Rufus Wainwright has announced new album ‘Folkocracy’, which will feature guest contributions from David Byrne, ANOHNI, John Legend and more.The album of folk music reinventions – out June 2 via BMG – marks the artist’s upcoming 50th birthday and also features special guests Brandi Carlile, Sheryl Crow, Chaka Khan, Andrew Bird, Nicole Scherzinger, Susanna Hoffs, Van Dyke Parks and Madison Cunningham.“This album is almost like a recorded birthday party and birthday present to myself.
I just invited all the singers that I greatly admire and always wanted to sing with,” Wainwright said in a press statement.The announcement arrives with lead single ‘Down in the Willow Garden’ featuring Carlile.Listen to ‘Down in the Willow Garden’ below, and pre-order/pre-save the album here.“Singing with Rufus feels like watching birds swirl around together instinctively in flight,” Carlile said in a statement. “It’s anticipated but somehow as natural as can be.
His voice is so special to me that I hear it sometimes when he’s not even singing with me. I loved every second of flying around in this music with him.”Wainwright added: “Brandi I see a lot, often with Joni Mitchell.
I chose us a cheery little number – not! The song is so blatantly brutal and masochistic that I had to sing it with a woman.
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