Loudon Wainwright III Opens Up About Kate McGarrigle, His Famous Children and Being a Grandparent With Leonard Cohen

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Cramming a four-decade career into one package is no easy task. For Loudon Wainwright III, curating the box set '40 Odd Years' was such a painstaking experience that he compared it to "drowning kittens."

But a few months after the May release from Shout Factory, Wainwright is as upbeat as ever. In a lengthy chat with Spinner, the singer-songwriter was candid about the tense times with his children, renowned artists Rufus and Martha, his late wife, Kate McGarrigle, how his friend Judd Apatow helped him get the box set together and what it's like to be a grandparent alongside Leonard Cohen.

You said that putting this box set together was "like drowning kittens." Have you guys calmed down since it's been out?

I've mourned over the kittens that have been put in the sack, that didn't make it into the box. That was an aspect that was difficult at that stage -- choosing what could be included and what couldn't be included because there were digital space requirements.

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