Catch singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier at Narrows Sept. 27

FALL RIVER — Acclaimed singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier will perform at Narrows Center for the Arts on Sept. 27 in support of her most important work to date, "Rifles & Rosary Beads" (Thirty Tigers). Co-written with U.S. veterans and their families, the 11 deeply personal songs reveal the untold stories and struggles that veterans and their spouses deal with abroad and after returning home.

There may be no artist more well-equipped than Gauthier to convey such vulnerable subject material with clarity and empathy, and the press seems to agree. The album has received widespread acclaim, including NPR Music, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Noisey and more, as well as a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album and a nomination for Album Of The Year by the Americana Music Association.

"The album's 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 World Café

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, but this is the first album where she has focused solely on experiences other than her own. 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 has proven over the last decade and a half to be one of the most honest and powerful voices in American music. In addition to having her classic track "Mercy Now" included in Rolling Stone's "Saddest Country Songs of all Time," Gauthier has received countless critical accolades for her seven studio albums and captivating live performances. For tickets and more information, visit www.narrowscenter.org. The Narrows Center for the Arts is located at 16 Anawan St.