30A Songwriters Festival to Bring GILLIAN WELCH & DAVID RAWLINGS, LARKIN POE

The 30A Songwriters Festival has announced headline acts for its 18th annual event, taking place January 15-18, 2027, along Scenic Highway 30A in Walton County, Florida. For the past 18 years, the festival has attracted thousands of live music fans from around the world to hear original songwriters spanning multiple genres perform their songs. The beach resort towns along Scenic Highway 30A on the Gulf Coast will become a music haven featuring 30 venues presenting over 160+ songwriters and 300+ solo, band, and in-the-round performances throughout the weekend.

Tickets are available at 30asongwritersfestival.com.

The 30A Songwriters Festival will celebrate its 18th year of Hooks, Lines and Singers with performances on the main stage at presenting partner Grand Boulevard's Town Center in Miramar Beach, with headline performances on Saturday and Sunday afternoon by Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Larkin Poe, Booker T. Jones, and Tommy Emmanuel, CGP, along with Friday Festival kickoff headline performances at SEASIDE Amphitheater featuring Dawes, S.G. Goodman, and Paul McDonald & the Mourning Doves.

Initial confirmed artists for evening performances include: Robyn Hitchcock (with band), Rainbow Girls, Shawn Mullins, Gary Louris (Jayhawks), Raye Zaragoza, Steve Poltz, Kim Richey, Rhett Miller (Old 97's), Mary Gauthier, Jaimee Harris, Jeffrey Steele, Murray Attaway (Guadalcanal Diary), Don Dixon, Bob Schneider, The Mammals, Danny Schmidt, Cat Ridgeway, Eliot Bronson, Jennifer Lynn Simpson, Erin McKeown, Gurufish, and more. The full lineup will be announced as more artists are confirmed over the next several weeks.

The Headliners

Gillian Welch is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, widely respected for her stark, timeless approach to folk and Americana. A Grammy Award–nominated artist, she has had a profound influence on contemporary roots music through her songwriting, recordings, and long-running collaboration with David Rawlings.

Founded in 2009, Los Angeles-based Dawes have ascended to the forefront of American music with their timeless brand of reflective California rock 'n' roll, fusing ringing guitars, soaring harmonies, and heartfelt melodies with studio invention, deft musicianship, and intuitive, expressive songcraft. Over the course of nine ever-evolving albums, brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith have carved out their own distinctive niche by constantly pushing the limits of their own classic approach, exploring life's myriad changes through tightly honed musical interplay and the gripping lyrical specificity of Taylor's songwriting.

St. Paul & The Broken Bones are a powerhouse soul ensemble from Alabama known for their electrifying live shows and impassioned vocals. Formed in Birmingham in 2011, the band features Paul Janeway (vocals), Jesse Phillips (bass), Browan Lollar (guitar), Kevin Leon (drums), Al Gamble (keyboards), Allen Branstetter (trumpet), Chad Fisher (trombone), and Amari Ansari (saxophone). Their new self-titled sixth album marks a creative renewal—melding the band's adventurous spirit with a return to soulful, song-focused roots. Recorded at the legendary FAME Studios and produced by Eg White (Adele, Celine Dion), the record blends psych-funk grooves, gospel-tinged ballads, and cinematic rock flourishes. Tracks like 'Sushi and Coca-Cola' and 'Going Back' reflect both personal introspection and the band's deepened identity after a decade of evolution. St. Paul & The Broken Bones have shared stages with The Rolling Stones, Lizzo, and Black Pumas, and performed at major festivals like Coachella, Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, and Bonnaroo. Even Sir Elton John took notice, inviting them to perform at his Oscar party.

Booker T. Jones is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer, and arranger. Best known as the front man of the band Booker T. & the MGs, he has worked with countless award-winning artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and has earned a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement. Along with the band, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Jones continues to record and tour internationally, both as a solo artist and as head of Booker T.'s Stax Revue.

Larkin Poe's latest album, Bloom (GRAMMY nominated for Best Americana Album), sees the dynamic sister duo venturing further along on their evolving musical journey with a collection of songs that resonate with introspection, authenticity, and a profound connection to their roots in American music. Produced and largely co-written by Megan, Rebecca, and Tyler Bryant, the album marks a significant evolution for Larkin Poe, reflecting a synergy that extends beyond mere musical partnership. Already hailed for the sincerity of their songcraft, the Lovell sisters now place an even greater spotlight on their gift for storytelling, delving deep into personal narratives with universal themes of self-acceptance and individuality against a backdrop of contemporary blues and rock influences.

Hailed as 'one of the best acoustic guitarists in the world' by NPR's World Cafe, Tommy Emmanuel got his start at the age of six, when he first began touring his native Australia with his family's band. As a teenager, he earned a reputation as a highly sought after sideman and session player, and by his early twenties, Emmanuel was playing on chart-topping hits and performing with acts like Air Supply and Men at Work. Inspired in part by his hero, Chet Atkins, Emmanuel stepped out on his own as a solo artist in 1979, releasing the first in a string of acclaimed instrumental albums. In the decades that followed, he would go on to headline everywhere from the Sydney Opera House to Carnegie Hall; tour with luminaries like Eric Clapton and John Denver; win a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement; perform for a televised audience of more than two billion at the Sydney Olympics; and collaborate with a who's who of fellow guitar greats, including Les Paul, Mark Knopfler, Joe Walsh, Richard Thompson, Jason Isbell, and Billy Strings. Recorded in just four days, Emmanuel's latest album, Living In The Light, stands as the most daring collection in his catalog, fusing his pop, jazz, classical, and roots influences.

