Rufus Wainwright: Music won’t save your life

Rufus Wainwright comes from a folk music dynasty.

He’s the son of folk singers Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright and his sister, aunts, uncles and cousins are in the business too. But after nine studio albums, he’s learned his own lessons about life as a musician.

“Artistry and poetry will not save your life, if your life needs to be saved,” Wainwright says. “There’s a point when you have to get off the trolley ride and go see a therapist.”

(Originally aired August 15, 2014)