The talented Tony James Shevlin started the ball rolling in the late 90’s by running an informal evening with a few friends at the ‘Olive leaf’ (now the ‘Grinning rat’) in Ipswich.

The evenings expanded as word got around, and local songwriters with no other outlet available jumped at the chance to play their developing material to others in a supportive atmosphere.

With ever increasing numbers of performers, Suffolk Songwriters is a great opportunity for inexperienced and experienced songwriters alike to play their songs to an appreciative and attentive audience.

In July 2000 Suffolk Songwriters had a real boost in profile when the original host Tony James Shevlin hosted a two-hour slot on the BBC Radio Suffolk stage at the Ipswich Music Day event in Christchurch Park. It was a great line-up of Suffolk based Songwriters/performers which attracted a large appreciative audience, despite the rain!!

The monthly ‘open-mic’ sessions moved to the Milestone Beer House which offered plenty of space .. and marvelous beer. (Beer and Musicians are often a good combination)

Local songstress Debs Warren took over the organisation from Tony, and continued to build the appeal and reputation of the Suffolk Songwriters events. It is estimated that as many as 100 different songwriters have played at the open-mic nights since things started.

Andy and Chris took over running things in 2005, and in 2007 moved events from the Milestone to the nearby ‘P.J.McGintys’ pub which offers us our own space (where we are not fighting it out with general pub noise, fruit machines and smoke) and it will be easier to appreciate performances fully.

We were very quickly ‘stitched up’ by the outgoing landlord, but quickly found ourselves a new home at the wonderful ‘arboretum’

Sadly this lovely small pub gave in to economic factors at the end of 2007, so we 2008 saw us move to the home of all things original and good in Ipswich music, the Steamboat tavern.

In a musical world where covers and tribute bands are the norm, Suffolk Songwriters provides an important outlet for the local song writing talent.