S.G. Goodman returns, three years after her critically acclaimed and award-winning sophomore album Teeth Marks, with her latest full-length album, Planting by the Signs. Composed of songs inspired by love, loss, reconciliation, and the ancient practice of planting by the signs, i.e. the belief that planting a garden, weaning a baby, or getting a haircut are best timed in accordance with the cycle of the moon, eleven tracks highlight Goodman's singular haunting voice, poetic lyricism, and her penchant for juxtaposing vulnerable folk music with punchy rock 'n roll, replete with chiming guitars, ethereal atmospherics, and her DIY ethos. Goodman was nominated for Album of the Year and Song of the Year ('Snapping Turtle') for the 2026 Americana Music Awards.

Born in Alabama and baptized in the dive bars of the southeast, Paul McDonald first made noise with the Grand Magnolias, a roots-rock outfit, before catching fire in the public eye during American Idol's 2011 run. Retreating to Nashville, Paul put together a new band called the Mourning Doves. The giant has stirred with the release of So Long to the Dark Side, a gospel-tinged reckoning wrapped in cosmic Americana. Raised on Petty, Parsons, and pain, Paul McDonald is not chasing trends. His live performances have earned the Mourning Doves a reputation as a 2026 Festival buzz band. The band plans to release a live session recording to coincide with their headline performance at the upcoming 2027 Festival this January.

Over 160 additional artists will be announced this fall.

Comments From Festival Organizers

Russell Carter, President of Russell Carter Artist Management and Festival Co-Producer, explains that 'Depending on your age, you have Booker T's music somehow at your finger tips - from your 45s collection, your parents LPs, your CDs, the Spotify southern soul playlist. For six decades his music has been spun, burned and streamed with undiminished excitement and energy. What a thrill to bring it our way in January!'

Carter says, 'Larkin Poe needs no introduction to folks in South Walton. They played 30A in their and our early days and impressed everyone. We have both grown considerably. Very proud to have Larkin Poe back, this time on the headline stage where they belong. Talk about momentum - they have played Telluride, Jazzfest, Montreal and Bottlerock recently! Gillian and David Are royalty in the kingdom of 30A Songwriters - they do not tour as frequently as many artists and we are honored to introduce them for the first time to our headline stage.'

'The 30A Songwriters Festival is unlike any other music event in the region. It spans more than 20 miles, brings together 30 unique venues, and features more than 160 acclaimed songwriters from across the country,' says Jennifer Steele, Festival Co-Producer and President & CEO of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County. 'We're thrilled to announce this year's headliners, who will join that lineup in bringing the art of songwriting to unexpected places—from a town hall or converted restaurant to two iconic main stages at SEASIDE and Grand Boulevard. But the Festival is about more than what happens in January. It is the Cultural Arts Alliance's largest fundraiser, with net proceeds reinvested in programs and services that help ensure Walton County remains a creative community year-round. To date, those funds have helped the CAA award more than $923,000 in Art For All grants and scholarships to artists, students, teachers and arts organizations. They also support Beyond Bars, which brings songwriting into Walton Correctional Institution and has engaged more than 300 participants in producing over 100 original songs—along with many other programs that expand access to the arts throughout our community.'

Tickets

A variety of Festival Weekend Passes are currently available at 30asongwritersfestival.com, including VIP Mainstage tickets featuring premium seating and complimentary gourmet food and drinks in the VIP tent on Saturday and Sunday afternoons in Grand Boulevard. For a full description of all ticket packages—including VIP Mainstage and full-weekend transportation packages for groups of 2 to 12—visit 30asongwritersfestival.com.

The 30A Songwriters Festival is presented by Grand Boulevard with additional support from Visit South Walton, WaterColor Inn and Resort, and ASCAP.

About the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County

As the creative core of Walton County for more than three decades, the Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA) is a Local Arts Agency that fosters creativity through the inclusive and collaborative advancement of the Arts. Through support for the creative sector, the production of arts and educational programming, and advocacy efforts, the CAA provides opportunities for residents and visitors to experience diverse forms of art and learning, connecting them to a broader view, critical exploration, and answers only the Arts have the power to provide. The CAA envisions a thriving Walton County where everyone has access to arts and culture experiences. Members of the CAA receive a 10% discount off weekend passes and admission to an exclusive performance on Thursday, January 14. Call (850) 622-5970 to become a member and take advantage of the discount. Visit CulturalArtsAlliance.com to learn more.

About Russell Carter Artist Management

Russell Carter Artist Management is a full-service artist management firm that has worked with national recording artists since 1990 currently including Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins, Matthew Sweet, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Paul McDonald & the Mourning Doves. Prior to forming RCAM, Russell Carter practiced entertainment law in Atlanta for ten years. He has been a board member of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) in Florida from 2012-2024. RCAM, based in the 4th Ward in Atlanta, books, promotes and schedules the performances as co-producer of the 30A Songwriters Festival with the CAA and co-produces the Opelika Songwriters Festival in Alabama with the Sound Wall.

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