Song writing returns to Denmark Street with the Denmark Street Songwriters Retreat

12 March 2025 - Press release

First songs to be written on iconic Denmark Street in decades 

 

Outernet, the music, culture and entertainment district in central London today announce their partnership with TransAtlantic Artists to launch the inaugural Denmark Street Songwriters Retreat on Sunday March 23rd.

For many years Denmark Street was a place where artists hung out, lived and made music. The Denmark Street Songwriters Retreat will see a host of songwriters come together for one week to create new songs in a place that has an incredible legacy of music making. Following in the footsteps of The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Small Faces, Elton John and the Sex Pistols, today's established and emerging songwriters will collaborate on brand new music.  The Retreat will culminate in a beautiful candlelit concert on 27 March at the "Poets' Church" St Giles In The Fields where the writers will showcase the songs crafted that week.  

For entry details, please visit  www.outernet.com/denmark-street 

Retreat curator is Beth Nielsen Chapman who is a two-time Grammy Award nominee and has written multiple hits for country and pop artists including Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Bette Midler, Elton John, Neil Diamond, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Michael McDonald, Amy Grant, Keb Mo’, Roberta Flack, Waylon Jennings, Faith Hill, Ute Lemper, Willie Nelson and Bettye LaVette.  Her Mega-hit “This Kiss,” was ASCAP’S 1999 Song Of The Year and she received Nashville NAMMY’S 1999 Songwriter of the Year. In 2016 Beth was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

Artists attending the retreat include Graham Gouldman one of the world’s leading songwriters. Graham is one of the founding members of 10cc formed in 1972. He played multiple roles in the band, including bassist, guitarist, and vocalist. Graham was primary songwriter for many of the band's biggest hits, such as "I'm Not in Love," "The Wall Street Shuffle," "Dreadlock Holiday, “The Things We Do For Love”, “Rubber Bullets’, “Art for Art’s Sake” and “I’m Mandy Fly Me”.  In 2014 Graham was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. 

Supporting the ethos of emerging talent, the retreat will include writers proposed by, PEER (the last publishers on Denmark Street), ‘The BRIT School’, ‘Help Musicians’ and ‘Busk in London’.

Producing the retreat is Trudie Myerscough-Harris. She is a passionate and trusted supporter of music She produces world-class song-writing retreats for the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation in locations as diverse as Glastonbury, Lafayette and Lubbock. She runs TransAtlantic Artists, an artist management and event production company. 

Philip O’Ferrall CEO Outernet said “Denmark Street is a very important part of the Outernet district and we have seen multiple new music shops open over the last couple of years alongside the much loved established stores. Without songwriters there is no music industry so we are very proud to have established this retreat in such an apt location. I’d also like to thank our sponsors and supporters – BandLab, NME, Bar Italia, the BRIT School, Help Musicians, Lee & Thompson, No.Tom, Peer Music, Roland, St Giles in the Field, The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, Thirteen, TransAtlantic Artists, Busk in London, and Wunjo.”

Trudie Myerscough-Harris – Director Transatlantic Artists 
“It's our passion to bring songwriting back to the historic heart of the West End and refocus the spotlight on the heritage of London's "Tin Pan Alley" - a mecca for musicians and the music industry. Established and emerging songwriters will collaborate in WC2 to continue this creative legacy and inspire the next generation to write, create and record. It’s a pleasure to work with kindred spirit Philip O’Ferrall, whose drive and enthusiasm has helped realise and establish this important song writing retreat.”