March News
15 Years Ago
Mercy Now
People ask me how I wrote "Mercy Now," and "what was my secret?" These questions bring to mind an interview with the great Canadian songwriter Ferron. When asked about her brilliant song "Testimony," she said: "What is the formula for writing a song like that? I don't know, almost die? Be very depressed and not know who you are or who your father is or where you're going or what the purpose of life is and why does everybody hate each other and why did they hurt me? If you put all that together and sit down somewhere and weep, you might write 'Testimony.' It's not a craft. Survival was the craft."
"Mercy Now" came to me as a prayer and as an act of desperation. I wrote it in a time when the world around me was collapsing into darkness. The song brought me catharsis, and then, unexpectedly, it brought something else. I found peace in my heart where there was once anger and fear.
Fifteen years ago, on February 15th, 2005, we released the record Mercy Now. The title track, "Mercy Now," was named "One Of the Saddest 40 Country Songs of All Time" by Rolling Stone Magazine in 2014, and continues to be my most streamed and requested song.
While I would argue "Mercy Now" is NOT a sad song, but rather, a real song that ends in hope, it's always an honor to make a Rolling Stone "Top 20 Of All Time" List.
"Mercy Now" has been covered by Kathy Mattea, Bobby Bare, Candi Staton, and Mike Farris, whose album "Shine For All The People" won a GRAMMY for Best Roots Gospel Album in 2015. In 2005, "Mercy Now" was on the Top 10 Lists for The New York Times, The LA Times, The Daily News and Billboard Magazine. In the same year, No Depression Magazine voted "Mercy Now" as the #6 Record of the Decade.
"An album overflowing with beauty, raw emotion and unflinching honesty which established Mary as one of today's pre-eminent songwriters and earned overwhelming critical acclaim." - marygauthier.com
Thank you for all of your support for this record!
March 6: Ann Arbor, MI
Green Wood Coffee House*
March 13: Portland, OR
Doug Fir Lounge*
March 15th: Seattle, WA
The Triple Door*
March 20th: Midpines, CA
Yosemite Songwriting Retreat
March 24th: Fayetteville, AR
Roots HQ Listening Room
March 26th: Little Rock, AR
South on Main
March 27th: Tomball, TX
Main Street Crossing*
March 28th: Winnsboro, TX
Winnsboro Center for the Arts
The Bowery Stage*
March 29-30th: Tulsa, OK
Woody Guthrie Center*
*with Jaimee Harris
