Join us for a special Sunday afternoon at The Western Hotel, as part of the St Ives September Festival 2025, where we delve deep into the poetic heart of songwriting.
‘In Conversation with Songwriters’ will be an intimate and engaging event for fans of authentic, lyrically strong music and for anyone curious about the art and craft of a great song.
Hosted by Toni Edwards, who runs the hugely popular Alternative, Indie, Folk Night at The Kettle and Wink, this session will feature live performances and open discussion with four exceptional local songwriters: Ben Bentley, Johanna Suheyla , Zoe McGowan and Jude Johnson.
Together, they’ll share their original music and insights into topics, including:
- Being open to inspiration
- Navigating the creative process
- The interplay of lyrics and melody
- Vulnerability and authenticity in songwriting
Whether you're a seasoned songwriter or simply a passionate fan of poetic, emotive music, this will be an interactive and inspiring afternoon. You might even leave with the beginnings of your own song!
Ben Bentley
is a St Ives-based singer-songwriter who has had record releases on Rough Trade and Cherry Red Records, and songwriting publishing with BMG Music. Now writing and performing solely for his own therapeutic reasons, he believes that better songs can often come when free from constraints and expectations
Johanna Suheyla
is a singer-songwriter based in Penzance with a life-long love for stories, folk and fairy tales. On open tuned guitar and 5-string banjo, she writes honest and sometimes personal songs plucked out of life around her, her own experiences and the endless stream of stories playing in her head. She writes poetry that sometimes turns into lyrics and finds it nearly impossible to write a song on purpose. She is also a mother of two miraculous children, a song sharing leader, one fifth of Irish based Jukebox Gypsy, one fourth of former Foxes Fair and, most recently, half of Grace and Johanna, a Penzance based old-time/folk duo partial to a murder ballad and other tales of the macabre.
Zoe McGowan
is a singer-songwriter with a deep love for music and a sound shaped by folk and Americana influences. Her songs are rooted in honest storytelling, offering a gentle blend of melody and emotion. After a series of early releases on SoundCloud and a Christmas cover shared on Spotify last year, she’s now preparing to record an EP in St Ives.
See a video of Zoe here.
Jude Johnson
is an alt-pop artist known for his bittersweet, personal, and humorous takes on love, loss, and life lived through music. His lyrical tales and emotive vocals have the introspection of artists like Sam Fender and Badly Drawn Boy, while his use of piano and unconventional song structures nods to legends like Elton John, Bowie, and The Beatles. Jude’s recent releases have gained him rave reviews in Earmilk and Plastic Mag and he is currently working on a series of upcoming singles.
See a video of Jude here.
