NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After two years away from the spotlight, songwriters are returning to Nashville for the Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival.
"It feels like Nashville can be Music City again," said Steve Bogard, president of the board for the Nashville Songwriters Association International.
Hundreds of artists will take the stage at nine different venues performing everything from country to pop and rock. The festival offers a behind-the-scenes look at how songs are written and the stories behind them.
"It's not only a great festival for people that are in Nashville — singers and songwriters — it's an amazing festival for people that are just fans of Music City," said singer-songwriter Jesse Labelle.
It's a chance for artists who are typically behind the curtain to take center stage.
"Tin Pan South is the ultimate showcase of songwriters," Labelle said.
"It's the 30th anniversary festival of Tin Pan South and there's an excitement in the air just surrounding that, but also it's been a couple of years since we've been in person," said Lyndsie McClure, director of development for the Nashville Songwriters Association International.
The pandemic pulled the plug on the festival last year after it went virtual the year before. But now audiences can once again join artists in person for intimate performances.
"You feel like you're sitting in the room with them as they're writing the song because they're recounting in such detail for you how they came up with one line in a song that wrote the rest of it," McClure said.
Organizers anticipate a similar turnout to previous festivals, if not more, following its long-awaited return.
"Without song writers there wouldn't be much of a music industry," McClure said. "The songs start with songwriters and so I think it's incredibly important to support the writers."
At least 1,000 tickets have already been sold but it's not too late to get one. Tickets are still available online, or you can pay cash at the door to buy a ticket for each show.
