"Songs have always been a way for me to create a connection with people, and I think connections are how we heal." – Mary Gauthier

I checked off another "Radio Heartland Bucket List Interview" this week when singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier stopped in the studio. Mary's songwriting is legendary amongst her fans and peers for its honesty and grit. Her life story is one filled with chapters about love, loss and courage. She only started songwriting in her mid-30s and has had her songs covered by some of the best folk and country musicians in the industry.

Mary was abandoned at birth and raised in an unhappy home, to say the least. She ran away as a teenager and struggled with her sexual identity and with chemical abuse. She became a gourmet chef after getting a handle on her addiction and finally, she became a songwriter at the age of 35. She writes songs that come from her heart and touch the lives of her listeners.

Her latest album is Trouble and Love from 2014. The record is a journey starting at the end of a relationship and winding its way through the darkness till there's light at the end of the tunnel.

I was lucky enough to sit eight feet in front of Mary when she played … and when she finished, there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

Songs Performed

"Last of the Hobo Kings"
"Another Train"
"Mercy Now"
Song 1 is from Mary Gauthier's 2007 album, Between Daylight and Dark; song 2 is from Gauthier's 2014 album, Trouble and Love; and song 3 appears on Gauthier's 2005 release, Mercy Now.

Hosted and produced by Mike Pengra
Engineered by Michael Osborne
Photos by Nate Ryan

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