Mary Gauthier is a real folk singer: ‘I’m definitely not pop’

Recently, when singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier called to preview her upcoming two-night stand at Eddie’s Attic, it happened to be the day before her birthday. But she didn’t seem especially excited about the impending occasion. “I’m actually trying not to think about it at this stage of birthdays,” she laughed. “It’s like, ‘Well, here comes another one.’ Plus, I don’t even know if it’ll be my real birthday. I was adopted and my paperwork is all messed up.”

Gauthier, 63, added that instead of focusing on one particular day, she prefers to reflect on the aging process in general. “How can you not? It’s in your face every time you look in the mirror. So for me, it’s not so much of a day of celebration; it’s just about being in a place of gratitude. For health, for friends, for the people who are still with us and remembering the people who aren’t with us. The buds are on the trees now here in Nashville, and the daffodils are blooming, so every day, life goes on. I’m grateful to be a part of it again today.”

Even casual listeners of her eight-album catalog won’t be surprised by her down-to-earth approach to her life and art. Her songs are like an extended conversation with a trusted ally — honest, revealing and instantly relatable.

Her friend and fan, singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, has been quoted as saying, “Mary’s songwriting speaks to the tender aspects of our humanness. We need her voice in times like these more than we ever have.”

Since she’s currently touring in support of the 25^th anniversary of her groundbreaking album, “Drag Queens In Limousines,” now is perhaps the perfect time to re-examine the candid revelations of her songs. The macabre political and personal tumult on the world stage seems to be the direct opposite of Gauthier’s authentic, plaintive songcraft.  

“But the thing is,” she cautioned, “it’s not specific to just me as a songwriter. I think we need to listen to any artist who can take a risk, go out on a limb and really say something that resonates. Songs can be escapist or enveloping, but it really needs to say something to actually connect with the listener. I look at it like this: You can walk away from things, or you can walk right toward them and face it. I’ve always tried to look at things directly. I think people can relate to that approach.”

Revered and lauded by the Americana crowd, Gauthier is much more comfortable accepting the weighty title of “folk singer.” “I love the Americana Association and they’ve been so supportive, but that’s more of a label than anything else. It’s like an umbrella term. Under it all, I am just a folk singer. That’s where my songs live – in the real folk tradition of Woody Guthrie and [Bob] Dylan and Johnny Cash.”

When reminded that the erstwhile “folk tradition” was founded on singing out about serious issues, Gauthier warmed to the topic. “Exactly,” she replied. “That’s exactly right. And it doesn’t even have to be so-called ‘protest’ songs. It’s just about being emotionally honest.”

Her simple but powerful approach won the ultimate praise of her friend and fellow songwriter Shawn Mullins. “I’ve been a fan of Mary for a lot longer than I’ve known her,” he said recently. “The first time I heard her music, I just started crying. It blew me away how honest and vulnerable it was. That’s the first thing that hit me about her songs. The second thing that hit me about her music is just how good it was.

A Gauthier concert isn’t a dour event; it’s a warm celebration of human emotions — with the soundtrack provided by her rootsy charm and refreshingly blunt delivery. Even though she revisits the emotional events of the songs nightly, the pieces never seem to turn into a rote performance.

The reason her gigs aren’t “shows” is because she’s also intensely listening to her songs while recreating the often-stark vignettes. “I try to never just dial it in,” she said of her onstage persona. “When I’m there, I’m all there. I’m paying close attention to all the words as I sing them, and I’m aware of the many layers of each one. So it never just means one thing — to me or anyone else.”

She added that she’s seeing her humanistic song “Mercy Now” “re-invent itself” as she hears about current world events. “That song is over 20 years old by now, and I’m still discovering new layers of it every day. I mean, who doesn’t need mercy right now? To me, that’s what a song is supposed to do — reveal new things with new listens or new performances. Otherwise, it’s just pop — and I’m definitely not a pop singer. Pop music is, by design, made to take you away from something you might not want to face. My songs go completely in the other direction. They stand up and face the truth.”

Gauthier said she is acutely aware of the strong reactions her songs often elicit. “Yeah, the set can be intense. Sometimes it will be the first time people have heard some of these things, and I don’t take it lightly. I look out and see the reactions. I can see it in their eyes, and it’s a big responsibility. But that also keeps me awake and aware of what I’m doing and how I’m saying things.”

Unlike some of her peers and heroes, Gauthier is an open book when it comes to her personal songwriting technique. She thoroughly examined the potential of music in her 2021 tome, “Saved By A Song: The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting.” In her typically explicit method of storytelling, she looked at the pure artistry of songwriting and the direct influence of like-minded folk pioneers — including Atlanta’s Indigo Girls. A hybrid memoir/philosophy chat/how-to manual, the publication honors the responsibility of music to encourage community connections. “I’m honest about the craft because I’m always looking for vulnerability when I write and any time I converse. So I had to be direct with it.”

Her simple but powerful approach won the ultimate praise of her friend and fellow songwriter Shawn Mullins. “I’ve been a fan of Mary for a lot longer than I’ve known her,” he said recently. “The first time I heard her music, I just started crying. It blew me away how honest and vulnerable it was. That’s the first thing that hit me about her songs. The second thing that hit me about her music is just how good it was.

“I learned long ago that if you’re gonna write good stuff, it’s got to tell the truth. She for sure tells the truth,” Mullins said. “It’s beautiful, it’s human and she does it better than anyone I know, really. She’s not trying to impress you with vocabulary or production, it’s just the simple truth.”

Rather than manipulate her audience, she remains sympathetic to the subject matter of each song and how it is received. “What it’s all about is resonance and connection. For me, it’s about empathy. We all really do have a lot more in common with each other than what the TV says or whatever you might believe. Because,really, it’s not about your own beliefs — that’s not a real conversation; that’s just expressing an opinion.”

Gauthier said her ultimate goal is to cut through all the noise and division of the moment, find the root of the problem and sing about it. “Because that’s what’s real,” she concluded. “That’s the one true thing that connects us all. We all have beliefs, and we all have a heart. I’m not here to talk about anything but the heart.”

Where & When

Mary Gauthier with Jaimee Harris. 7 p.m. March 26 and March 27. $26-$33.38. Eddie’s Attic, 515-B N. McDonough St., Decatur. 404-377-4976. eddiesattic.com.

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Lee Valentine Smith is an Atlanta-born artist, writer and musician. Currently a regular contributor to the AJC, his work has been syndicated internationally. He has appeared at Music Midtown, on CBS Radio and on Air America. He also served as art director, consultant and archivist for projects with ’80s hitmakers The Go-Go’s.