October Newsletter: It's Old Friends, After All

October News
"It's Old Friends, After All"

Michele and I had a wonderful time at the Hudson West Folk Fest in September. In this photo we were hanging with our good friend Sam Baker, listening to the great David Olney sing.

Guy Clark said it best: "It's Old Friends, After All." We have been busy on the road this summer and fall, and have been blessed to see so many friends along the way.

In Edmonton, Jaimee and I had the honor of sharing the stage and trading songs with Ani DiFranco, Bruce Cockburn, Rose Cousins, Amanda Shires, Jason Isbell, and Hurray For The Riff Raff. We loved every minute of The Edmonton Folk Festival!

In October, I am heading out to San Francisco to play the great Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, and then will look forward to meeting new friends at The Yosemite Songwriting Retreat in Midpines, California, The Intensive Writers Retreat in Austin, Texas and the Tuscan Retreat in Monosterolo Di Savigliano, Italy. And then our Ireland and UK Tour kicks off November 1st!

Thank you for being a part of our journey, and we hope to see you this fall!

UPCOMING TOUR DATES

"Five Dollars And The Truth"

My old restaurant, The Dixie Kitchen, was next-door to Berklee College in Boston. For over a decade, I cooked jambalaya there and dreamed of becoming a songwriter. I never imagined one day I would be invited to teach a songwriting master class at Berkeley! Teaching there this week felt full circle to me, and I was deeply honored by their invitation.

READ MORE

HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL

Coming up this weekend: I will be performing at The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco Saturday afternoon, October 5th, at 12:10PM on the Porch Stage. We hope to see you there!

HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL

 I am excited to announce that I will be co-teaching an Intensive Writing Retreat with Terri Trespicio October 17-20th, 2019 in Austin, Texas.

Imagine if you could take three days to just write - songs, poetry, a TEDx talk, the opening pages of a book - anything you've been dying to create, that speaks to your work in the world.

This is a very special event, and the group is quite small. We have a few spots left, and I invite you to take one.

"The Intensive" Writing Retreat is for authors, songwriters, poets, speakers, teachers, business owners, bloggers - all are welcome! All that's required is a desire to create, an open mind, and a kind heart to join this powerful, intimate group.

This is your chance. We will provide a safe place to create in a loving, supportive community at a beautiful home with a pool, a private chef - and plenty of time to devote to your own creative work.

LEARN MORE

UK & IRELAND TOUR
NOVEMBER 2019

Reminder: UK & Ireland Tour Coming Up in November!
We will play seven dates, including the Fitzroy Church in Belfast, Whelan's in Dublin, London's Union Chapel, Pleasance Theatre in Edinburgh and more.

UK & IRELAND TOUR

MARY GAUTHIER ON TOUR

October 5th: San Francisco, CA
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival

October 11-14th: Midpines, CA
Yosemite Songwriting Retreat

October 17-20th: Austin, TX
The Intensive Writers Retreat
Whispering Oak Ranch

October 23rd-30th: Monasterolo Di Savigliano, Italy
A Tuscan Retreat: SOLD OUT

VIEW ALL TOUR DATES

10/17: "The Intensive" 3-Day Writing Retreat in Austin, TX

I am excited to announce that I will be co-teaching an Intensive Writing Retreat with Terri Trespicio October 17-20th, 2019 in Austin, Texas.

This is a very special event, and the group is quite small. We’ve got a few spots left, and I invite you to take one.

Who’s it for? Authors, songwriters, poets, speakers, teachers, business owners, coaches, bloggers —all are welcome! The one thing you need is a desire to create, an open mind, and a kind heart to join this powerful, intimate group.

Imagine if you could take just three days to just write—songs, poetry, a TEDx talk, the opening pages of a book—anything you’ve been dying to create, that speaks to your work in the world.

This is your chance. We will provide a safe place to create in a loving, supportive community at a beautiful home with a pool, a private chef—and plenty of time to devote to your own creative work.

Learn more about how to join us here: territrespicio.com/intensive.

September Newsletter: Saved By A Song

September News

Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Song School
Lyons, Colorado

On August 14th, the sky in Lyons, Colorado filled with electricity and nature showed off some of her powers. It reminded me of the way I look at songwriting, and prompted a new passage in my book on songwriting.

"I see songwriting as a kind of midwifery. Like children, songs show up knowing who they are. I can influence them, but the songs arrive with personalities of their own. So, if songs are coming from somewhere else, my work is to be a receiver. With lightning rod in hand, I hope to conduct electricity by collecting flashes of ideas and inspiration.

As I work, I ride the edge between what I know, my subconscious, and what hasn't happened yet. As I step into the emptiness of my unknowing and create something from nothing, I get the sense that I am co-creating. I do not know what the electricity flowing through me will manifest, or what my efforts at conducting will light up. Often, it is nothing at all!

