Mary Gauthier brings her musical storytelling to Vashon

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, May 26, 2026

For Mary Gauthier, songwriting is storytelling. And for nearly three decades, the artist has used her music to chronicle the world around us.

She calls herself a troubadour, a story songwriter, writing to illuminate truths about humanity and contemporary life.

“It’s an ancient art form, gathering people to sing and tell stories,” Gauthier said. “It’s sort of the opposite of a big huge pop show, it’s storytime when you come see me.”

As part of her anniversary tour of the 2005 album “Mercy Now,” Gauthier will make her Vashon debut, performing at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, at Vashon Center for the Arts, revisiting many of the iconic songs that have defined the artist’s career.

Gauthier will perform with her longtime partner and musical collaborator, singer-songwriter Jaimee Harris.

Marking her first major record deal, “Mercy Now” earned widespread acclaim, showcasing the distinct lyricism that has led some to call Gauthier one of the best songwriters of her generation.

While writing the album, Gauthier said she was influenced by events like the creeping threat of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, the ramping up of global nuclear weapon capabilities, as well as allegations of widespread sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Boston.

Although the album was written over two decades ago, Gauthier said many of the lyrics feel just as relevant today.

“The title track feels like I could’ve written it yesterday,” Gauthier said. “It’s very, very relevant, and I think that’s what happens when you touch on deep truths.”

On the track, “Prayer Without Words,” Gauthier sings of corrupt judges and the erosion of liberty. Those lyrics, she said, also reflect current political corruption in the United States justice system.

“We’ve got corrupt judges at the highest levels,” Gauthier said. “They’re making decisions that are horrible for the majority of people in this country, and they’re lining the pockets of themselves and their friends.”

In addition to offering a career retrospective during her Vashon performance, Gauthier will also perform more recent songs, including her 2026 single, “Soldier of Fortune.”

Written in response to ICE’s large-scale immigration enforcement operation and the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renée Good, Gauthier said the song feels important to perform in the current political moment.

“Those people were murdered, and no one is being held accountable,” Gauthier said, “It’s not okay with me. That’s a protest song.”

The song follows a thread of corruption and violence across history, Gauthier said, drawing parallels between ICE and the Roman soldiers who carried out the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the Gestapo of Nazi Germany.

To Gauthier, many of today’s social and political issues are just new iterations of the same struggles that have plagued societies since the early ages of humanity.

“We move forward and advance as a people, but the struggles will remain the struggles forever,” Gauthier said.

To Gauthier, the role of the artist in society is to reflect those struggles to the public, so they can look them in the eye and begin to make sense of them.

”The job of art isn’t to convince you of anything, art just shows you something,” Gauthier said. “What a listener does with what they’ve been shown is really their own business.”

Gauthier sees songwriting as therapeutic — something she credits with helping her cope with trauma. In her 2021 book, “Saved by a Song: The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting,” she explores how music can be used in the process of psychological recovery.

Across the artist’s discography, evidence of that process can be found — with lyrics that explore Gauthier’s experiences with addiction, sobriety, adoption, grief, and growing up LGBTQ+ in the deep south.

In her 2022 album, “Dark Enough to See the Stars,” Gauthier touches on themes of grief and loss after the passing of several close friends and mentors.

The album followed Gauthier’s 2018 project, “Rifles and Rosary Beads,” which was co-written with U.S. veterans and their families — a part of Gauthier’s work with the non-profit Songwriting With Soldiers. The album earned Gauthier a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album, and was called one of the best 50 albums of 2018 by NPR.

Gauthier is set to release her next album, “Reckoning,” this September, which will include the single, “Soldier of Fortune.”

Ahead of her first time performing on Vashon on June 13, Gauthier said she feels grateful to be able to play in a new setting after decades of touring her music.

“It’s a whole new place for me, a whole new adventure,” Gauthier said. “I’m excited to come and play a new room and sing for people that may have not heard me before, it’s a real honor.”

For more information about the June 13 show and to purchase tickets, visit vashoncenterforthearts.org.