Songwriters hit Jackson County stages as Mississippi Songwriters Festival continues

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) - Songwriters across the nation are flocking to Jackson County as the Mississippi Songwriters Festival continues.

In Ocean Springs, Murky Waters’ stage was packed hour to hour with songwriters performing their own songs.

Song lyrics ranging from life experiences to furry best friends filled the venue.

While this is a performance for locals, songwriter and performer Will Coppage said it also inspires creativity among the songwriters.

“First, we just got to celebrate the Mississippi Songwriters Festival,” Coppage said. “With their organization, all of these songwriters get to come together, and this year I know there’s over 150 different songwriters. They’re a network that brings us together to kind of co-op with each other and get ideas, and I’m just lucky to be a part of it.”

Some attendees, like songwriter and performer Bob Ray, said the atmosphere allows performers to see old friends not typically seen.

“Playing in bars and clubs and festivals, we don’t always get to see each other,” Ray said. ”But when we come down here to Ocean Springs for the weekend, we get to see each other because there’s the shows from 6-9, sometimes 6-10.”

Performances continue across Jackson County on Saturday, September 20, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.

For a full schedule of events, check out the Mississippi Songwriter Festival’s website here.

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