This was my second time visiting Nashville, and I could not recommend it more. Some photos & recs are from May 2019 and some are from Sept 2020. As an aspiring songwriter myself, I was way more emotional than my friends. Here are the places we went to listen to live, original music (no covers):
The Listening Room (great brunch food)
Belcourt Taps (dive bar, more likely to see college students, but not exclusively)
Alley Taps (a short walk off Broadway, nice dive bar if you want a break from the crowded bars)
Standout bars & restaurants
Kung Fu (huge patio, private karaoke rooms!)
The Stillery (loved the food)
Shopping
Five Points (lots of shops here--Nancybgoods has cute clothes--not a ton of the smaller more eclectic shops are open due to COVID-19 though!)
Great recommendations! I have some friends in Nashville I plan to visit and will bring up these bars!