July 17-19, 2025
A gathering of great songwriters in one of the Pacific Northwest’s most beautiful natural settings at the historic Robin Hood Village Resort on the shores of the Hood Canal.
WITH SUPPORT FROM: Morgan Hill Law Firm, Alderbrook Resort & Spa, Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club, Hood Canale, 2 Margaritas, Union Square Deli Olympic Mountain Ice Cream, & Buddy’s Backyard Radio Trop Rock
Location & Lodging
The Peace Love & Union Festival takes place at the Robin Hood Village Resort just outside Union, WA on beautiful Hood Canal.
Robin Hood Village Resort boasts 16 one-of-a-kind cottages available exclusively for attendees to book and stay in for the entire weekend of the festival! Set in a forested oasis situated in the foothills of the majestic Olympic Mountains, Hood Canal offers breathtaking views and activities like hiking, kayaking, clamming, fishing, & many other classic PNW adventures to explore.
Lodging packages are paid at the time of reservation but remain fully refundable through May 31.
2025 Concert Lineup
Grammy winners and nominees, CMA and TRMA award winners top the list of great songwriters ranging from legendary to local in this five day celebration of songwriting delivered in the intimate and exceptionally magical venue of the historic Robin Hood Village Resort in beautiful Union, Washington, on the shores of the Hood Canal in the shadow of snow-capped Olympic Mountains.
The songwriters:
Jon McLaughlin
is a supremely talented pianist-singer-songwriter known for his catchy pop rock songs with smart, heartfelt lyrics that led to five consecutive albums hitting the Billboard 200 Album chart and collaborations with artists like Sara Bareilles and Demi Lovato. Shortly after studying piano and graduating from Indiana’s Anderson College, Jon released his first charting album Indiana in 2007, an album that included hit singles “Beautiful Disaster” and “Beating My Heart.” In that same year, he played himself and performed the Oscar-nominated song “So Close” in the movie Enchanted, which he also performed at the 80th Academy Awards for a US television audience of 32 million. Jon would later leave Island Records for reasons of artistic integrity, becoming uncomfortable with the compromises of corporate music. Jon has a famously close and personal relationship with his fans and felt that having control over his own production and creative choices gives his fans a more authentic piece of himself, which is what we got with the self-produced Promising Promises, picked up by Razor and Tie Records, the first of three hit albums he would record with that label. Beginning in 2019, Jon has been recording a series of instrumental piano albums under the title Mood, most recently 2024’s Mood Christmas Edition, with another brilliant self-produced pop rock album All The Things I Say to Myself in 2021.
Beth Nielsen Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, whose diverse body of work spans fifteen albums and seven #1 hits, including compositions that have been recorded by Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, Bette Midler, Willie Nelson, Neil Diamond, the Indigo Girls, and Keb Mo’ and her music has been featured in film and TV. This Kiss, ASCAP’S 1999Song Of The Year, sung by Faith Hill, garnered her a Grammy nomination. Also nominated for a Grammy in 2012 forThe Mighty Sky, she was Nashville NAMMY’S 1999 Songwriter of the Year and inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall Of Fame in 2016. Having lost her first husband to cancer in 1994, Chapman survived breast cancer herself in 2000 and a brain tumor in 2009 so in her concerts, workshops, and Keynotes, she draws from direct experience in her inspiring presentations about the fascinating dance between cognition, healing and the creative flow. Her songs take you on ajourney through the depth, humor and the wonder of life
Beth, an ambassador for the Buddy Holly Foundation has taught songwriting and creativity MasterClasses at universities internationally including the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama, The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, and the Berklee School of Music among others.
Tia Sillers
Tia Sillers’ landmark song “I Hope You Dance,” initially recorded by Lee Ann Womack, struck an emotional chord with listeners and received national exposure on Oprah and through articles in Newsweek and the New York Times. It was even performed at the Nobel Prize awards ceremony and eventually went on to win every conceivable award including the Grammy, CMA, ACM, NSAI, ASCAP, and BMI Song of the Year. The song also enjoyed success in Europe and South America in a version recorded by popular international artist Ronan Keating, and a version by Gladys Knight was featured in the Tyler Perry film The Family That Preys. However, Tia is far from a one-hit wonder having penned hit songs for numerous other artists, including the #1 smashes “That’d Be Alright,” recorded by Alan Jackson, and “There’s Your Trouble,” recorded by The Dixie Chicks.
