By Richelle Putnam, Magnolia Tribune
(Photos courtesy of KD Public Relations/www.KatThePRPrac.com)
Natchez, known for its deep heritage and scenic views of the Mississippi River, has always been a central hub for artists and creators. Therefore, it was a natural choice for MSA’s new regional festival. The community’s thriving music culture, along with its hospitality infrastructure, made it a natural venue for bringing together Nashville and Mississippi talent.
The Mississippi Songwriters Alliance (MSA) launched this new statewide expansion chapter in Natchez the weekend of January 30–31, 2026. Their two-day festival brought together an energetic mix of Nashville talent and Mississippi songwriters in one of the South’s most picturesque cities.
“We wanted this festival to showcase the roots of Mississippi, and what better place to do that than Natchez, a city that already embraces its musical heritage,” said George Cumbest, founder of the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance. With this expansion, MSA now represents every major region of the state, fulfilling the organization’s vision of a statewide songwriting network.
“We want every regional festival to be unique,” said Darwin Nelson, MSA board member. And Natchez is off to a great start. “A little more condensed,” Darwin added, “I think the beauty of our mission, though, is we want every region to be different and unique. I think the Natchez edition fulfilled that mission, and we look forward to a long relationship with everyone involved.”
The festival kicked off with the “Local Restaurants & Dives Live” event, where local and regional songwriters performed at various Natchez venues.
Richard Burke, who helped organize the songwriter schedules, said he wanted to ensure the right atmosphere at each venue. “There were quite a few challenges,” said Burke.
The first, and most obvious challenge, was sound. Burke confronted questions like, does the venue have a house PA? How many channels are on the mixer, and what condition is the equipment? Is the venue better suited to solo acoustic or can it host duos and trios? “In the end, we had some amazing support from local artists and venues, including Natchez Brewing Company, which really helped pull everything together.”
Word spread around town about the festival, Burke noted. “Many of the late-night establishments reached out, and we were able to promote shows that they themselves scheduled. It was cool to see the whole of downtown Natchez organically move towards a weekend full of original music.”
Each artist was given a 30-minute to 45-minute time slot, Burke explained. “This was mostly due to this being our first year and needing to learn different artists. Ultimately, I think this was the right decision, because I had everything from piano-driven ballad writers to acoustic slinging outlaw country artists to even pre- recorded soul artists,” he said. “Each act brought their own interesting vibe to their performance and got to have their time to spotlight their own unique talents.”
The second day of the festival included a series of songwriting workshops and presentations from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. These sessions offered aspiring songwriters and music lovers the chance to learn from industry experts. The afternoon’s “Area Music Writers Open Mic” ran from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., giving regional writers a platform to share their original work.
“Bringing in Nashville writers is what it’s all about,” said Nelson. “I think when George gave birth to this festival, that was one of his main goals: connecting Mississippi with Nashville. And I’ll be dang if we haven’t done it.”
The festival culminated with the Nashville Talent Showcase at the Natchez Convention Center, where top Nashville songwriters performed their hit songs. This showcase highlighted Nashville’s influence on the Mississippi songwriting scene and the growing importance of Mississippi as a songwriting destination.
With the Capital River Edition, Mississippi now boasts a connected cultural travel trail, where writers and tourists alike can travel from region to region, experiencing different musical influences and traditions along the way.
“The addition of Natchez ties everything together,” said Cumbest. “Every major region in Mississippi is now represented, and our long-term goal of building a statewide songwriting network is complete. Natchez is a perfect fit, and we’re excited about the future of this festival.”