I am not in charge of the flow. I cannot switch it on or off. All I can do is show up, and direct my focused effort into it, and believe in the process.

Sometimes I sit at my writing desk for hours before I can access the state of mind where I am not "writing," but listening. There is a deep and profound mystery at the core of song creation, a sacred riddle.

Each song makes requests of me, through my gut, or solar plexus.

It is the third chakra, the gut feeling, that helps me get rid of untruths. When I write untruths or stray from the path of authenticity, my gut feels it. It senses the falseness and whispers a message to work harder. My job as a songwriter is to rid the song of dishonesty. This is neither simple nor easy - the process is almost always one of discovery.

I work to see what I have not yet seen.

Every song is a new beginning, a new life entering the world."

- Mary Gauthier, Excerpt from "Saved By A Song"
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL

I'm honored to be a part of this year's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Lineup! We hope to see you in San Francisco October 4th-6th. Find more details at www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com.

UK & IRELAND TOUR
NOVEMBER 2019

UK Americana Music Association's International Artist of the Year 2019

I am excited to return to the UK and Ireland this fall with Jaimee Harris and Michele Gazich. We will play seven dates, including the Fitzroy Church in Belfast, Whelan's in Dublin, London's Union Chapel, Pleasance Theatre in Edinburgh and more.

Find a full list of tour dates on my website at
www.marygauthier.com/tour.

UK & IRELAND TOUR

Three Women & The Truth | City Winery | Nashville, TN | November 29th, 2019

MARY GAUTHIER ON TOUR

September 5th: Nashville, TN
The Bluebird Cafe
SOLD OUT

September 6th: Nashville, TN
SongwritingWith:Soldiers Retreat

September 12th: Bay Shore, NY
YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts

September 13th: Rosendale, NY
Rosendale Cafe

September 14th: Jersey City, NJ
Hudson West Folk Festival

September 15th: Freehold, NJ
Concerts In The Studio

September 21st: Columbus, OH
Ohio Lesbian Festival

September 26th: Boston, MA*
City Winery Boston

September 27th: Fall River, MA*
Narrows Center for the Arts

September 28th: Norfolk, CT*
Infinity Hall & Music Bistro

*with Gretchen Peters & Friends

VIEW ALL TOUR DATES

August Newsletter

PBS To Tape SongwritingWith:Soldiers Concert

August News

PBS Taping: SongwritingWith:Soldiers Concert
Thursday, August 1st, 8PM
War Memorial Auditorium | Nashville, TN
*TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE*

Please join us tonight in Nashville!
We'll be singing songs written in collaboration with veteran participants and their families who attended SongwritingWith:Soldiers Retreats. The concert will be filmed for a PBS Special.

www.songwritingwithsoldiers.org/pbsconcert

For tickets and more info, text "SWS" to 444-999.

MORE INFO

Photo by Paolo Brillo

SAVED BY A SONG

With a few weeks off the road, I am working hard on my book on songwriting. "Saved By A Song" explores the deeper meaning of songwriting in my life.

Excerpt from "Saved By A Song"
"It is difficult to be a trauma survivor of any kind, but most difficult when you are kept in ignorance of what it is you have survived. Although I knew that a piece of myself was swept away on the day I was born, I also knew that I must not attempt to retrieve it. To retrieve it would pry open a sealed vault, betray those who'd rescued me and expose my deepest terrors.

The mind will protect itself from what it cannot weather, it will shut down and lock secret doors inside itself to keep danger at bay. But when the danger has passed, the doors remain shut. The shut doors become barricades to love, truth, spirit and imagination.

My songs were opening doors for me, walking me into darkened rooms and turning on lamps. Songwriting showed me how to take a step back to a bearable distance.

Songwriting took me from being the story, to becoming the storyteller. This is a strange experience, this step back. It is as if I am observing someone else. The self, observing itself, can only do so in reflection. In other words, I was always looking backwards in time, reflecting on someone that was not I, the observer. I was looking at someone who no longer existed.

The songwriter, looking back and writing songs about the self, was not the same person who had suffered the trauma. I found freedom in this paradox, and power."

Stay tuned for more from "Saved By A Song"
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

WRITING WITH ASHLEY MCBRYDE

Ashley McBryde is a genuine, full-on, raise the hair up on my arms,
songwriting badass! What a day!

Congrats on her GRAMMY-Nominated Album, "Girl Going Nowhere!"

ASHLEY MCBRYDE

RAY WYLIE HUBBARD AT THE OPRY

On July 17th, my friend Ray Wylie Hubbard played The Opry for the first time. I was so happy to be there to cheer him on. Pam Tillis introduced him, and he came out and worked his magic with his son Lucas by his side. It was a beautiful performance, and my heart was full. We've been friends for nearly 30 years. I'm grateful for so many wonderful moments over the years with this beautiful man and his bride Judy.

