2023 30A Songwriters Festival Headliners Announcement
The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County is very pleased to announce the initial round of confirmed artists for the 14th Annual 2023 30A Songwriters Festival! Headliners will include legendary artists: LYLE LOVETT, GIN BLOSSOMS, RICKIE LEE JONES, YOLA, STEVE EARLE, and MORGAN WADE.
Lyle Lovett has broadened the definition of American music in a career that spans 14 albums since his self-titled debut in 1986. A singer, composer, and actor, the four-time Grammy award-winning musician fuses elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues in a convention-defying manner that breaks down barriers. This January, Lovett will take to the mainstage at Grand Boulevard to perform a career-spanning set ranging from early hits like “If I Had a Boat” and “Cowboy Man” to selections from 2022’s 12th of June.
Gin Blossoms’ fusion of melodic rock, folk, and country elements helped pave the way for the modern rock of today. Their five-time platinum breakthrough New Miserable Experience contained instant classics like “Hey Jealousy,” “Found Out About You,” and “Allison Road” and established them as one of the great songwriting bands of their generation. Renowned live performers, playing over 100 tour dates a year, Gin Blossoms will treat the 30A audience to a string of singalong hits like “Til I Hear It From You,” “Follow You Down,” and “As Long As It Matters,” as well as cuts from their latest release Mixed Reality.
Rickie Lee Jones charmed two sold-out evening audiences at last year's festival and she's returning this year to perform on the headline stage with an additional special evening performance. Her acclaimed memoir Last Chance Texaco released in 2021 is “as rich and colorful as Jones’s best lyrics,” writes The New York Times. The two-time Grammy winner, known for her haunting voice that ranges from deep yearning to late-night sultry, first appeared on the Los Angeles scene in the mid-1970s penning instant classics like “Chuck E.'s In Love,” “Danny’s All-Star Joint,” and the pivotal breakup album Pirates.
Morgan Wade is taking the world by storm with her acclaimed debut album Reckless (Produced by Jason Isbell + the 400 Unit guitarist Sadler Vaden and Paul Ebersold), hit singles "Wilder Days" and "Run," and a sold out cross-country tour. But Wade didn’t start writing to be a sensation, for critical acclaim, or massive concert tours. She wrote to speak her truth, to save her own life – and perhaps throw a rope to others who are struggling. Wade has a voice The FADER lauds is “like a jagged blade, sharp enough to draw blood but lustrous under the light” while The New York Times declares “she sounds like she’s singing from the depths of history.” Wade's 30A debut is your chance to see a major star on the rise.
Steve Earle needs little introduction. One of America’s most gifted living songwriters, the three-time Grammy winner has released twenty-two albums and amassed one of the most beloved songwriting catalogs of all time during his four-decade career. Multi-platinum successes “Copperhead Road” and “Guitar Town” are just the tip of the iceberg. Earle’s songs have been recorded by such music legends as Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Carl Perkins, Waylon Jennings, Vince Gill and Joan Baez. Throughout his career, Earle has also become a novelist, a film, TV and stage actor, a playwright, a short story author, a record producer and a radio host. His latest release, Jerry Jeff pays tribute to legendary outlaw singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker.
Yola achieved breakout success with her critically acclaimed debut album Walk Through Fire in 2019. Hailed as a Black British genre fluid rising star, she landed four Grammy nominations including Best New Artist for her unique blend of Americana and classic R&B and established herself as one of the best live performers on the scene. Her anthemic new album Stand for Myself is a sonic mix of symphonic soul and classic pop tracing a musical thread to Yola’s most eclectic musical inspirations. Yola made her acting debut as Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic Elvis.
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Introducing to the 30A Songwriters stage for the first time: AMY GRANT, TOM RUSH, BLACK OPREY REVUE, BRIAN VANDER ARK (THE VERVE PIPE), JOHN CRAIGIE, and BETH NIELSEN CHAPMAN.
Returning to perform two shows each throughout the weekend are songwriting legends KATHLEEN EDWARDS, SHAWN MULLINS, ADIA VICTORIA, DARYL SCOTT, LIVINGSTON TAYLOR, JOHN FULLBRIGHT, SARAH LEE GUTHRIE, JAMES McMURTRY, LILLY HIATT, TINSLEY ELLIS.
Paul Thorn, Hayes Carll, John Paul White, Pat McGee, Bob Schneider, Abe Partridge, Mary Gauthier, Jonathan Byrd, Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey (the dB's), Will Hoge, Glenn Phillips, Jeffrey Steele, Chuck Prophet, Don Dixon & Marti Jones, Dan Navarro, Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters, Nicole Chillemi & The Jazz Legacy Project, Griffin House, Gretchen Peters, Kim Richey, Amy LaVere & Will Sexton, Will Kimbrough, Leigh Nash, Garrison Starr, Michael Tolcher, Mary Bragg, Tim Easton, Kalen & Aslyn, Cooper Carter, Crys Matthews, Certainly So, Florence Dore, Adrian Carter, John Lowell, Heather Mae, Charlie Mars, Michael McDermott, Leslie Mendelson, Eddie 9V, Amy Rigby, Side Pony, Darden Smith, The Kennedys, Pat Byrne, Levi Lowery, Meaghan Farrell, The Tall Pines, Jesse Lynn Madera, Danni Nicholls, Alice Peacock, Hannah Miller, Sammi Accola, Goldpine, and many more!
We will continue to announce confirmed artists over the coming weeks as we round out the complete 2023 lineup!
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Festival Weekend Passes are currently available at 30aSongwritersFestival.com. VIP tickets that include premium seating on the lawn at Grand Boulevard for the headline shows on Saturday and Sunday afternoons along with access to the VIP tent serving complimentary food, beer, wine and cocktails are also available. For a full description of each ticket package including VIP mainstage and transportation packages for groups of 2 up to 12, visit 30aSongwritersFestival.com.
