Mary Gauthier with Special Guest Jaimee Harris
Roots & Shoots Concerts Series presents Grammy-nominated folk singer-songwriter and author Mary Gauthier with special guest Jaimee Harris, celebrating the 20th Anniversary of “Mercy Now”. This performance will take place at St. Peter’s Presbyterian Church on the Village Green in Spencertown.
“I am excited to announce that this year is the 20th anniversary of the release ‘Mercy Now,’ a record that changed my life. We are celebrating with a vinyl re-release and a tour. I’m not really one to look back, but reflecting on these ten songs feels more like standing still long enough to take stock, and appreciating the grace that brought them into existence,” says Gauthier. “These shows will be a continuation of a long conversation with kindred souls, like you, who understand the alchemy of song. Kindred souls who know a sad song doesn’t make the darkness deeper; it gives it a shape, a name, shines the light on it, and brings forth hope. Yeah, we all could use a little mercy now…”
-Mary Gauther
Gauthier’s discography includes a dozen studio albums and her songs have been covered by artists ranging from Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, and Kathy Mattea to Boy George, Jimmy Buffett, and Bettye Lavette. Her songs often deal with marginalization, informed by her experience of adoption, addiction and recovery, and growing up gay in the deep south. Although rarely in the pop/mainstream spotlight, throughout her career, Gauthier has won widespread acclaim and awards from the Americana Music Association, International Folk Music Awards, the Independent Music Awards, the GLAMA Awards, and the UK Americana Association. Gauthier’s memoir about the art of songwriting, “Saved by a Song” was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2021. She is a regular on the Grand Ole Opry, and currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee.
NPR Music proclaimed that Texas-born singer-songwriter Harris who turned 30 during the pandemic, is “poised to become the next queen of Americana-Folk.” Her latest album, “Boomerang Town” is an ambitious song-cycle that explores the generational arc of family, the stranglehold of addiction, and the fragile ties that bind Americans together.