Acclaimed singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier will release her most important work to date with Rifles & Rosary Beads on January 26th, 2018 via Thirty Tigers. Co-written with U.S. veterans and their families, the eleven deeply personal songs on this album reveal the untold stories, and powerful struggles that these veterans and their spouses deal with abroad and after returning home.
Each year it is estimated that over 7400 current and former members of the United States Armed Services take their own lives. The songs featured on Rifles & Rosary Beads were all co-written as part of SongwritingWith:Soldiers, a non-profit program that facilitates retreats bringing professional songwriters together with wounded veterans and active duty military. Participants have shared that the experience of songwriting was life changing for them, some even said life saving.
No stranger to pain or demons herself, Gauthier has used songwriting to work through addiction and childhood abandonment as an orphan. This is the first album where she has focused solely on experiences other than her own. The songs on Rifles & Rosary Beads tackle a variety of viewpoints. “The War After The War” deals with the strain put on a relationship while living with someone who has returned from serving, while “Iraq” depicts the helpless horror of a female military mechanic being dehumanized and sexually harassed. The gorgeous album highlight “Bullet Holes In the Sky” is a bittersweet reflection on the mixed emotions of being a veteran.
Mary Gauthier has received countless critical accolades over the last decade and a half for her seven studio albums and captivating live performances. Her previous album Trouble & Love was praised by the press, including glowing coverage from outlets including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, NPR Music, Huffington Post, American Songwriter and many more. Mary also visited NPR’s Fresh Air for a sit down interview with Terry Gross, which made for a compelling program (click HERE to listen).
Mary Gauthier is helping veterans share experiences that only they can understand, in a way that we as listeners can relate to. This process not only has the power to touch others but also to help soldiers take a step towards healing, while at the same time creating beautiful art.
MARY GAUTHIER TOUR DATES
10/20/17 – Exeter, NH – The Word Barn
10/21/17 – Rockport, MA – Old Sloop Coffeehouse
10/26/17 – East Lansing, MI – Pump House Concerts
10/27/17 – Ann Arbor, MI – Greenwood Coffeehouse
11/30/17 – Nashville, TN – The Bluebird Cafe
1/12–1/14/18 – South Walton, FL – 30A Songwriters Festival
2/7–2/8/18 – NYC, NY – City Vineyard at Pier 26
2/9/18 – Boston, MA – City Winery
2/10/18 – Vienna, VA – Jammin Java
2/23/18 – Franklin, TN – Franklin Theatre
3/8/18 – Chicago, IL – Old Town School of Folk Music: Szold Hall
3/9/18 – Columbus, OH – Columbus Performing Arts Center
3/12/18 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Cafe
4/2018 – Marblehead, MA – Me & Thee Coffeehouse
4/21/18 – Hastings on Hudson, NY – Common Ground Coffeehouse
4/27/18 – Hartford, CT – Meeting House Presents
4/28/18 – Portsmouth, RI – Common Fence Point Community Hall
For more information about Mary Gauthier, please contact Donica Elliott
donica@alleyesmedia.com at All Eyes Media (615)-227-2770