Folkocracy
| Folkocracy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 2, 2023 | |||
| Genre | Folk, Americana | |||
| Length | 60:50 | |||
| Label | BMG | |||
| Producer | Mitchell Froom | |||
| Rufus Wainwright chronology | ||||
| ||||
Folkocracy is a studio album by Rufus Wainwright, released by BMG on June 2, 2023.
Composition
Folkocracy was produced by Mitchell Froom. Guests on the album include Anohni, Andrew Bird, David Byrne, Brandi Carlile, Sheryl Crow, Madison Cunningham, Susanna Hoffs, Chaka Khan, John Legend, Anna McGarrigle, Van Dyke Parks, Nicole Scherzinger, Chris Stills, and Chaim Tannenbaum.
Promotion
"Down in the Willow Garden" served as the lead single. "Heading for Home" was the second single released. "Harvest" was released as the third single soon after.
A video for "Twelve-Thirty (young girls are coming to the canyon)", a short promotional video for "Hush Little Baby" and a live performance video in the studio of "Alone" were released as well in June and July 2023.
Over the summer, the album was promoted by the Folkocracy tour, on which most of the album was performed live with a band that included Rufus' sister, Lucy Wainwright Roche.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 7.3/10 |
Pitchfork rated the album 7.3 out of 10.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Alone" (featuring Madison Cunningham) | Ewan MacColl | 3:14 |
| 2. | "Heading for Home" (featuring John Legend) | Peggy Seeger | 4:22 |
| 3. | "Twelve-Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)" (featuring Susanna Hoffs, Chris Stills and Sheryl Crow) | John E.A. Phillips | 3:42 |
| 4. | "Down in the Willow Garden" (featuring Brandi Carlile) | Charlie Monroe | 3:05 |
| 5. | "Shenandoah" | Traditional | 3:17 |
| 6. | "Nacht und Träume" | 2:41 | |
| 7. | "Harvest" (featuring Andrew Bird and Chris Stills) | Neil Young | 3:03 |
| 8. | "Going to a Town" (featuring Anohni) | Rufus Wainwright | 4:16 |
| 9. | "High on a Rocky Ledge" (featuring David Byrne) | Louis Hardin | 4:25 |
| 10. | "Kaulana Nā Pua" (featuring Nicole Scherzinger) |
| 3:37 |
| 11. | "Hush Little Baby" (featuring Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche) | Traditional | 3:54 |
| 12. | "Black Gold" (featuring Van Dyke Parks) | Van Dyke Parks | 4:40 |
| 13. | "Cotton Eyed Joe" (featuring Chaka Khan) | Traditional | 3:15 |
| 14. | "Arthur McBride" | Traditional | 7:33 |
| 15. | "Wild Mountain Thyme" (featuring Anna McGarrigle, Chaim Tannenbaum, Lily Lanken, Lucy Wainwright Roche, and Martha Wainwright) | Traditional | 5:46 |
| Total length: | 60:55 | ||
Personnel
Musicians
- Rufus Wainwright – vocals (all tracks), guitar (track 11), piano (14)
- Madison Cunningham – guitar (1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 11)
- David Piltch – bass (2–5, 7, 8, 10, 11)
- Rob Moose – arrangement, strings (2, 8)
- Patrick Sauber – banjo (2)
- Val McCallum – guitar (3, 5, 8)
- Mitchell Froom – harpsichord, Mellotron (3); piano (5, 6), electric piano (8)
- Pete Thomas – drums (3)
- Steve Amedée – tambourine (3)
- Patrick Warren – organ (5)
- Greg Leisz – lap steel guitar (7, 10), guitar (10), mandolin (11)
- Andrew Bird – violin (7)
- Jacob Mann – piano (8, 13)
- Blake Mills – guitar (9)
- Ted Poor – percussion (10)
- Van Dyke Parks – accordion, piano (12)
- Richard Parks – mandolin (12)
- Anna McGarrigle – accordion (15)
- Chaim Tannenbaum – banjo (15)
Technical
- Mitchell Froom – production
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- David Boucher – mixing, engineering
Charts
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC) | 18 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC) | 23 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) | 8 |