VIA PRESS RELEASE | Drag Queens In Limousines, the celebrated sophomore album by acclaimed, Grammy-nominated singer/ songwriter Mary Gauthier, turns 25 this year. To commemorate this milestone, Kill Rock Stars will reissue the album on vinyl, for the very first time, on October 18th. The vinyl package will include new retrospective liner notes written by Gauthier, as she reflects on the road that led to the recording and the impact it had on her inspiring path forward. You can pre-order the vinyl HERE.
Released independently on September 13th, 1999, Drag Queens In Limousines introduced the world to a special songwriter whose character-based narratives spoke of the outsiders, those not considered the “normal” members of society. Much like so many of her musical heroes, such as John Prine, Lucinda Williams, and Tom Waits, Gauthier’s thoughtful lyrics and honest voice shone light on the humanity deep within her protagonists, which served to remind us that we are all connected after all. Drag Queens In Limousines gave us a robust taste of what was to come.
“In retrospect, I believe these were the songs that helped me find my writer’s voice,” says Gauthier. “My characters, like me, were on the edge, but they were also on the verge. People cracked, crumbled, and burned as they tried to deal with the everyday dramas of love vs. lovelessness, community vs. loneliness, and despair vs. faith. I was learning about sobriety, humility, and about how a brutal crack in the ego could become a lifesaving gift. Many of these songs remain on my set list today.”
After living much of her life deep in the fire, which was well-documented in her highly praised 2021 book Saved By A Song: The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting, the Louisiana native moved to Boston in 1984 to get away from the drugs and scene around her. With a fresh start, she opened one of the city’s first Cajun restaurants.
In 1990, at the age of 27, she really began to get her life together by getting sober, and at the and age of 35, she wrote her first song after performing covers at local open mics. When Gauthier eventually had the songs that would become Drag Queens In Limousines, she financed the recording and manufacturing with her restaurant income, and stayed up at night following her shifts to stuff CDs in packages that she would send to radio stations.
Her perseverance paid off. Gauthier went from playing open mics to the main stage of the Newport Folk Festival. The album won several awards including Best Country Artist at the GLAMA awards (The Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards), Crossroads’ Silver Star Award, and the Independent Artist of the Year award.
Looking back, Gauthier shares, “At this point, I was thirty-nine, twelve years sober, and still running restaurants in Boston. The success of this record helped me decide to leave the restaurant business, move to Nashville, and start over. It was terrifying to imagine myself walking away from my successful businesses to pursue music full time (because, honestly, who in their right mind STARTS a career in music at age 40?). My hope was that I might be able to do it for real, that is, become a full time, professional songwriter. In my heart of hearts I knew I had to try. I had to dedicate my life to it in order to succeed.”
Her story, compassion, work ethic and artistic integrity has inspired so many artists, peers and fans. On Tuesday, September 17th, the Americana Music Association’s AMERICANAFEST will kick off with an All-Star Tribute to Mary Gauthier, featuring Lori McKenna, Rodney Crowell, Gretchen Peters, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Jaimee Harris, Steve Poltz and many more to be announced.
Gauthier will also perform Drag Queens In Limousines in full at this special event that will take place at The City Winery in Nashville, TN at 7pm. On Thursday, September 19th, as part of AMERICANAFEST, veteran journalist Jewly Hight will host the discussion, “Drag Queens in Limousines Forever: The importance and influence of Mary Gauthier’s Songs.” A special limited-edition pressing of Drag Queens in Limousines on ruby red vinyl will only be available at the celebratory AMERICANAFEST events while supplies last.
Mary Gauthier has released nine critically acclaimed studio albums that have received several award nominations, including the Grammy for Best Folk Album. She has won an Americana Music Award, International Folk Music Awards (Folk Alliance) “Album Of The Year” and Americana Music Association’s UK “International Artist Of The Year” Award.
PHOTO: ALEXA KING STONE
