Ninth Annual Key West Songwriters’ Festival
May 12-16, 2004

The Hog’s Breath’s ninth annual Songwriters’ Festival promises to gather more of Nashville’s prominent and promising singer-songwriters than have ever been in Paradise at any one time. This year’s numbers almost double the talent that was turned loose on Key West at the eighth annual festival last May.

Eighteen of Nashville’s most talented songwriters are due in town beginning May 12 – 16 and will play a variety of venues, including the Hog’s Breath, Mangoes, the Green Parrot, Virgilios, the Hilton, the Ocean Key Resort , Schooner Wharf Bar and Blue Heaven.

Charlie Bauer and BMI will be hosting the eclectic collection of songwriters from California, Texas, Florida, Australia and other cities, who now call Nashville home.

“We will be presenting ‘Million-Air’ awards to some of our writers at the festival this year,” said Mark Mason of BMI. “The award commemorates more than one million performances for a song.”

Jeffrey Steele was named BMI’s “Songwriter of the Year” at its 2003 award ceremony. In 2002 Steele had nine songs on the Billboard country charts. Steele was also named 2003 Nashville Songwriters Association International’s “ Songwriter of the Year.”

Steele, a native of California, has had more than 200 of his songs recorded in the past three years by many of Nashville’s biggest stars: Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, LeAnne Rimes, Randy Travis and Lonestar to name only a few.

“I was at the Songwriters’ Festival three years ago and performed at the Waterfront Playhouse,” Steele recalled recently. “I can’t wait to get back. I love the whole vibe of Key West, there’s no place like it in the country”

Steele performs more than 150 shows a year around the country.

“I’m sorry it’s taken so long for me to come back,” he said.

Kylie Sackley, the young Australian singer-songwriter, a special surprise guest as last year’s festival, will be back. Sackley was so taken with Key West that she has returned twice to grace the Hog’s Breath’s outdoor stage.

“I love the island,” she said. “I am honored to be included with so many talented writers at this year’s festival.”

Sackley said she gets great song ideas while she is here, near the water, and is able to write afterward in Nashville.

“The water is relaxing,” she said. “I miss the water when I am in Nashville. The water in Key West reminds me of the Great Barrier Reef at home.”

She said she appreciates that locals come to hear the original music.

“Locals are eager to hear our songs,” she smiled. “That in itself is rewarding to a writer.”

“It’s a privilege to share our most talented songwriters with the residents of Key West,” Mason said, “because they have always placed a high value on the art and craft of songwriting. It is rewarding for our writers because their gift is appreciated.”

Bauer added that the weather is a nice perk too.

“I think many of them look at it as a working vacation,” Bauer said.

A few of the singer-songwriters have also had past gigs at the Hog’s outdoor stage, like Sackley, James Dean Hicks, Dillon Dixon and Patrick Davis.
This year’s festival not only has more talented performing but some new venues.

“Every year more and more people want to get involved,” Bauer said. “I’ve already heard from people who are interested in participating next year.”

Bauer said there will be a lot of talent in town next week.

“I don’t think this much talent has ever performed in Key West at the same time and for such a short stay,” he said.

For more ticket information on the festival and a full lineup of talent and locations go to: www.kwswf.com and www.hogsbreath.com.