Paley Center for Media brings Nashville country songwriting to New York

The Paley Center for Media in New York is importing a Nashville habit. Beginning September 24, the organisation will host Southern Rounds: Bringing Nashville to New York, a series of songwriting workshops and acoustic performances built in partnership with Southern Rounds. Rolling Stone reported the plan on September 1.

The format copies the writers' rounds that happen nightly in Nashville, where songwriters swap songs, explain where they came from and play them stripped back. Those rooms have produced a long list of country hits, and the Paley version puts the same thing in front of a New York audience.

James Otto headlines the September 24 opener. He is currently touring with the Mavericks following the death of Raul Malo, and has co-written hits including Jamey Johnson's "In Color" and "Somethin' 'Bout a Boat" for Jimmy Buffett.

He is joined by Kevin MaC, a songwriter who has also appeared on Shark Tank, and D. Vincent Williams, who won the 2002 ACM Song of the Year for Rascal Flatts' "I'm Movin' On".

Maureen J. Reidy, president and chief executive of the Paley Center, said the organisation is turning up the volume with the initiative, and that Paley is a destination for artists and fans. The wider music programme takes in showcases, album release events and listening parties.

Further Southern Rounds dates run on October 29, November 11, December 11, January 28, 2027 and February 18, 2027, with tickets on public sale from September 4. The Paley Center has hosted music programming before, most recently an exhibition marking 25 years of the Latin Grammy Awards. The series joins other room-level country moves logged here such as Robert's Western World opening an outpost in Nashville's new stadium and the trade shifts behind them, including Debbie Linn's retirement from Leadership Music.