MARY GAUTHIER’S THE FOUNDLING EARNS YEAR-END PRAISE FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES AND BOSTON GLOBE
2011 TOUR DATES CONFIRMED
“…a unique, intrinsically valuable musical voice.”—Los Angeles Times
Mary Gauthier’s celebrated 2010 release The Foundling continues to receive widespread critical praise. The Los Angeles Times’ music critic Randy Lewis named the record his #3 favorite album of the year, calling it an “extraordinarily powerful and clear-eyed song cycle encompassing issues of abandonment, adoption, identity, blame, forgiveness and love set to music as richly diverse as the thematic content,” while the Boston Globe described it as “a heartbreaking work of powerful storytelling, a blueprint for how modern country records could—and should—sound.” Additionally, Popmatters included it in their “Best Americana Music of 2010” round-up, calling it, “…mesmerizing…” Gauthier will continue to tour in support of the release, including select shows alongside Carrie Rodriguez and Erin McKeown. See below for full details.
Written and recorded over the course of two years, The Foundling was produced in Toronto by Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies, of whom Gauthier notes, “Mike understood my story and was able to create a musical landscape that captures the nuances of the narrative.” Of the album’s genesis, Gauthier adds, “I envisioned writing a song cycle about relinquishment and adoption, but for years the songs I was trying to write didn’t have an emotional center. When I found my mother, I found the emotional center of the album, as well as the explanation for the ‘orphan feeling’ I’d lived with since I was a child. It turns out that this feeling is universal, and hearing other people’s stories, adopted or not, has made me realize that this was the record I was born to make.”
Since her debut in 1997, critics have consistently heralded Gauthier. Her breakthrough album, Mercy Now (2005) was continuously “discovered” and lauded for the two years following its release, earning mentions on a score of year-end “best of” lists in ‘05, including the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune and No Depression. Her most recent release, Between Daylight and Dark (2007) has been called “…a triumph that should catapult her to the forefront of Americana singer-songwriters,” by Paste Magazine, while the New York Daily News declared, “If she keeps this up, one day she may assume the mantle of Johnny Cash…”
ADDITIONAL CRITICAL PRAISE FOR THE FOUNDLING
“…Gauthier’s reconciliation with and triumph over the sad circumstances of her birth and abandonment. From great pain comes great art, she has sonically and lyrically painted her healing masterpiece.” —City Beat (Cincinnati)
“You can expect to be truly moved by the songs from her new album, The Foundling, which tells her life's story directly, and with warmth and humor.”—Time Out New York
“This may very well be the most personal, heartbreaking music collection I’ve ever heard. It’s achingly beautiful.”—The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)
For further information please contact Mary Moyer, Asha Goodman or Carla Sacks at Sacks & Co., 212.741.1000.
MARY GAUTHIER TOUR DATES
* with Carrie Rodriguez and Erin McKeown
(additional dates to be announced)
February 11 /// Marblehead, MA /// Me & Thee Coffeehouse
February 13 /// Chicago, IL /// Old Town School of Folk Music*
February 14 /// St. Louis, MO /// Old Rock House*
February 15 /// Kansas City, MO /// Knuckleheads*
February 16 /// Oklahoma City, OK /// The Blue Door*
March 4 /// Hudson, NY /// Club Helsinki
March 5 /// Glenside, PA /// Glenside House Concerts
March 6 /// Earlville, NY /// EOH Arts Café
March 8 /// Larchmont, NY /// Watercolor Café
March 10 /// Rosendale, NY /// Rosendale Café
March 11 /// Montclair, NY /// Unitarian Church of Montclair
March 12 /// Plymouth, MA /// Driftwood Café
April 10 /// Houston, TX /// The Mucky Duck
April 14 /// Wimberley, TX /// Blue Rock Studio