We can now add The Opry to the list!

UK & IRELAND TOUR
NOVEMBER 2019

UK Americana Music Association's International Artist of the Year 2019

I am excited to return to the UK and Ireland this fall with Jaimee Harris and Michele Gazich. We will play seven dates, including the Fitzroy Church in Belfast, Whelan's in Dublin, London's Union Chapel, Pleasance Theatre in Edinburgh and more.

Find a full list of tour dates on my website at
www.marygauthier.com/tour.

UK & IRELAND TOUR

Michele Gazich & Mary Gauthier

MARY GAUTHIER ON TOUR

August 10th: Edmonton, AB
Edmonton Folk Music Festival

August 27th: Albuquerque, NM
Outpost Performance Space

August 29th: Taos, NM
Casa de Musica Songwriter Workshop
with Eliza Gilkyson
SOLD OUT

September 15th: Freehold, NJ
Concerts In The Studio

September 21st: Columbus, OH
Ohio Lesbian Festival

September 26th: Boston, MA*
City Winery Boston

September 27th: Fall River, MA*
Narrows Center for the Arts

September 28th: Norfolk, CT*
Infinity Hall & Music Bistro

*with Gretchen Peters & Friends

VIEW ALL TOUR DATES

August 1st PBS Taping: Concert With SWS

THURSDAY - AUGUST 1ST!

War Memorial Auditorium | Nashville, TN

Doors at 7:00 / Show at 8:00

We’ll be singing songs written in collaboration with veteran participants and their families who attended SongwritingWith:Soldiers Retreats. The concert will be filmed for a PBS Special. www.songwritingwithsoldiers.org/pbsconcert.

For tickets and more info, text "SWS" to 444-999.

July Newsletter: Find Your Writer's Voice

Mary Gauthier Songwriting Workshop
July 11-14, 2019
Thistle Farms Cafe | Nashville, TN
*TWO SPOTS LEFT*

I will be working with songwriters of all levels for a three-day songwriting intensive in July at Thistle Farms Cafe Education Space.

Do you have a story to tell?
Are you looking for the courage and motivation to tell your story?
If so, this workshop is for you. We have several folks who have joined us over the years who are not songwriters, but participated in the workshop to find new ways to understand storytelling. Everyone interested in story, be it their own or the story of others, is welcome!

This work is a journey into the mystery of what our songs can teach us.

"Art is a walk from the known towards the unknown. The noble goal of the art of song is to take risks, become emotionally honest, and create deep resonance with self and listeners.

I push myself and invite my students to break through fear-based ruts. I encourage piercing through the unknown to make it known - that students may discover and know the truth of their own unique voice.

My hope is to encourage each songwriter
to write the songs only he or she can write."
- Mary Gauthier

READ MORE: SONGWRITING WORKSHOP

RIFLES & ROSARY BEADS
Nominated for Best Country/Americana Album
2019 Libera Awards

I am honored that Rifles & Rosary Beads was nominated for Best Country/Americana Album at this year's Libera Awards!

"The Libera Awards is the largest independent music award show in the world. It celebrates the successes of the independent music community,
from the artists that create the music to the labels that release and promote it."
- www.liberaawards.com

Congratulations to all of the nominees, and to John Prine for taking home the award in New York City last week!

STREAM RIFLES & ROSARY BEADS

BULLET HOLES IN THE SKY

"And they thank me for my service
and wave their little flags
They genuflect on Sundays
and yes, they'd send us back

But I believe in God and country
and in angels up on high
And in heaven shining down on us
through bullet holes in the sky..."

- "Bullet Holes In The Sky"
Mary Gauthier & Jamie Trent

VIEW BULLET HOLES IN THE SKY VIDEO

NEW "MERCY NOW"
TEA TOWELS

Please visit my web store for these new "Mercy Now" Tea Towels! At just $12, these make great gifts! You can also find our "Mercy Now" T-Shirts and handwritten lyrics in our online store at the link below.

www.marygauthier.com/store

NEW MARY GAUTHIER
AUTOGRAPHED POSTER

Please visit my web store for these new autographed Mary Gauthier posters!

www.marygauthier.com/store.

VISIT MARY GAUTHIER STORE

UK & IRELAND TOUR
NOVEMBER 2019

UK Americana Music Association's International Artist of the Year 2019

Just announced! I am excited to return to the UK and Ireland this fall with Jaimee Harris and Michele Gazich. We will play seven dates, including the Fitzroy Church in Belfast, Whelan's in Dublin, London's Union Chapel, Pleasance Theatre in Edinburgh and more.

