Welcome to my September Newsletter!
Hello from New Mexico, where I'm teaching songwriting and playing shows with Eliza Gilkyson this week!
I've been on the road all month with Michele Gazich, who plays violin and viola, and Jaimee Harris, who has been singing background vocals for us. We covered a lot of ground in August, and it has been a great joy to share the stage with them all month!
From playing Rifles & Rosary Beads songs in front of music supervisors in the HBO Offices in Santa Monica, to teaching songwriting at the Targhee Bluegrass Festival in Wyoming, to teaching and performing at the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival in Lyons, Colorado, to the big stages at the Philadelphia Folk Festival and the Fayetteville Roots Festival in Arkansas, we've been burning up the highways all month.
One of my favorite memories of this tour is meeting Nolan, the young man in the picture below. At just 8 years old, he was a student at The Grand Targhee Music Camp.
After Jaimee, Michele and I finished playing our set, Nolan came up to me and asked me if he could sing me a couple of songs. We went out to the patio and he proceeded to sing me EVERY verse of Folsom Prison Blues, and then sang Somewhere Over The Rainbow. His beautiful voice soared, and he stole my heart.
The next day at lunch he sat with us, and I asked him why he decided to learn Folsom Prison. He said he learned it because he liked that Johnny Cash went to the prison to sing for the guys inside. He said "I think it was kinda like what you are all doing with the Veterans." I said, "Nolan, I would have never thought of it that way, but yes, you're right."
He smiled and my heart exploded into rainbows.
What a beautiful moment, with a wonderful young man.
Rifles & Rosary Beads Nominated for Album of the Year by Americana Music Association
We are so honored that Rifles & Rosary Beads has been nominated for
Americana Album of the Year!
I will be performing The War After The War, from Rifles & Rosary Beads, at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville during The Americana Honors & Awards Showon Wednesday, September 12th. I will also be playing quite a few showcases during the AmericanaFest Conference.
Please make plans to join us during the week of September 11-16th in Nashville for AmericanaFest.
Special thanks to Kathy Mattea for recording "Mercy Now" on her new album Pretty Bird, out September 7th. What a beautiful rendition. Thank you, Kathy!
"Like a hand extended to help you on your path, Kathy Mattea's new song, 'Mercy Now,' reaches out to touch the listener with a message of empathy." - Parade.com
What an honor for "Mercy Now" to be chosen as the closing song on the "Yellowstone" Season Finale!
"The scene at the end of the Yellowstone finale, as Kevin Costner walked toward the beautiful mountains and the music played in the background, really touched many fans' hearts." - Heavy.com
CLICK HERE TO SEE FULL LIST OF TOUR DATES
As always, thank you for your support! ~ Mary