Songwriter’s Night

Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee’s Songwriter’s Night brings together local talent to share their original songs and stories in an intimate setting at The Reserve at Fat Bottom Brewing in West Nashville.

Attendees have the opportunity to witness the creative process firsthand as songwriters share anecdotes and perform their songs in an authentic and unfiltered manner. This event not only celebrates Nashville’s deep-rooted music culture but also fosters connections between artists and audiences, echoing the inclusive and supportive nature of the Gilda’s Club Community.

Previous Gilda’s Club Songwriter’s Night Performers

Tony Arata,  Greg Barnhill, Dave Brainard, Blessing Offor, BOWEN * YOUNG,  Beth Nielsen Chapman, Chris Housman, Jonathan Jackson, Dennis Matkosky, Nell Maynard, Sean McConnell, Rivers Rutherford, Leslie Satcher, Chris Sligh, Dakota Striplin, Jenny Tolman, and Dennis Matkosky.

Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Chris DeStefano, hails from New Jersey and resides in Nashville, Tennessee. His extensive studio experience includes producing artists such as Elle King, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jon Bellion, Andy Grammer, Chase Rice, Chris Young, Old Dominion, Mitchell Tenpenny, Brett Eldredge, Gavin DeGraw, Morgan Evans, and RaeLynn. DeStefano is one of a handful of creators who delivers hit commercial songs across several musical genres. His multi-dimensional skill set includes songwriting, vocals, and full production.

In the realm of songwriting, Chris DeStefano is a 3X CMA Triple Play Award Winner and has penned 20 #1 Songs recorded by top industry artists including Carrie Underwood, Billy Currington, Brett Eldredge, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts and Jason Aldean. His discography also includes the composition of hit singles and cuts recorded by Jason Mraz, Chris Young, Dan & Shay, Mitchell Tenpenny, Jana Kramer, and others.

In 2018, DeStefano founded WinSongs Music, a music publishing and artist development company, where he continues to develop and mentor the next generation of artists and hitmakers. He is also a political advocate for songwriters as an active board member for the Nashville Songwriters Association International.

Country artist Eric Paslay delivers a powerful punch as a renowned Platinum-selling, GRAMMY nominated hit songwriter, artist, and performer. He’s celebrated five Number 1 hits, with four of those ranked among the “Top 100 Songs of the Decade” by Country Aircheck, including the #1 spot on that chart with “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” as recorded by Jake Owen. The Temple, Texas native has earned numerous songwriter award nominations including GRAMMY’s Best Country Song, ACM’s Song of the Year twice, and the CMA Song of The Year as well as an artist GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “The Driver,” a collaboration with friends Charles Kelley and Dierks Bentley. Eric continues to see success as a songwriter having co-penned Keith Urban’s 2022 hit “Wild Hearts.” His latest album, a compilation of reimagined versions of Eric’s biggest hits as a writer and artist, “Even If It Breaks Your Barefoot Friday Night,” is available now. A true artist’s artist, USA Today calls Paslay “flat out-brilliant” and American Songwriter names him an influencer of country music.

Modern American eclectic singer-songwriter Bryan Simpson is an artist whose sound unnervingly explores an evocative amalgamation of southern folk, bluegrass, classic country, and indie eclecticism, with the playful swagger, relatable storytelling, and thoughtful introspection of his heroes which include John Hartford, Tom T. Hall, Jeff Tweedy, and of course Bob Dylan.

Bryan’s songs have netted praise from all corners: The Huffington Post wrote, “Bryan’s original undertakings are reminiscent of the whimsical and whip-smart work by David Byrne and Jim James.” While SeattlePi claims Simpson’s music echoes “Bowie and Beck in the melodies, moods, and arrangements. The quest is entertaining and thought-provoking.” His genre-spanning career has included making records and touring as a singer/songwriter with luminaries as diverse as The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, bluegrass giant Ricky Skaggs, and Mumford and Sons. Since leaving his hometown of Ft. Worth Texas with only a fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and a box fan to his name, Simpson has had many of his original songs recorded by country music stand outs like Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Hailey Whitters, Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Brandy Clark, Old Dominion, and Stephen Wilson Jr., with several of them ending up with a number 1 beside their name on the Billboard and Music Row charts . He has also been awarded NSAI’s prestigious award of “10 Songs I wish I’d Written”. His songs have easily totaled over 500 million streams .

This year Simpson released his first record under his own name. “The Oldest” which is a concise 11 songs in length and produced by Eddie Spear (Zach Bryan/Brandi Carlisle), takes Simpson’s shade tree kaleidoscopic storytelling center stage.

Interested in being a sponsor for Songwriter’s Night? View our sponsorship opportunities and contact Tricia Drake.

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