Find a full list of tour dates on my website at
www.marygauthier.com/tour

UK & IRELAND TOUR

Michele Gazich & Mary Gauthier

MARY GAUTHIER ON TOUR

July 11th: Nashville, TN
Performing Songwriter Workshop:
Finding Your Writer's Voice

August 8th: Calgary, AB
Bella Concert Hall

August 10th: Edmonton, AB
Edmonton Folk Music Festival

August 27th: Albuquerque, NM
Outpost Performance Space

August 29th: Taos, NM
Casa de Musica Songwriter Workshop
with Eliza Gilkyson

September 15th: Freehold, NJ
Concerts In The Studio

September 21st: Columbus, OH
Ohio Lesbian Festival

September 27th: Fall River, MA*
Narrows Center for the Arts

September 28th: Norfolk, CT*
Infinity Hall & Music Bistro

*with Gretchen Peters & Friends

VIEW ALL TOUR DATES

Rifles & Rosary Beads Nominated for Libera Award

I am honored that Rifles & Rosary Beads was nominated for Best Country/Americana Album at this year's Libera Awards!

"The Libera Awards is the largest Independent music award show in the world. It celebrates the successes of the independent music community, from the artists that create the music
to the labels that release and promote it."
-www.liberaawards.com.

Congratulations to all of the nominees,
and to John Prine for taking home the award in New York City last night!

READ MORE

NPR World Cafe Nashville Interview

"If you travel in Nashville's singer-songwriter circles, or literary circles, or progressive activist circles, you've probably witnessed Mary Gauthier bring a room to tears. Born in New Orleans, Gauthier has lived in Music City since 2001 and made her mark on both the mainstream country and Americana worlds...

[Rifles & Rosary Beads'] honesty and insight into an often overlooked aspect of American democracy – the on-the-ground experiences of soldiers and, especially, the aftermath of their time in combat – is a gift in a contemporary moment full of chatter and political rhetoric."

NPR rebroadcasted my interview with Ann Powers on World Cafe over the Memorial Day Weekend.

Click HERE to hear the full interview:

https://www.npr.org/sections/world-cafe/2018/01/26/580773876/world-cafe-nashville-mary-gauthier

June Newsletter: New Merchandise!

June News

 Happy Summer! Brand New Autographed Mary Gauthier Posters are here in the web store.

We also now have Mercy Now Tea Towels available, featuring the Mercy Now lyrics. Makes a great gift!

"My father could use a little mercy now
The fruits of his labor
Fall and rot slowly on the ground
His work is almost over
Won't be long, he won't be around
I love my father,
And he could use some mercy now..."
 

VISIT MARY GAUTHIER STORE

MERCY NOW TEA TOWEL

These new Mercy Now Tea Towels have been very popular since we debuted them on my website just one week ago. Take home some of your favorite song lyrics with a personal touch.
For just $12, they also make great gifts!

PURCHASE MERCY NOW TEA TOWEL

"Mercy Now" | Mary Gauthier with Michele Gazich | Paste Studios | 2/7/18
New York City

MERCY NOW

"Every living thing could use a little mercy now
Only the hand of grace can end the race
Towards another mushroom cloud
There's people in power
Who'll do anything to keep their crown
I love life, and life itself could use some mercy now..."
 

VIEW MERCY NOW VIDEO

Photo Credit: Paolo Brillo
L to R: Michele Gazich, Mary Gauthier, Jaimee Harris

SUMMER TOUR 

I am out on the road for a run of shows in Texas this week with Jaimee Harris and Michele Gazich. We play our second SOLD OUT show at Cactus Cafe tonight, June 1st, in Austin and then head to the midwest for shows in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 5th and in Chicago on June 6th at The Old Town School of Folk Music.

Please see my full June schedule below and on my website atwww.marygauthier.com. We hope to see you at a show near you!

EDMONTON FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL
ON SALE JUNE 1ST

What a lineup! I am honored to be a part of the 40th Annual Edmonton Folk Music Festival, taking place in Edmonton, Alberta August 8-11th, 2019.

Tickets for the festival go on sale today, June 1st.

EDMONTON FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL TICKETS

MARY GAUTHIER ON TOUR

June 1st: Austin, TX*
Cactus Cafe: SOLD OUT

June 5th: St. Paul, MN*
Vieux Carre

June 6th: Chicago, IL*
Old Town School of Folk Music

June 9th: Rockingham, VT*
Roots on the River: SOLD OUT

June 12th: Portsmouth, NH*
The Music Hall Loft

June 22nd: Sparta, NC
Muddy Creek Cafe: Backwoods Beat Festival

*with Jaimee Harris & Michele Gazich

VIEW ALL TOUR DATES

May Newsletter: Visiting Tulsa, Oklahoma

May News

 When Jaimee and I were in Tulsa for the Woody Guthrie Center 6th Anniversary Celebration last weekend, we had a chance to sing for the beautiful women of The Women In Recovery Center.

Oklahoma has the highest rate of female imprisonment per capita in the United States and turning this around takes commitment and vision. The Women In Recovery Center, an intensive outpatient alternative for eligible women facing long prison sentences for non-violent drug-related offenses, is making a huge difference in this state.

