Songwriters Festival Returns

Source: vineyardgazette.com

The Martha’s Vineyard Songwriters Festival begins next week, bringing the sounds of Nashville to the Island.

The annual festival kicks off at Nomans at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17 and continues through Sept. 20. Ticketed shows take place on Sept. 18 and Sept. 19 at the Strand Theatre. Behind the Curtain With the Nashville Hit Makers takes place on Sept. 18 with songwriters CJ Solar, Phil Barton, Joe Fox and Johnny Clawson performing songs they wrote for nationally recognized musicians Ella Langley, Morgan Wallen, Alison Krauss, Riley Green, Blake Shelton and Kenny Chesney, among others. 

On Sept. 18, the Rising Stars take the Strand Theatre stage to showcase new talent.

“It’s really a full-blown little festival where everyone on the Island gets a little piece of Nashville for the weekend,” said Matt Casey, who created the event back in 2012. “All these songwriters and artists get to experience the Vineyard and see how everyone loves music [here].”

There will also be a number of free shows at various locations, including Midnight Taco, the Sand Bar & Grille and the Port Hunter, offering performances by local artists, such as Dock Street Fight Club, Morgan Johnson and Wolftrap, a Los Angeles based band with their roots still tethered to the Island.

“I would say at the heart it’s country, but it’s all different genres,” Mr. Casey said.

Mr. Casey started the festival 15 years ago as a way to offer musicians and songwriters the opportunity to meet and collaborate.

“It’s still a pretty niche festival and that’s the way I try to keep it,” said Mr. Casey. “People want to see these songwriters I bring because they wrote these songs for the big names, but they’re not the big names themselves.”