I need to get down south. I’m ashamed to say that I’ve spent very little time south of Virginia, other than that time in New Orleans or the childhood experiences I had driving in the 1973 Ford with my family through the Carolinas and Georgia down to my grandparents’ retirement condo in Florida (with the car attached to the pop-up camper, no less).
So to find out about the southern scene for songwriters, I reached out to my lovely friend and talented Savannah, Georgia-based singer-songwriter Lauren Lapointe (a movie-star name if ever I’ve heard one!), who I met at Summersongs a few years back and whose friendly, laidback vibe always makes me want me want to sit on a rocking chair and drink some fresh-squeezed lemonade. Or do some yoga — she’s a yoga instructor as well.
Lauren points out that the scene for songwriters in the Southeast is, I suppose not surprisingly, a bit quieter than it is in other parts of the country. “That being said, there are still places where there is a thriving and vibrant scene — like Atlanta, parts of North Carolina and Florida, and Nashville, of course,” she’s quick to point out.
As for great southern venues friendly to songwriters: “Off the top of my head — Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta; The Evening Muse in Charlotte, North Carolina. In Nashville, there is the Bluebird Cafe and Douglas Corner. There are several festivals and groups in Florida that host events — too numerous to list here!”
In Savannah, she adds a monthly concert series by the Savannah Folk Music Society to her list, called First Friday for Folk. “There is also a coffeeshop/listening room called The Sentient Bean,” she continues. “For more bluegrass-oriented groups there are regular events schedled at Randy Wood Guitars.”
There are also songwriter groups and associations that songwriters should check out, she adds: “SERFA, the southeast regional branch of Folk Alliance, had its first conference last year in Nashville. It was very successful and the next gathering is scheduled for October 15-18 in Mountain View, Arkansas. Anyone considering touring the southeast should definitely attend!”
Lapointe also organizes a group in Savannah called the Savannah Songwriters Circle — an informal gathering of songwriters for song swaps and networking. “Sometimes we’ll end with a Gillian Welch jam,” she says.
The biggest challenge for southern songwriters, she says, is that the singer/songwriter genre is not that well-known. “Most people have not heard of the more well-known “folk” singer-songwriters like Dar Williams, etc.,” she explains. “Therefore there aren’t as many venues for this type of music and audiences are smaller than other areas.” However, she says she’s convinced that as people are more exposed to this genre of music the demand will grow: “At my shows, I’m constantly being asked where one can hear more of this type of music.”
The south can also be a great way to get inspired, she adds: “There is something about driving through sleepy Southern country roads, gazing at the beautiful scenery and listening to Lucinda Williams’ “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” that can be pretty inspiring,” she says. “The south is a great place to get your Muse on!”
Keep in mind, however, that the weather can be pretty steamy and sticky: “July and August are really hot in the Southeast — and don’t forget hurricane season!”
Tag-teaming or gig-swapping with a southern songwriter on tour can be a great way to introduce yourself to the region, she points out. “If any songwriter from another region is interested, just let me know!”