This amazing organization has been changing women's lives with their long-term, visionary work. We are grateful to the Kaiser Foundation for their funding for this amazing place, and to Diane Hughes for showing us around. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to meet so many amazing women and hear their stories.

WITH AUTHOR JOE KLEIN

We had the great privilege of meeting author and journalist Joe Klein at The Woody Guthrie Center Anniversary Celebration. Joe wrote "Woody Guthrie: A Life," along with "Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics." Joe's "Woody Guthrie: A Life" is the only authorised biography on Woody ever written. If you haven't read it, pick up a copy and dig in, it's brilliant. And while you're at it, watch the movie made from his book Primary Colors. I re-watched it last night, and loved it even more all these years (and elections) later...

WOODY GUTHRIE CENTER

Woody Guthrie's work is the supreme example of the fact that songs can be conduits for compassion and empathy. He reminds us that songs are a roadmap into stranger's heart which upon inspection mirrors our own. Music and song can temporarily bring us to a place that does not yet exist here on earth; a place where we are safe and connected and of one heart. Woody was right: he was a teacher, not an entertainer. And what a great teacher, indeed.

If you haven't been to The Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, I encourage you to visit for a few days. The trip would be a weekend well spent.

VISIT WOODY GUTHRIE CENTER 

L to R: Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Mary Gauthier, Yolanda Adams, Neil Portnow (President/CEO of the Recording Academy), Nancy Pelosi (D-California), Kristin Chenoweth

GRAMMYS ON THE HILL

On April 9th I had the honor of joining fellow music makers in Washington, DC to fight for the rights of songwriters, producers, engineers and performers. I sat with senators and members of congress and talked about issues affecting the music business, lobbying for their support of music makers.

"GRAMMYS On The Hill was a night that brought Capitol Hill together to celebrate the wins and the contributions of the music community."
- GRAMMY Advocacy

Photo Credit: Broken Record/The Globe and Mail
L to R: Rick Rubin, Bruce Headlam, Malcolm Gladwell, Robbie Robertson

MALCOLM GLADWELL PODCAST

I was honored to be a recent guest on the second season of Malcolm's "Broken Record" podcast. Rick Rubin produced the final version, and it came out GREAT. Click the link below to listen to the interview.

"So the world-class theorist Malcolm Gladwell and the music producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin were chatting and having tea in Bob Dylan's old tour bus. The rusting thing sits marooned behind Rubin's Shangri-La studio in Malibu." - The Globe and Mail, 4/2/9

LISTEN TO BROKEN RECORD PODCAST

READ MORE

MARY GAUTHIER ON TOUR

May 2nd: Nashville, TN*
The Bluebird Cafe: SOLD OUT

May 4th: Northfield, MN*
The Northfield Arts Guild Theater

May 7th: Spring Green, WI*
Shi*tty Barn Sessions

May 9th: East Lansing, MI*
Pump House Concerts

May 10th: Ann Arbor, MI*
Green Wood Coffee House

May 17th: Boston, MA**
City Winery

May 18th: Newburyport, MA**
Belleville Roots Series

May 19th: Bath, ME**
Chocolate Church Arts Center

May 25th: Greenville, TX
Texan Theatre

May 26th: Kerrville, TX**
Kerrville Folk Festival

May 30th: Houston, TX*
McGonigel's Mucky Duck
7PM: SOLD OUT/ 9:30PM Available

May 31st: Austin, TX*
Cactus Cafe

*with Jaimee Harris
** with Three Women & The Truth

VIEW ALL TOUR DATES

Creativity & Collaboration: April Newsletter

April News

 Happy Spring! Although we are still on the road with Rifles & Rosary Beads this year, April finds me with more creative time at home, and more opportunities for collaboration and co-writing.

I have been writing quite a few songs with Sam Williams lately. You might know Sam as the son of Hank Williams, Jr. and the grandson of Hank Williams, Sr. He was recently featured at Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival in Nashville, and I believe this young man has a bright career ahead. I love writing with him. His voice lights up my writing room!

4/27: WOODY GUTHRIE CENTER 6TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW

We are honored to help celebrate the 6th Anniversary of The Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday, April 27th at 2:30PM.

This free show on Guthrie Green will also feature performances by HuDost, Jaimee Harris, Guy Davis and Ramy Essam. Please join us if you can!

FIND TICKETS FOR WOODY GUTHRIE CENTER SHOW

NEW YORK CITY

Here we are, hanging with the master of the Telecaster! Jaimee and I had the great privilege of playing with G.E. Smith at The City Winery in New York City on March 22nd. We shared the stage for Wesley Stace's Cabinet of Wonders Show, and helped celebrate their 10-year Anniversary.
NYC, we love you!