Crossing genres, Tia has achieved success with a variety of artists including established rocker Kenny Wayne Shepherd, with whom she has written multiple hits, including the top five songs “Last Goodbye”, “Was” and the #1 smash “Blue On Black”, which not only held the top spot on the rock charts for seventeen weeks but was also the 1998 Billboard Rock Song of the Year. Tia was nominated for ten Canadian CMA awards in 2009 for her work with Canadian artistsJohnny Reid, Crystal Shawanda, and Victoria Banks. Other artists who have recorded Tia’s songs include Martina McBride, Randy Travis, Trace Adkins, Trisha Yearwood, Diamond Rio, Wynonna, Patty Loveless, and Sister Hazel.
Kristian Bush
is the Grammy-winning hit songwriter best known as Jennifer Nettles’ partner in the record breaking country music duo Sugarland, now enjoying a resurgence and reunion arena tour, and more recently as the producer of the 2024 CMA New Artist of the Year Megan Moroney. His twelve Top Ten hits include five Number Ones. As the original inspiration for the Peace Love & Union Saltwater Songwriters Festival, our event is his event, and for Kristian and keyboardist brother Brandon Bush (Sugarland, Train, John Mayer), our town has become their town, a happy place of retreat, creative rejuvenation and connection with other touring and local songwriters, with whom they have generously shared their advice, mentorship and industry know-how. At the 2024 festival, Kristian debuted the not-yet-released Union-inspired song “Drinking Town with a Music Problem.”
Jesse Rice
Jesse’s musical resume includes songs recorded by artists like Colt Ford, Chase Rice and Ashley McBryde, Kristian Bush and most famously by Florida Georgia Line, including the megabit “Cruise,” which remains the best selling country single in history and the only country song to be certified Diamond for 10 million sales or downloads. Notwithstanding those accomplishments, his real passion is Pirate Sessions, a series of albums now numbering five, full of songs of the beach, rum drinks, boats and pirates. The series has earned the South Carolina native a following of loyal and deeply disturbed followers who’ve dubbed themselves PirateHeads, a play on the late Jimmy Buffett’s Parrot Head devotees. The most recent edition of the series, Pirate Sessions V, topped the I-Tunes singer songwriter charts for weeks in the spring of 2023, perched at Number One of a Top Five that included James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell and Carole King. Jesse makes a return trip to Union after playing as part of the Saltwater Songwriter Series in 2022, a debut trip that began with a memorable performance and ended colorfully with an unintentional dunk into the waters of Hood Canal during the Hoodstock Festival just before he left for the airport.
Will Kimbrough
was already well known in Americana music circles as a writer, producer and instrumentalist who had written for and collaborated with John Prine, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Rodney Foster, Little Feat and Todd Snider, among others, but the Mobile, Alabama native achieved legend status when it was revealed that it was he who got the call from Jimmy Buffett to co-write what would be the lead single on the posthumously released album that appeared at or near the top of four Billboard album charts in 2023. “Bubbles Up,” immediately embraced by his fans as Buffett’s parting words, uses the common advice given to sailors and divers as a reassuring metaphor for navigating the challenges and confusion of life. The recording features a bass track by Sir Paul McCartney, who called it his favorite track on the album and the best vocal performance of Buffett’s 55-year career. Kimbrough is also actively involved in Songwriting with Soldiers, one of several programs that pairs returning veterans with professional songwriters for the creative and healing experience of setting their stories to music. Will is a 2025 Grammy nominee for Best American Roots Song for “Blame it on Eve.”
