Bringing a little bit of the Deep South to the North, the Belfast Nashville Songwriters’ Festival returns for its ninth outing this year, with over 100 international and local artists due to hit the NI capital from February 20-24.

The five-day musical extravaganza will see a healthy mix of US, UK and Irish acts take to the Belfast stage, including homegrown songwriters Brian Kennedy, Gareth Dunlop and Katharine Philippa, UK newcomers Rae Morris, Boo Hewardine and Karima Francis, and Grammy award-winning visitors Brett James, Kristian Bush of Sugarland and Nanci Griffith.
Legendary folk songwriter and Nashville resident Griffith has taken such a liking to the festival that she’s been back every year since 2008.
“There are so many wonderful songwriters all over Ireland,” she raved during her 2010 visit. “It’s a musical place and Nashville is all about music, so it’s just a natural thing that Belfast and Nashville have a sisterhood.”
Along with the divine Miss Griffith, heading the festival bill is one Katharine Philippa, the Portadown singer-songwriter who’s currently gracing our list of Irish acts to watch in 2013.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” enthuses Philippa, whose gorgeous debut EP Fallen caught our ears last March. “The support I did for the festival two years ago was sort of my first major gig in Belfast, so it’s always going to be quite close to my heart.”
Taking in the Empire Music Hall, the Black Box, Madison’s Hotel, The Holiday Inn, the King’s Head and many more venues across the city, Belnash – as it’s affectionately dubbed by performers and punters alike – promises a full schedule for 2013, including a programme of panel discussions, workshops and showcases to set blossoming songwriters on the road to success.
“It doesn’t really matter where you turn,” Philippa tells me, “there’s bound to be a gig going on. There’s also conventions that happen in the afternoon and things like that, so it’s got a very definite presence.”
Visitors to the festival will be able to choose from performances in the genres of country, rock, Americana, folk and contemporary; who’s on Philippa’s wish-list?
“Karima Francis is coming over and I’m always a big fan of her and Rae Morris, two English singer-songwriters. Gareth Dunlop, too, I’ll be on the look out for him. There’ll be a lot of others, I’m sure. It’s gonna be a packed week.”
As for Philippa’s show, fans can expect a sneak peak of her next release, as well as a handful of tracks from the stunningly delicate Fallen.
“I’m in the process of recording a new EP at the minute,” she reveals. “I don’t like to play lots of new songs when the EP isn’t out yet, but yes, I will certainly play a couple.”
Late 2012 saw Philippa sprint past a career milestone when she collaborated with the Ulster Orchestra, a gig the young songwriter reckons has changed the way she views live performances.
“There’s a big difference between playing with a band and playing solo,” she muses. “I haven’t really played with a band since my first EP launch, so I’m working more on creating power within one person. It’s such an incredible experience to have an orchestra behind you, especially when it was my own song, and that amount of people are all surfing the same wave, but obviously you can’t always have that every day! I’d love to, I would quite like a pocket orchestra but that’s never going to happen, so I really want to craft and perfect that art of having the same amount of power, but just from one person.”
One thing’s for sure – ticket holders are in for a treat when Philippa joins John Spillane and Karima Francis in Madison’s Hotel basement on February 22.

The 9th annual Belfast Nashville Songwriters’ Festival and Songwriting Convention takes place in various venues around Belfast from February 20-24.