MALCOLM GLADWELL PODCAST

I loved being a guest on Malcolm Gladwell's "Broken Record" podcast, produced by Rick Rubin, and released on March 26th. We talked about Rifles & Rosary Beads, and the journey of songwriting with Veterans.

"In his years as a journalist, Malcolm Gladwell has a reputation for his ability to draw disparate information into a single point." - Vanity Fair, 3/14/19

"War After The War" - Named Best Song of 2018 by Malcolm Gladwell, NPR

STREAM RIFLES & ROSARY BEADS

MARY GAUTHIER ON TOUR

April 5th: Nashville, TN
The Grand Ole Opry

April 13th: Tampa, FL*
The Attic at Rock Brothers

April 14th: Silverhill, AL*
Frog Pond at Blue Moon Farm

April 25th: Columbia, MO*
Eastlake Concert Series: SOLD OUT

April 27th: Tulsa, OK*
Woody Guthrie Center

April 28th: Kansas City, MO*
Knuckleheads Saloon

*with Jaimee Harris

VIEW ALL TOUR DATES

Purchase Rifles & Rosary Beads on CD or Vinyl

"You'll be hard-pressed to hear a more powerfully moving work than
Rifles & Rosary Beads - this year, or any other."

-LA TIMES

March Newsletter

Rifles & Rosary Beads Wins Album of the Year at Folk Alliance International

March News

On February 13th, Rifles & Rosary Beads was named Album of the Year at the International Folk Music Awards in Montreal, Canada!  Folk Alliance has been important to me since I picked up a guitar, and I am truly grateful for this honor! 

I wish I could have been there to accept the award in person, but I was performing on the Cayamo "Journey Through Song" Cruise in Jamaica.

Thank you again to The Folk Alliance International, and thank you to all of you for the incredible international support of this record! 

STREAM RIFLES & ROSARY BEADS

THE GRAMMYS 2019

Thank you so much for following along with us on our 10-Day Countdown to The GRAMMYS! Your heartfelt comments and feedback on our social media posts helped bring each song back to life as we looked back on this amazing year with Rifles & Rosary Beads.

I am sad that we didn't win the statue, but we sure looked good!

I am absolutely honored to be on this ride. Thank you to all of my veteran co-writers, the military spouse co-writers and SongwritingWith:Soldiers!
We took it to the finals! 

2019 GRAMMYS: NOMINEES AND WINNERS

JOHN PRINE & MARY GAUTHIER | 2019 GRAMMY AWARDS

"Some of those among the two dozen participants noted from the stage that they'd never met Prine but deeply admire his music; others have worked closely with him for many years, including acclaimed singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier, who told the audience when she stepped on stage to sing 'The Speed of the Sound of Loneliness': 'I have no idea where my career would be if it were not for John Prine.' From his seat on a bench several feet above and away from the stage, he called down 'We love you, Mary!'"
- LA TIMES

READ "John Prine Salute Opens A Window" - Randy Lewis, LA TIMES

MARY GAUTHIER ON TOUR

March 1st: Calgary, AB*
Bella Concert Hall

March 2nd: St. Albert, AB*
The Arden Theatre

March 6th: Nashville, TN**
The Bluebird Cafe

March 23rd: New York, NY*
City Vineyard
"Voices On The Hudson"

March 24th: Washington, DC*
City Winery DC

*with Jaimee Harris
**In The Round

VIEW ALL TOUR DATES

10-Day GRAMMY Countdown

February News

Last night I was named International Artist of the Year at the Americana Music Association UK Awards in London! What an incredible honor. Thank you again for all of your support this year, and congratulations to all of the nominees!

Today we begin our 10-DAY Countdown to the GRAMMYs!

Over the next 10 days we will be sharing videos, interviews and highlights of each of the tracks of from Rifles & Rosary Beads, nominated for a GRAMMY Award in the Best Folk Album Category. Be sure to follow us on our social platforms to follow along with the countdown! 

The 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards Ceremony will be held February 10th at The Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. 

FOLLOW COUNTDOWN

"Soldiering On" 

We begin our 10-Day GRAMMY Countdown with the video from the first track on the record. I wrote "Soldiering On" with veteran Jennifer Marino, a retired Marine and co-pilot of the first ever all-female crew to fly a US President.

"What saves you in the battle
Can kill you at home..."

Along with telling Jennifer's powerful story, one of our goals with this song was to raise awareness of the current epidemic of Veteran suicide, which is estimated to claim 7,400 lives each year. Thank you, Jennifer, for your service and for your courage in telling your story in order to help others.

We premiered the video with American Songwriter Magazine shortly before the album's release in January of 2018.

