The exciting announcements keep coming! 

We’re so excited to announce that Songwriter Sanctuary has been awarded a grant from Ability Central to support ASL services for the remainder of the 2026 season. It has long been our goal to provide ASL at our concerts (not just as a response to accommodation requests but as a standard offering). 

In 2025, we were only able to offer ASL services at one concert. When the 2026 season started, we were excited to increase to four shows. Thanks to this generous sponsorship, that number will now climb to eight. We’re so grateful to Ability Central for partnering with us to expand access and remove barriers.

Please note: We're currently confirming dates and providers with our partners at Deaf Community Services of San Diego and will post updated accessibility information on the homepage show calendar as well as Instagram as soon as possible! Thanks for your patience!

Exciting news, friends! Songwriter Sanctuary San Diego is the proud recipient of San Diego Pride's Larry T. Baza Arts and Culture Award! We will be accepting the award at the Spirit of Stonewall Rally on Friday, July 17 alongside other honorees. This year's rally will take place at 535 Robinson Ave (across from the Brass Rail) at 6pm. All are welcome and it's free to attend!

We'll also have a small marching contingent in the following day's Pride Parade alongside our venue partner Normal Heights United. If you're an artist or supporter who'd like to participate, please reach out for more details!

While we're on the topic of Pride festivities, please save the date for our annual Pride concert on Friday, June 26. The event will be presented with Raspberry Management and will feature The Dimes, Saint Misty, Daddy with Pre-show Pantry Jam busking by Julian Forest. We also hope to provide ASL for the sanctuary portion of the show - follow us on Instagram for updates!

Our 2026 Pride collage is a tribute to our alumni and scheduled LGBTQ+ performers, as well as many ally artists and partners who support our work. Thanks to those who consented to be included before the given deadline...apologies if we missed anyone, but it was a quick turnaround! Our hearts are full to receive so much love from everyone in our greater community.

San Diego musicians are leaving San Diego. Let's talk about it, shall we?

The industry exploits. + The city extracts. = Artists exit.

I don't think it has to be this way, but I also don't think we can gig or grant-application our way out of it.

Songwriter Sanctuary San Diego's new Artist Access Network is all about connecting our roster of 100+ (& growing!) artists with sustained community care. Think light lifts, immediate impact, and reciprocal relationships.

If you or your company can extend a service, resource, or access point (from business, to creative, to wellness, to basic needs, and beyond), there is a place for you here.

Offers are on your terms and your term limits. Examples include:
Comps, consults, discounts, education, gear, gift cards, housing/rental discounts, memberships, products, rentals, repair, services, sessions, waived fees, etc.
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Benefits of making an offer:
The obvious benefit is generating leads via a growing community of ambitious, talented professionals. Then there's also the extended digital and physical reach via endorsement within our greater network of attendees, email subscribers, social followers, etc.

Submit an offer now, or scroll down to our FAQ to learn more!

Artist Access Network FAQ
Q: What is the Artist Access Network?
The Artist Access Network (AAN) is an ecosystem of local businesses, creatives, and community partners offering tangible support to Songwriter Sanctuary's growing roster of over 100 artists, and if they choose, to the broader creative/local community at large. It’s built on the simple fact that local musicians need more than gigs and grants to afford life in San Diego, and the understanding that creative and caring people can come together to build new systems of care.

Q: Why now?
We've witnessed far too many of our musician friends pack up and move, disillusioned by an industry that extracts and a city that is too expensive to survive. At the same time, arts funding is often first on the chopping block when it's time to trim the deficit. If we can't trust our public officials to protect us, we need to protect each other.

Q: Who is able to access these offers?
Offers can be shared privately with Songwriter Sanctuary’s artist roster (the community we directly serve), and/or made public for the broader network of creatives and patrons. Public-facing offers help reach more people, but we understand that flexibility matters for different types of contributions.

Q: What kinds of offers are accepted?
Anything goes! Think: comps, consults, discounts, education, gear, memberships, products, rentals, repairs, services, sessions, waived fees, etc. Offers are completely on the business owner's terms: private or public, evergreen or limited by date or quantity - it's totally up to the business how and when to contribute! 

Q: Can I submit multiple offers at once?
Yep! Feel free to submit a few offers at a time, various offers for different services, one public and one private, etc. We do our best to keep the AAN streamlined and easy to navigate, so we may group or limit similar offers to avoid overwhelming the space.

Q: If I contribute an offer, does that automatically grant me access to all the other offers from other businesses?
If you are a Songwriter Sanctuary alumni or scheduled artist, you will have access to any private offer. This includes anyone who has accompanied a featured performer. (Please contact us to make sure you are on our newsletter list!) If you are not a Songwriter Sanctuary alumni or scheduled artist, you will be able to see all public offers in the public-facing AAN Resource Hub. Beyond that, the specifics of each offer will vary, so make sure to read terms carefully.