Donny Brewer
returns to Union after wowing local audiences with his energy and extraordinary musicianship as part of the Saltwater Songwriters Series in 2023. The Texas-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist enjoys an international following that includes thousands of Parrot Heads, whose discovery of Donny and his catalog of beach and drinking songs has made him royalty in the trop rock genre, as evidenced by his collection of 25 Trop Rock Music Awards in the last decade, including a record six Entertainer of the Year trophies.
Aubrey Wollett
Making a return trip to Union after first performing here in 2023, Aubrey Wollett returns as the reigning TRMA Female Vocalist of the Year, with her latest single “Bottle it Up” charting among the favorites of trop rock fans around the country.
Eric Erdman
Four-time TRMA Songwriter of the Year, Eric Erdman is a sought-after songwriting partner whose original songs have recently appeared on albums by the Red Clay Strays, including a track on the Grammy-nominated soundtrack album for the blockbuster hit movie Twisters. His long-running YouTube series “Fresh Song Fridays” features the debut of a new Eric Erdman song every week. Eric is becoming a favorite in the area, making his fourth visit to Union in recent years.
El Wencho
This high-energy duo has been a secret outside of their native Montana, but their rabid fan base has been following them to festivals and destination events around the country the continent from Key West to Central America to Seattle. Their first ever visit to Union promises to be a highlight of the festival.
“Aloha Steve” Molnar
is a Florida Keys-based in-demand master of the pedal steel guitar, one of the hardest instruments to master. Steve will be on hand to accompany many of the festival’s songwriters, making his first ever trip to the state of Washington.
Honey Babe
This Union-based trio is fronted by the powerful voice of Cailley Robinson, who partnered with co-writer and singer-guitarist Steve Madsen to apply her classically trained vocals and poetry to a repertoire of original rootsy Americana songs. The trio is rounded out by popular local percussionist known as Freddy Bear.
David Ashby
is a hometown musical hero whose original songs have become local anthems and who has recently been discovered by a national audience following his broadcast performances at Peace Love & Union and performances and co-writing projects with nationally known touring artists.
John Patti
Perhaps the nation’s premier steel pan player, John is well known in songwriter circles for his ability to make everyone sound bette, whether with accompaniment on his signature instrument or on a variety of percussion instruments.
Jessica Willis Fisher
Jessica Willis Fisher is an accomplished fiddler and singer-songwriter who draws comparisons to superstars Alison Kraus and Dolly Parton. She got the world’s attention as the front woman for her gamily band The Willis Clan, but behind the scenes, that family band was in the controlling and abusive grip of a father who abused her and her siblings. Her first solo album Brand New Day, which People calls a “musical masterpiece” and her memoire Unspeakable were released in 2022, the first steps in a healing musical journey that has also made Jessica a frequent public speaker on trauma recovery and healing.
Our Sponsors:
Schedule
Three days of music at the main venue are bookended by events up the hill at the Alderbrook Golf Club. Full schedule coming soon.
A portion of the festival revenue benefits the following charity partners: Harmony Hill Healing Retreat, Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, Salmon for Soldiers, & Parrot Heads of Puget Sound
Parrot Heads of Puget Sound is a nonprofit organization and a sanctioned chapter of Parrot Heads in Paradise, the international Jimmy Buffett-inspired group that has donated raised and donated 65 million dollars and and nearly 5 million hours of volunteer service in the 21st century, and having too much fun along the way, pursuant to their mission to “Party with a Purpose.” PHoPS volunteers will be volunteering on site at the event, helping to raise funds for the other charity partners
Harmony Hill’s mission is to transform the lives of those affected by cancer and to inspire healthy living for all, whether seeking a retreat from daily life or wanting to make healthy lifestyle changes.
The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group strives to deepen the connection between land, people, and salmon through restoration, education, and research. Their mission is to ensure that wild salmon are once again abundant in the Pacific Northwest.
Salmon for Soldiers is a Non-Profit that provides free fishing events for our US Veterans and Active Duty Military Members. The mission of Salmon for Soldiers is to offer a sense of normalcy and relaxation to our nation’s Veterans through fishing.
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