"One of the album's most affecting tracks is 'Soldiering On,' a powerful, guitar-driven song that explores, with unflinching honesty, the immense difficulties veterans often face when integrating back into post-combat life."
- American Songwriter

WATCH "SOLDIERING ON" VIDEO

2019 NASHVILLE PERFORMING SONGWRITER CLASS

"FINDING YOUR WRITER'S VOICE"
Thank you to all of you who joined me in January for the
Performing Songwriter Creative Workshop in Nashville!
And thank you to our special guests:
Beth Nielsen Chapman, Roger Cook and Ruthie Foster

MARY GAUTHIER ON TOUR

February 1st: London, UK*
Cadogan Hall

February 10th: Tampa, FL
CAYAMO CRUISE: SOLD OUT

March 1st: Calgary, AB**
Bella Concert Hall

March 2nd: St. Albert, AB**
The Arden Theater

March 23rd: New York, NY**
City Vineyard
"Voices On The Hudson"

March 24th: Washington, DC**
City Winery DC

*with Beth Nielsen Chapman
**with Jaimee Harris

VIEW ALL TOUR DATES

International Artist of the Year

Thank you to the UK Americana Association! What an incredible honor!

2018 Highlights

RIFLES & ROSARY BEADS
2018 HIGHLIGHTS

Nominated for Best Folk Album
GRAMMYs 2019

Nominated for Album of the Year
Americana Awards 2018

Nominated for International Artist of the Year
UK Americana Awards 2019

#1 Best Singer/Songwriter Album of 2018
LA TIMES

#1 Song of the Year: War After The War
NPR/Malcolm Gladwell

Nominated for Best Album of the Year
International Folk Music Awards

Rifles & Rosary Beads Makes American Songwriter's Top 25 Album List

20. Mary Gauthier, Rifles & Rosary Beads

“It would have been easy for Gauthier’s latest album to glide by on the power and profundity of its premise alone: a collection of songs about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars co-written entirely with amateur veteran songwriters. But because she chose to center veteran voices so prominently, Gauthier’s album functions as a stark, crucial de-romanticization of warfare told through the eyes of storytellers whose voices are so seldom given a platform: the female army mechanic more frightened by her male comrades than her supposed enemies in “Iraq;” the Marine wives who subsist on their own camaraderie in “Stronger Together;” the veteran distrustful of the shallow rituals of supporting the troops on “Bullet Holes In The Sky.” Rifles is not only one of the most vividly rendered singer-songwriter albums in recent years, it’s also one of the most vital pieces of art to arise from the never-ending, ongoing American military involvement in the Middle East. It’s also a reminder of the endlessly radical humanist potential that folk music can still hold.” — JONATHAN BERNSTEIN

GRAMMY NOMINATION!

Rifles & Rosary Beads Nominated for GRAMMY Award
in the Best Folk Album Category

This collaborative collection of songs came about because of the tireless efforts of Darden Smith, Mary Judd, and the entire team of SongwritingWith:Soldiers. They invited me into their visionary non-profit work, and changed my life. They are my teachers, along with the brave Veterans and their families who were willing to go on record, literally, with their stories. It takes courage to be a soldier, and it takes courage to tell the truth about the effects of war on your life, your family and your soul.

I am but the midwife here, a witness to layers and layers of bravery. The producer of this record, Neilson Hubbard, brought the songs to life, hired an amazing band, and made it easy on me by bringing his studio to my house.

My publicists, Jim Flammia, Donica Elliot, and Michelle Steele All Eyes Media carried the story of these out into the world, and they kicked ass.

Michele Gazich convinced me this was a good idea to pursue and gave me the courage to take it on.

And my love, Jaimee Harris, makes every single day on earth better.

I am richly blessed, and deeply grateful.

Thank you to all who have supported this project!
And congrats to all the artists nominated along side us!

https://www.billboard.com/…/…/2019-grammy-nominees-full-list

NPR's 50 Best Albums of 2018

Rifles & Rosary Beads Named One of NPR’s 50 Best Albums of 2018!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL LIST

“Few singer-songwriters have mined their own autobiographies with a stronger belief in the unifying potential of human affliction than Mary Gauthier, but she arrived at her most compelling expressions of empathy to date by fixating intently on others' stories. Rifles & Rosary Beads, her eighth proper studio album, was the fruit of songwriting retreats with American military veterans and their spouses and partners; with the participants' permission, what began as a therapeutic exercise led to a riveting collection of testimonies, recollections and vignettes. Gauthier is a tough, almost surly singer who makes her emotional commitment to the material felt, and her choice of producers, and multi-instrumentalist Neilson Hubbard, framed it with bristly folk-rock gravity. The greatest source of the 11 songs' power is how they capture contradictions in excruciating, unshakable detail: the feelings of fierce camaraderie beneath heroic displays of stoicism; the mixture of pride and anguish that service leaves in its wake; the trauma that alienates vets and their loved ones even after they're reunited beneath the same roofs. That degree of attentiveness was an especially needed salve during a year when differences in experience and perspective were treated as unbridgeable, hostility-stoking barriers.”
—Jewly Hight

Home For The Holidays: December Newsletter

Mary Gauthier and Michele Gazich

December News: Home For The Holidays

I looked through my 2018 calendar to try and remember where I've been this year, and it amazed me to see I've played 134 shows this year, and spent over 300 nights in hotel rooms. 13 Festivals. 6 Countries. 2 TED Talks. 5 week-long Songwriting Workshops. What a year, whew!

