A new music event focused on singer/songwriters will spread out across the county Labor Day weekend.
The 2023 Ellijay Songwriters Festival will take place at several of the county’s wineries and the Gilmer Arts Playhouse May 25-28.
The event will welcome a total of 18 performers, including nine singer/songwriters from Nashville, Tenn., and nine singer/songwriters from Georgia, said Ray Green, promoter.
“All the acts are either a solo performer playing guitar and singing or a round of two or three performers singing and playing. They’ll be playing 39 shows over four days, and one of the major things is 36 of the performances are free,” said Green.
The list of scheduled performers includes Dylan Altman, Corey Crowder, Brandon Kinney, Chase McGill, Danny Myrick, Megan Linville, Jeremy Stover, John Cable, Mark Miller, Grace Milton, Wyatt Espalin, Leah Belle Faser, Matt Rogers, Drew Ashworth, Surrender Hill, Maddie Lane, Adrian Stover, Anna Shinholster and Cotter Hill.
Many of them have written songs recorded by a slew of country artists, but the genres of music they play also include Americana, pop and rock, Green noted.
“There’s something for everybody, but it’s definitely with a country twist,” he added. “There’s a little bluegrass, as well as modern country, classic country and a little bit of southern rock in there. A few (of these songwriters) have written pop hits that people might recognize even if they’re not country fans.”
The hit songs written or cowritten by Myrick, who previously fronted the group Western Flyer, include “She’s Country,” a number one for Jason Aldean; “Truck Yeah,” by Tim McGraw and “I Love This Life,” by LoCash.
Altman has written several number one country songs including “Watch The Wind Blow By,” for McGraw: “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” for Jake Owens and “Take A Little Ride,” for Aldean.
Crowder’s songwriting credits include “Think Of You, a double platinum hit for Chris Young and Cassadee Pope, and “Hangin’ On,” another big hit for Young.
Other artists who’ve recorded songs written by the festivals’ featured performers include George Strait, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, The Zac Brown Band, Luke Bryan, Trace Adkins, Faith Hill and Eric Church.
“(Several of the) Nashville songwriters already know each other. They’ve performed with each other and been at songwriter events with each other,” said Green. “This is the perfect opportunity to bring them together again and have them perform together.”
Host venues for the festival include Buckley Vineyards, Canoe Vineyard and Winery, Cartecay Vineyards, Chateau Meichtry, Engelheim Vineyards and Grapes and Ladders Winery. A ticketed welcome reception/kickoff event will take place at the George Link Jr. Gilmer Arts Playhouse Thursday, May 25.
A smaller version of the songwriter fest, presented as Ellijay Music Fest, was held around downtown Ellijay restaurants and other venues in 2018. It was also promoted by Green and his company, Ray Dog Productions.
“This one will be bigger in a few ways. We’ll have six wineries and the playhouse (hosting events),” Green said. “It’s mostly free, and these beautiful wineries and vineyards are just spectacular settings.”
Green, of Tallahassee, Fla., said he and Bobby McNeill, Chateau Meichtry owner, were childhood friends who reconnected a few years back. Green has promoted songwriter concerts in Florida and other states for several years, so he and McNeill started planning one for Gilmer County. The COVID pandemic delayed their plans.
“COVID had everything to do with the last three or so years of the live music business,” Green said. “The idea for this festival was born between me and Bobby (about) four years ago at his winery. We talked about how much this area enjoys acoustic music at the wineries. I asked him if there was a songwriter event here or in the north Georgia mountains. He said he didn’t think so. I researched it, and there really wasn’t a festival (like this).”
The event is being sponsored by Pick Ellijay, the tourism arm of the Gilmer Chamber, confirmed Jennifer Grimmer, chamber CEO.
“(We) are proud to bring this event to Gilmer County, which will bring visitors to our community for a weekend of music and agritourism offerings,” said Grimmer. “We hope people will patronize our restaurants and shops, as well as take advantage of our amazing biking and hiking trails while they are here for the festival.”
Green said sponsorship provided by Pick Ellijay and others is helping him be able to present most of the songwriter performances with free admission.
“It takes a lot of people for any event, especially a first year event, to be successful. If we break even in the first year, then we did a good job,” he said.
A full festival schedule can be found online at EllijaySongwritersFestival.com.