Q: Why can't I access other offers if I've contributed an offer?
Not all contributing members have the capacity to open up their offers to other contributing members. For example, a single photographer offering a few discounted sessions may not have the capacity to offer their discount/services to contributing members who have multiple employees (for example, a cafe). Furthermore, Songwriter Sanctuary SD does not have the administrative, financial, or technical capacity at this time to operationalize such an undertaking. Contributing members are, however, welcome to make their offers public and they of course are welcome to peruse and take advantage of other public offerings.

Q: If I can't access the private offers, then why participate and contribute an offer?
In addition to listing your company and/or offer on our public Resource Hub and/or private AAN page (your choice!), we will use our marketing and communication channels (socials/newsletters, etc.) to put your business in front of hundreds of local creatives, arts patrons, and community members. More than that, we will be using our relationships and community connection skills to hype you up in our daily conversations with other local artists and consumers. 

Q: I've heard the AAN described as a mini mutal aid network. Please explain.
Our project is rooted in four mutual aid principles that reflect a spirit of solidarity with all who participate:

• Reciprocal Care: We do our best to look out for each other.
• Honored Capacity: Members contribute to AAN only what they are sustainably able to give and Songwriter Sanctuary SD organizes AAN in a way that honors their own administrative, financial, and technical capacity.
• Choice: Participation and support are always voluntary.
• Equity over Equality: Guided by care, capacity, and choice, specific benefits are reserved for Songwriter Sanctuary artists whose needs we are legally and operationally focused on serving. That said, we encourage all public offers and happily share them with the broader community when it is sustainable for AAN and our partner businesses.

Q: Ok, great. I want to make an offer. How do I do that?
You can submit an offer at any time! After review, we will generally list offers within a week from submission.

Q: What if I want to edit or remove my offer?
No problem! Just drop us an email and we'll make the change within one business day! Contributing members retain the right to reassess the terms of or withdraw their contribution at any time. Likewise, Songwriter Sanctuary SD reserves the right to remove listings, offers, or participation at any time in order to protect the wellbeing, trust, and safety of our community.

Q: This isn't for me. Now what?
Cool, no sweat! Not everything is for everyone. Lots of room for everyone to build the systems that do work for them. Best wishes!

Q: I can't make an offer at this time, but I would love to list my business on the Resource Hub.
You can share any business info or resource with us for review! If it's helpful to local creatives, we'll get it listed!

Songwriter Sanctuary alum Ben Parks continues to prove that authenticity is its own art form. Raised in the South and rooted in gospel music, Ben has spent the past few years reshaping his sound and sense of self. His latest release, Ecotone, Pt. II (out November 7), captures that evolution with shimmering indie pop production and lyrics that balance vulnerability with quiet confidence.

The new five-song EP follows Ecotone, Pt. I, expanding on its themes of faith, identity, and belonging. Tracks like “All My Love” and “Attachment Theory” reveal an artist who has grown more grounded and self-assured without losing the emotional depth that first drew listeners in.

We’re so proud to see Ben carving out space in the San Diego music scene and beyond. Make sure to stream Ecotone, Pt. II, follow Ben on your favorite platforms, and check out the next Songwriter Sanctuary event to discover your new favorite local artist.

Stream ‘Ecotone, Pt. II’

San Diego-based indie artist, Songwriter Sanctuary alumni Mariela will release her debut LP The Underglow on October 10. The ten song collection from Rachel Hall (the singer-songwriter/producer behind the moniker) is a raucous gender-affirming revelry that invites anyone who’s ever been ostracized to report to the dance floor for some rock candy pop music therapy.
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New tunes include:

• “Fall in Love Again” (party starter co-written with The Voice contestants Leah Colon and Sav Walters of the indie-pop duo MisterMoon.)
• “The Underglow” (sexy closer co-written with Grammy-winner Melody Walker).
• “Dust” (nostalgic confessional, co-written with Brenden St. Gelais).
• “Don’t Pretend” (razor sharp callout to the ones who pretend to care).

Fans may also recognize previously released singles including: 

• “Santa Ana” (early single signaling Hall’s arrival as Mariela).
• “Don’t Fence Me In” (bold closer co-written with Latifah Alattas of Page CXVI).
• “Brandy” (flirty romp produced by longtime collaborator Tommy E. Nixon). 
• “Therapist Said” (vulnerable breakup ballad co-written with Lily Wecks).
• “Moriah” (triumphant rejection of evangelical bigotry, another Walker co-write).
• “The Girls of Summer” (playful queer twist on a Don Henley classic, reimagined with Songwriter Sanctuary curator Lindsay White.)​

The album’s sound comes to life through a network of trusted friends and collaborators. Producer Tommy E. Nixon and guitarist Luke Gibson anchor much of the record, joined by an ensemble of musicians and friends who’ve helped shape The Underglow into both a personal capstone and communal celebration.