2018 has been the busiest traveling year of my life, and I have been in constant motion. I now know the TSA folks at the Nashville airport by name!

I had a short few days off the road for Thanksgiving, and I'm back out playing shows again with Michele Gazich on the West Coast. I’ll head south on the 10th, for benefit shows in North Carolina and Tennessee with Greg Brown and Malcolm Holcombe, for folks who could use a hand this Christmas season.

I am so grateful that Rifles & Rosary Beads was nominated for Record of the Year this September by the Americana Music Association in Nashville, and grateful to be nominated for the 2018 International Artist of the Year by the Americana Music Association in the UK.

2018 has been a whirlwind for me, and the wind is still blowing!

What do I remember most?

To be honest, right now my memory is a blur. That said, I do remember moments of kindness, moments of love, moments of genuine human connection. I remember the day that Kees, one of my long time Dutch promoters who’d had a deeply debilitating stroke this year that left him in a wheelchair told me over lunch that he’d just returned from seeing the leaves change in Montreal, and that he’d decided he was going to opt for assisted suicide this May. All in one sentence, a sentence that took my breath away. He told me not to worry, he is ready, and that he is not afraid. After the show, when I hugged him close and said goodbye, I remember meeting his eyes and knowing I will probably never see him again. I will not forget the feeling of deep love and connection to a man who’d brought music to his village for many years, who’d promoted multiple shows for me, whose love of music and songwriters was his true passion and introducing them to other people was his gift to the world.

I remember the day Paolo Caru’, the getting-on-in-years legendary publisher of Buscadero Magazine and owner of a beloved little record shop in Italy took us to lunch. Out of nowhere, he told us to order dessert without him. He needed to walk his wife of 40 years to the beauty shop across the Village to get her hair done. He left his credit card with the waiter, and left the cafe holding his dear wife’s hand. My heart exploded. Seasoned, enduring love, the kind that continues to deepen with time. Seeing this kind of love can make me cry. Paulo returned in time for a post tiramisu double espresso, and while the coffee and sugar took effect, we talked and talked. He walked us back to the shop, and we talked about the condition of the world today. There was a swastika and racist, anti-immigrant, hate-filled graffiti spray painted on the wall of a building we walked past. I asked about it, what it meant, and he said, “The darkness is expanding again, yes?" It is terrifying, but at least we have the music.” He paused, and with his deep, wise voice, said one more time, “Maria, we still have the music.” He looked me in the eye with a sad smile, grabbed my hand, squeezed it, and kissed me goodbye on my cheek. I hugged him close. I do not know if I will ever see him again either. But he is right, and I am like him - I believe it is the music that will see us through.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR VETERANS

This year I was blessed to be able to talk about the redemptive power of song WITHOUT having to talk about myself personally. The Veterans’ stories and songs have carried me through 2018, taking their stories to audiences around the world and pointing to the power of song to build empathy and understanding. The Veterans’ songs brought me a deeper purpose when I needed it most.

I know for certain that successful song writing is not about technical skill, it’s not about the tricks of the trade, following trends, or whom you know in the music business. Songwriting is about something so ineffable almost no one names it: it’s about courage and emotional truth. Emotional Truth is what allows us to access that strange and beautiful holy grail of human connection: Vulnerability. From there, we access the bigger mystery and become alchemists. A great song is magic. And songwriters, at times, are magicians. What a job, what a ride, what a life!

GIFTS FOR THE MERCY-MINDED

I have a few Holiday gift ideas for Mary Gauthier fans from my web store, including handwritten lyrics to any of my songs. I will return home to write them in time for you to give to a loved one for Christmas. I have Mercy Now T-Shirts, CD Bundles, and this year’s Rifles & Rosary Beads on CD and Vinyl. Plenty to choose from!

CLICK HERE TO VISIT STORE

I hope all of you have a wonderful Holiday season! Thank you for your support along the way. It keeps me going. Onward!

Bluegrass Underground Episode Airing Now

Our episode of the Emmy-Award Winning Season VIII Bluegrass Underground is premiering now on PBS. Set your DVRs and check your local listings!

https://goo.gl/UntYva & http://www.bluegrassunderground.com/pbs

You can also watch the episode, streaming on PBS.org at

http://www.pbs.org/bluegrass-underground/season-8/.

Thanks again to everyone at Bluegrass Underground for hosting us!