Songwriting can seem like magic, and it’s true that some seem to have a gift for it. But it’s also a skill that can be learned and improved upon. The best way to learn and improve songwriting is to listen to great songwriters and, when possible, spend time with them.
The first ever Iowa City Songwriters Festival will be held September 4-6, 2025, with the stated goal of cultivating “a community of musicians, writers, and music lovers in Iowa City to honor the beautiful tradition of songwriting and the deep human connection it fosters.” The festival has something to offer for songwriters who want to work on their craft and offerings for those who just appreciate the artform.
“This is very different from Mission Creek Festival, which has been our festival for years, in that there are different ways to experience it,” said Brian Johannesen, programming director at the Englert Theatre, which will host some of the festival’s events. “This is a festival that's really focusing on the craft of songwriting, and we really want to get songwriters talking about their craft, how they write, what inspires them, what their processes are like.”
In addition to live performances (more on those in a second), the Songwriters Festival will include panel discussions with some of the musicians, as well as one-on-one mentorship sessions. These are free, 30-minute sessions that songwriters can sign up for.
“You can either play a song for one of the professional songwriters who are in town and get some feedback, or just ask career advice,” said Johannesen. “Really anything you want for just 30 minutes to really pick the songwriter’s brain.”
Johannesen believes the Songwriters Festival has appeal to a couple of different audiences. “I think there is that person who is a songwriter, or an aspiring songwriter, who can really dive deep and get a lot out of the experience through artist talks through the performances. But also if you're just kind of a casual music fan and you like some of the artists that are on the bill, there's a less expensive version of a pass that you can just go to the shows, and then you can even buy just individual tickets.”
Speaking of those shows, the lineup for the inaugural Songwriters Festival is impressive to say the least, with performances scheduled to happen at the Englert Theatre, the James Theater, The Black Angel and Trumpet Blossom Cafe. Friday night will feature performances by Jeff Tweedy, lead singer of the band Wilco, and country singer Joy Oladukon, who appeared at the Hinterland Festival in 2023.
“(Tweedy is) a great thinker on songwriting,” said Johannesen. “He has several books out that are about creativity and writing songs and the benefits of writing songs. So it was really important to get Jeff into town. And then our other headliner is Joy Oladokun, who is just an incredible young songwriter. (Her music) is kind of like ‘Nashville pop.’ It's very pop influenced, but in that singer-songwriter realm, and she's just an incredible writer and performer with an unbelievable voice.”
The festival will also feature a performance at the James Theater by Loudon Wainwright III, whom Johannesen calls a “legendary writer.” “His albums started coming out in the ‘70s, and he's just been so good for so long,” said Johannesen. “He's gonna be doing a super intimate set at the James Theater. And for the listeners who haven't been there, the James Theater is a small black box theater, about 170 capacity.”
The Songwriters Festival will also feature several appearances by Courtney Marie Andrews, who’ll be the artist in residency for the weekend. Andrews has a new album and a book of poetry on the way, so the timing for her appearance at this event is perfect. “(Andrews is) really interested in bridging that gap between the literary worlds and the songwriting world,” said Johannesen.
In addition to performing at the Englert Theatre on Friday night before Oladukon, Andrews will host a poetry reading, participate in workshops and also a “song swap” event at Trumpet Blossom Cafe along with Iowa City’s Deb Talan.
“It's crazy that we have Deb, who lives in Iowa City, and has that kind of talent,” said Johannesen. “And that's part of the message here is we have so much songwriting talent in town. I think it's part of the appeal of Iowa. It's very unassuming, I think. And I think that's part of why artists like to live here ... especially in Iowa City, it's such a writing community and you can really just blend in and live here.”
All-festival passes for the Iowa City Songwriters Festival are available now, with tickets for single events coming soon. There will also be free events. The Songwriters Festival is also offering up to 20 scholarships for songwriters interested in attending the event. Information about the scholarship program is available at the festival's website.
