September 12–14, 2025 · Lake of the Woods
The most recent one — another long weekend of writing, sharing songs, and the usual mix of focused work and downtime by the water.
Songwriting Retreats
A weekend away to actually finish something
A couple of times a year, Sun Dogs runs a small songwriting retreat out on Lake of the Woods. Same idea every time: a handful of songwriters, a few days with no real schedule to speak of, and enough quiet to get some real writing done. Spots are kept small on purpose — it just works better that way.
What it's like
Long weekends, loosely structured
Each retreat runs Friday to Sunday. Mornings are for writing — sometimes alone, sometimes in small groups, working through lyrics, melodies, arrangements, whatever the song needs. Afternoons leave room to break, walk, eat, and reset. Evenings are for playing what you've got for each other and getting feedback that's actually useful, not just polite. After that, it's open — keep writing, sit by a fire, or call it a night.
Nobody leaves with a finished album. Most people leave with a song or two further along than they were on Friday, and a clearer sense of how they like to write.
Past Retreats
Three weekends so far
April 11–13, 2025 · Poplar Bay, Lake of the Woods
A weekend split between solo writing time and small-group collaboration, with a sharing session Saturday night and a final stretch on Sunday for finishing touches and rough recordings.
March 28–30, 2025 · Lake of the Woods
The first one, and the retreat that set the pattern the others have followed since — writing blocks, songs played around the room at night, and a campfire when the weather cooperated.
Want to be there for the next one?
Retreats don't run on a fixed schedule — they happen when the timing and the group come together. The best way to hear about the next one is to get in touch or keep an eye on Instagram, where it usually gets announced first.