Singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier is a troubadour, a musician and, above all, a storyteller. Her fine-tuned, detailed lyrics tell the story of her troubled past, just as her smooth, compelling voice opens a portal to how she overcame it all. More than 17 years and seven well-crafted albums later, Gauthier is regarded as an acclaimed songwriter whose talents have earned her many awards since her breakout release, Drag Queens In Limousines, in 1997.

Born in New Orleans, Gauthier didn’t begin writing songs until her mid-30s, but when she picked up the pen for the first time, the words poured out of her. Gauthier’s lyrics, honest and real, draw from personal experiences and tell stories of pain, defeat and coming out on top even in the worst circumstances. She makes the music her own, occasionally drawing a few similarities to the likes of Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. Over the years, Gauthier has had songs recorded by Tim McGraw, Jimmy Buffett, Blake Shelton and others, but it’s the music she performs herself that draws the most attention.

Before her career in music, she worked hard to conquer the challenges of her youth, which at times included drug and alcohol abuse and run-ins with the law. Before getting sober, Gauthier began working as a chef at a Cajun restaurant in Boston. However, one day she says she woke up and knew she had enough, so she began working diligently to recover, and that’s when it all began.

Now a Nashville resident, Gauthier will take the stage at Woodbury’s Birdsong Studio as part of the venue’s Roots Music Series before embarking on a tour across the United States. We caught up with Gauthier before she boarded her flight to perform at Tonder Festival in Denmark last month:

Murfreesboro Pulse: You’ve said before that although songwriting comes naturally, it’s not something that happens on command. Can you talk about what the process is like once the inspiration is there?
Gauthier: Songwriting is hard work most of the time. It involves patience, discipline, diligence and dedication. I think of it as a lot like going to the gym. The gym feels great after the workout is completed, songwriting feels great after the song is written. It’s like chasing a wounded bird down a long alley . . . it is important to keep your eye on it, not move too quickly and be gentle. It’s almost always an ordeal.

Americana and folk music are both very visual genres. Your catalog is no exception, for there are many characters and storylines woven in your music. Does your keen sense for detail come naturally or did you teach yourself to pay close attention to it?
I like songs that tell stories and songs that have a beginning a middle and an end and a clear reason for asking for the listener’s attention. For me, that involves more than a beat and a voice. It requires a story. Not that I don’t love poetic songs, because I do, but to me, it really is important to have a little movie going on in a song. It can be surreal, but it needs to be honest for me to love it. I try to write like that, honest, with a story in the song. A story that is worthy of asking for people’s attention.

You’ve talked about how your latest release, Trouble and Love, signified a transformative time in your life. Can you talk about the making of the album?
I made Trouble and Love with my friends, and it was a collaborative process. The songs are co-written, I co-produced the record and my friends are playing on it. At this time in my life, I see clearly that my friends are my lifeline, and I treasure my relationships with them. Working with them made me a better songwriter and a better producer.

We have a very active veterans community here in Murfreesboro, and I know you’ve been involved with Songwriting With Soldiers. How did you get involved and what was the experience like for you, both personally and as a mentor?
I work with Songwriting With Soldiers, a group out of Austin, Texas. We have veterans retreats with 15 veterans and four songwriters, and we take the vets experiences and turn them into songs. It’s a powerful few days, and we emerge with songs that speak for soldiers of all wars since the beginning of war. The songs are timeless. The internal experience of a soldier has not changed through time. It’s amazing to be a part of telling these stories, and it’s beautiful and powerful. It’s brought me close to a group of people that mean the world to me, a group of veterans whose lives would have not intersected with mine if not for Songwriting With Soldiers. I love these people, and it is an honor to write with them.

If you go:
Birdsong Studio is located at 213 West High St. in Woodbury, Tenn. Mary Gauthier is set to perform on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. For a complete schedule of the Roots Music Series, visit thebirdsongstudio.com.