Walk into Ivanhoe Restaurant & Bar in Silver Lake around 7:30 p.m. on a Wednesday and you’ll think you’re at a Laurel Canyon jam session in the 1960s.
On the stage, three musicians sit beside each other, one at a keyboard and two holding acoustic guitars. The pianist, Leah Ashton, begins to play, singing a soulful R&B track from her latest album. The two guitarists watch her perform, howling and clapping with the rest of the audience in delight.
“It does feel like a throwback from that tradition of really talented creatives, but more inclusive, diverse and accepting of all different types of voices,” said Ryan Trask, a musician and festival promoter in Los Angeles. “Ultimately, it's a product that makes people feel something, and that's the most important thing.”
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Songwriters in the round
This is a typical Wednesday evening at Writer’s ‘Round LA, a collective of L.A. based musicians and a weekly songwriter showcase. It’s born out of the Nashville-style tradition known as “writers in the round,” which originally meant a group of songwriters sitting in a circle, taking turns singing their songs.
“These songwriter rounds are very popular in Nashville and songwriting havens, but very rare out here in L.A. and the West coast in general,” said Greg Gilman, founder of Writer’s ‘Round L.A. and head of the band Greg in Good Company.
The format — which, for Writer’s ‘Round, means three artists put together on stage, each playing three songs per round — is said to promote intimacy and connection between artists and the audience.
“Right off the bat you're gonna get a better connection with artists you didn't know before by simply being on stage with them,” Gilman said. “It’s this special moment where for the rest of your career you can always say, ‘Oh yeah, we played that round together.’”
Like the folk-rock scene that flowered in L.A. in the late 60s and early 70s, Writer’s ‘Round artists influence each other musically. For example, hearing one artist’s song will help another artist finish theirs. They might harmonize or lend a baseline on each other’s tracks — that sort of thing.
“Sometimes we get full room singalongs, people riffing and soloing on other people's songs,” Gilman said.
But the energy around Writer’s ‘Round supports the artists in ways far beyond the music.
“I think of my entire support system and like my family all in Writer’s ‘Round,” said Tori Leppert, a singer-songwriter and curator at Writer’s ‘Round, originally from Chicago. “Which is kind of insane.”
“Writer’s ‘Round is the entire reason I’m still in L.A.,” added Kat Hamilton, another curator and musician. She said she struggled with finding “real friends and connections” when she first moved to L.A. from Philadelphia. Writer’s ‘Round “kept me in LA long enough to see all the ways LA can be a community.”
A lonely path for artists
Many artists like Hamilton and Leppert move to L.A. at a young age with a dream: to make it big — or at least make a living — playing music.
But the path to making that dream happen can be painful, they say.
“It’s a lonely road to be an independent artist. Speaking from personal experience, it can get very depressing, a lot of mental health issues,“ Gilman said. “I think artists are hit the hardest because along with all the other problems in the world, they're struggling with their own disappointment with where they're at.”
Beyond providing a sense of belonging and soothing feelings of loneliness, artists credit the connections they’ve made through music communities for progress in their careers.
“It's like we're all growing together as a collective,” said Ryan Cassata, a singer-songwriter originally from Long Island who is signed to the label Kill Rock Stars. “I really don't see that a lot in this city.”
After being signed to a record label, Cassata moved to L.A. in 2019 at the age of 22. But like so many artists, he said he struggled to find a community within L.A.’s music scene, feeling lost and lonely for the first few years.
“A lot of people have that feeling when they come to L.A. that it's kind of terrifying,” he said. “It's easy to get just swept under the rug and just be missed out on.”
But Cassata, who is trans, said he feels a sense of belonging in this city because of Writer’s ‘Round, musically and beyond.
“Being in this music community, I don't have to be like the trans guy. I actually just get to be Ryan. They just treat me like everyone else here, and most people here aren't queer,” he said. “And that's why I love being here so much. It's affirming to who I am.”
Play, or just come listen
Artists say music communities like this have helped revitalize the L.A. music scene in recent years, which has long suffered from a culture of promoter-driven shows and a “pay-to-play” mentality, as Gilman put it. And while Writer’s ‘Round is a haven — and often a lifeline — for L.A.’s musicians, you don’t have to be a musician to take part.
Musicians, quasi-musicians and music-lovers alike can simply show up on a Wednesday evening to hang, eat, drink and enjoy a night of folk-rock style live music.
For musicians out there who do want to play, you can put your name in a hat before 7:30 p.m. to have a chance to play the open mic portion of the night.
“All the benefits that come from coming to a community like this is from just being present,” Gilman said. “Being here and being open. Being less worried about playing and more worried about having a good time.”
