>OLE AND ASCAP PARTNER AGAIN FOR THE 3RD ANNUAL FISHING TOURNAMENT

It’s almost that time of year again when songwriters and publishers’ thoughts migrate south to the warmth of Florida and the annual Key West Songwriters Festival.

Held this year from April 30th through May 4th, U.S. performing rights organization ASCAP and ole are teaming up on the beautiful waters of Key West to co-sponsor the 3rd annual ASCAP/ole fishing tournament on Friday May 2nd.

But that’s not the only sponsored event these two are sharing, there’s also the festival long “Late Night Hang” that’s scheduled for midnight at the Bottle Cap Lounge and Liquor.

“But don’t be fooled by the fun. Songwriters are always looking for a change that will spark their creativity. Sometimes it’s a change of place, sometimes it’s a change of ambience and sometimes it’s a change of co-writers. But you can guarantee that out of this event will come at least one major hit song and the songwriters will be feeling the influence for months to come” says Gilles Godard Chief Creative Officer for ole Nashville.

Ralph Murphy of ASCAP notes, "Publishers are the rock that writers build their futures on. ole's involvement in the creative community, and in events such as the Key West Songwriters Festival, adds their strength to that rock, making them major contributors to the ASCAP family."

Representing the ole songwriting contingent this time at the 13th annual hog’s breath saloon Key West song festival are newly signed Kelly Archer as well as Gerald O’Brien, Roger Springer and Tebey.

For ole/Roots Three Music, writers will be represented by Denny Carr, Bruce Wallace, Steven Lee Olsen and Kaci Bolls.

As Roots Three Music General Manager, Carr will double as staff representative, while ole provides chairman and CEO Robert Ott, Nashville Creative Director Shane Barrett and Nashville Chief Creative Officer Gilles Godard.

Everyone will confirm that the Late Night Hang is a favorite of songwriters and it’s certainly easy to see that by the standing room only audience that lines up every night with the likes of Don Schlitz, Dave Berg, Josh Kear, Chris Tompkins, Lee Brice, Deanna Bryant, Randy Houser, Keith Follese, Jamey Johnson, Adam Gregory and Kylie Sackley to name but a few in attendance at last year’s event.

Notes Godard, “There is a competitive aspect to the Late Night Hang. When a songwriter hears a great song in a guitar pull like that, it just naturally makes them want to stretch their imagination just a little more. It takes them away from ‘writing for the market’ and turns towards writing a great song. The excitement in the room reminds the songwriter that they want to write the kind of song that will throw his peers for a loop, and those kinds of songs are special songs, the kind that become classics; the kind that are hopefully inspired in part by events like ours!”

Whether it’s the fishing tournament or the Late Night Hang, the partnership between ASCAP and ole provides not only a great time for everyone involved and a great networking opportunity, but sends a strong, lasting message: ole is a great home for talented songs and their songwriters.

“With all of these incredible songwriters around for the festival, there are so many hooks flying that maybe we should have been fishermen.” Godard adds with a smile.

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