A three day celebration of song and story in Far West Texas. Hosted by The Gage Hotel and Brick Vault Brewery & Barbecue.

Intimate performances by master songwriters in a setting that exudes luxurious comfort and charm surrounded by a landscape that captivates and inspires welcome to the Marathon Songwriters Festival.

The Songwriters

Drew kennedy:
Drew Kennedy has devoted his life to writing and performing his songs his way. With a catalog nine albums deep, one novel penned, and two music festivals created (the annual Red River Songwriters’ Festival and the Marathon Songwriters Festival), Kennedy has done more than build a strong career– he has reimagined what it means to be a songwriter, both artistically and entrepreneurially. Lori McKenna, Patty Loveless and Jason Eady, Travis Meadows, Patrick Droney, Walt Wilkins, Nate Smith, Keith Urban, Morgxn, Forest Blakk, RaeLynn, Tyler Hubbard and Brantley Gilbert, Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers Band, William Clark Green, Ben Danaher, and more have recorded his songs. He released his newest record, the self-titled Drew Kennedy on May 16th, 2025.

Josh Grider:
"The hardest thing for people to admit about themselves is that they’re going to change," says Josh Grider. The country stalwart knows, because he’s done it himself. When you release eight albums, tour the country and abroad, sign publishing deals, top the Texas radio charts, and start a family all in just over a decade, you’re going to come out different than when you went in. On upcoming new record Good People, the New Mexico native turns the lessons he’s learned so far into an impressive collection of catchy, substantive country tunes — the kind that draw parallels between Grider and artists like Kacey Musgraves and Steve Earle. But Grider delivers them with a smooth neo-traditional baritone to rival Joe Nichols and melodic hooks that, when they hit you just right, feel timeless on first listen.

Walt Wilkins:
​I chose to go full time on this road 25 years ago. Its been a spiritual quest, an amazing trip, at turns heartbreaking & transcendent. In that time I've made 9 solo records, 4 records with The Mighty Mystiqueros, 1 with my wife Tina, and there's a new live record with my friend Kevin Welch. I've had 100 or more songs recorded by other artists, traveled a fair part of the world, and had some very, very large times. I have these anchors: Wednesdays with my brothers The Mystiqueros at The Saxon Pub in Austin, the 1st Sunday of every month at Luckenbach, The Red River Songwriters Festival on the last weekend of January in the mountains of northern New Mexico, and Waltstock & Barrel, a Texas wine, beer & music festival near Fredericksburg on the 1st weekend of April. I move around a lot.

Bri Bagwell:
Texas Female Artist of the Decade and reigning Female Vocalist of the Year, Bri Bagwell, is a force to be reckoned with on the Texas Country scene. Bri has seen her audience grow and diversify as she has progressed through the musical landscape. From her first full-length release, Banned from Santa Fe in 2011, to her 2022 release Corazón y Cabeza (Heart and Head) Bri has masterfully commanded the stage for over a decade with her rousingly fun live performances and trailblazing artistry while creating a loyal and passionate fan base.

David Hodges:
David Hodges is a multi-platinum, Grammy, and BMI award-winning songwriter and record producer. He was a founding member of Evanescence and has been penning hits with and for renowned artists for over two decades. Having sold more than 80 million records, his hit singles include "Bring Me To Life" and "My Immortal" (Evanescence), "A Thousand Years" (Christina Perri for Twilight), "Because of You" (Kelly Clarkson), "Dear Hate" (Maren Morris and Vince Gill), "See You Again" (Carrie Underwood), "Miss Me More" (Kelsea Ballerini), "Atlas Falls" (Shinedown), and "Afterglow" (Ed Sheeran). David is one of the most sought after multi-genre songwriters in the world, with releases by Keith Urban, Blink 182, Weezer, Dan + Shay, Avril Lavigne, Jason Mraz, and more. He is currently working with artists such as Ed Sheeran, 5 Seconds of Summer, James Bay, Jeremy Zucker, Carrie Underwood, Benson Boone, Perrie Edwards, and Drew Kennedy, of whom he says "he brings out the best in all of us, and yet somehow, he’s still better than all of us."

David Ryan Harris:
Over the last several decades, David Ryan Harris has established himself as an in demand singer, songwriter, producer and musician who always brings a sense of passion and versatility to his collaborations and solo work Harris first rose to fame as front man for the seminal Atlanta rock band Follow For Now in the late 1980s; after the band’s dissolution in 1994, Harris struck out on his own as a solo artist while also working with singer and former Arrested Development member Dionne Farris. He’s released five solo albums and an EP under his own name, as well as one album as a member of the rock trio Brand New Immortals, and he’s written and produced for a wide range of artists including Zayn, Wanda Jackson, India.Arie, and Hootie & the Blowfish

Charlie stout:
West Virginia native Charlie Stout draws from experience as a photographer, filmmaker, and composer to animate cinematic lyrics through carefully crafted storytelling. From the mythical dark hollows of the Appalachian Mountains to the magnificent deserts of West Texas and beyond, Charlie Stout's words, music, and images evoke contemplation of life and death on the New American Frontier.

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