In a creative city like Nashville, endless opportunities exist to immerse yourself in local talent. Almost any night of the week, you can walk into a local restaurant or bar and watch someone perform their original songs. However, one event among the hundreds to choose from stands out: Girls of Nashville is a songwriters’ showcase that celebrates female songwriters in Music City.
Co-founded by songwriters and musicians Mags Duval, Heather Morgan, and Caitlyn Smith, the event started nearly 10 years ago and has sold out every show since its inception. The idea came about one summer night after both Mags and Heather opened for Caitlyn, resulting in a rare, all-female lineup.
“The sound guy actually pulled us aside and said, ‘It’s so cool to see multiple women playing in one night in Nashville. I never see this, and I run sound all around the city,’” recalls Mags. “He pointed it out to us, and we were sitting around a table talking about it and were like, “It’d be so much fun to do a show where we invite some of our favorite women … and just have a girls’ night.”
Girls of Nashville is an all-female songwriting showcase held at City Winery. Pictured here are two of its co-founders, Heather Morgan (left) and Mags Duval (right). Image: Katie Kauss
It didn’t take long for Heather, Mags, and Caitlyn to compile a list of women they wanted to play the inaugural event. What they couldn’t anticipate, however, was the outpouring of support from both songwriters and the Nashville community. While a traditional writers’ round typically has three to four performers, the first Girls of Nashville event had 12 people on the lineup. With so many performers, Heather, Mags, and Caitlyn decided to host three writers’ rounds in one evening, with four performers in each round.
“The first show, we were at capacity … and it was a really special thing that we all felt that night,” explains Mags. “There were definitely a lot of people in Nashville who wanted to see women play. There wasn’t really anything else going on like that at the time.”
A typical Girls of Nashville show features three writers’ rounds with four performers each. Image: Rachel Deeb
After the initial show, Heather recalls people asking when a second one would occur. Not only was the second installment of Girls of Nashville bigger and better than the first, but it sold out … again. “We found a bigger place to play, and it still went to capacity. People were standing outside,” says Heather. “That day, I remember … one of the rounds was Maren [Morris], Kacey [Musgraves], and Michelle [Branch]. It showed that girls wanted to play, and the word organically got out about it.” Heather adds that this was also when Girls of Nashville implemented its charity component. Today, proceeds from every show benefit a different charitable organization.
Most recently, Girls of Nashville collaborated with songwriter Laura Veltz’s Hope On The Row — an organization that feeds people experiencing homelessness on Music Row. “We added in [the charity] element because we were like, ‘This is so great to get everybody together, and it would make it more meaningful if we added in a charity aspect,’” says Heather. “We’ve always … found something we’re passionate about, like music education, supporting women, and [finding] housing for women and housing for the homeless.”
Pictured here are Heather, songwriter Laura Veltz, and Mags at the most recent Girls of Nashville event. Image: Katie Kauss
When you attend a Girls of Nashville show, you can expect to see a variety of songwriters — from up-and-comers to seasoned professionals who have had their songs recorded by big-name musicians. “You’ll see everything from someone you’ve never heard of … to someone who’s written your favorite song of the last 15 years,” says Mags. “[There’s] really a variety of what you get to see in one night, which is a really fun thing about the show.”
Heather adds that the variety of performers makes Girls of Nashville stand out. Not only does it give a memorable experience for the audience, but it also encourages the performers to support and connect with one another. “You assume all these writers are just hanging out and going to dinner, but they [have sometimes] never even met,” explains Heather. “That aspect of it has been really fulfilling — to see these friendships and relationships start because people are given the opportunity to be on stage together.”
Girls of Nashville is particularly beneficial for songwriters just starting out in the music industry. “A lot of girls might want to play in town … but they can’t have a whole band yet and host an entire show themselves,” explains Mags. “[This is] kind of a low-pressure situation because every girl only has to play two songs.” Image: Rachel Deeb
As for the future of Girls of Nashville, Heather and Mags say they hope to expand to more cities one day, host songwriting retreats, and continue to support female musicians in general. “[We have so much] gratitude for Nashville embracing this show … It’s one of the most amazing audiences to play for because people just want to soak up all the songs and music, and they’re just excited for the performances,” adds Heather. “To the songwriters who say ‘yes’ when we ask if they can jump in, it’s always so special to have that enthusiasm for this show. That’s been the heart behind this — the celebration of women.”
Pictured here is the lineup from the most recent Girls of Nashville event. Performers included Karley Scott Collins, Ashley Cooke, Halle Kearns, Callista Clark, MaRynn Taylor, and Peytan Porter. Image: Rachel Deeb
The next Girls of Nashville show is slated for Tuesday, June 20. While tickets have not yet been released, you can follow @thegirlsofnashville on Instagram for updates.
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