weekends when I was not in school. I loved that because it was fun to travel around in a van with my mom and aunts and sometimes my uncle Dave would come open the shows and my grandma would come along and sell CDs! As an adult I’ve toured more with my dad but as a kid I didn’t very much.
You and your mother are playing together at Eddie’s Attic on February 18. What is it like performing with her?
We have a really good time on tour together – we’re very used to traveling together since we’ve been doing it for my whole life. We share hotel rooms and share driving and it all works out very well. For me, who usually travels alone, it’s really nice to have some company. The shows are also really fun because we get to sing in harmony which is another thing I miss when I travel alone.
You released “There’s A Last Time For Everything” in October of last year. What were your main inspirations or influences behind this record?
This record was a bit of a surprise because I originally wasn’t setting out to make an album. I went down to Nashville to visit my friend Jordan Hamlin are we thought we’d maybe maybe record a song or two at most and then we ended up making this whole album in a whirlwind. It was really fun to work quickly (we made the album in about 9 days) and to work in a really relaxed and spontaneous way.
What has been your most memorable gig to date?
I once played at the Ulster America Folk Park in Northern Ireland on the 4th of July. They have a reenactment of the Irish coming to America complete with a model ship and fake cobblestone streets. I thought it was going to be a folk festival so I was very surprised.
Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Not really… usually what I do before the show is drive all day and then soundcheck and then it’s time to play!
Music aside, how do you connect with your audience during a show?
I really like talking to the audience. As I said, usually I travel alone and so it’s nice for me to connect with the people in the room and I’m also really curious about who the people are who have found their way to my show.
Get tickets to see Lucy Wainwright Roche in Atlanta on Tuesday, February 18th HERE!
