If you are from the UK and a country fan, you'll probably know of Country2Country Festival, a full-weekend dedicated to celebrating some of the best country music artists across the globe. Unfortunately we were only able to make it to the O2 arena for Sunday however, even this one day was enough to fill my (Rachel) heart with joy... a day that combined business networking, catching up with friends and discovering new music!
Businesses you must check out!
As soon as we arrived at the O2 arena, we headed straight to the Town Square to catch Caitlyn Smith (we'll get to that later). The Town Square is the 'go to' for merchandise - whether you are after new cowboy boots, jewelry, or a Margarita, you'll find it here. Here are just two companies that we think you'll LOVE.
ZUT London was created 30 years ago by two Columbian friends with a passion for elegance. The inspiration remains the same today; exquisite leather, suede and wool, with the essence of Colombia for the stylish, classic and contemporary woman.
We were fortunate to meet Cat and try on some of the collection... and maybe even buy a piece or two!
Bro-Kin Strings may already be familiar to you but, if they aren't then they should be! Neil creates hand made bracelets and earrings from new or used guitar strings in addition to wooden guitar picks which can be laser engraved to make the perfect gift. At Scarlet River, we are incredibly grateful for the support and love that this company has given us over the course of the last year and definitely endorse all that they do!
The Music We Loved!
One of the great things about C2C festival is the opportunity to explore and be introduced to some incredible artists across all genres of the country music scene. Here are just three of the artists that we were blown away by and think you'll love!
Caitlyn Smith
I (Rachel) was introduced to Caitlyn Smith just over a year and have always been in awe of her songwriting ability and exquisite vocals (which arguably sound better live than on the record). Whilst most country artists will tell the story of their songs and perform it well, Caitlyn takes this to another level completely. You can literally see the feeling and the emotion she feels in her eyes - so much so that I must have cried to ~80% of the songs she performed... Her brand new album 'High' will be released on 8th April 2022.
Find out more here: http://www.caitlynsmith.com/
Breland
I must admit, Breland was never on my list of artists that I was desperate to see but, after seeing lots of posts on social media across the weekend I thought it was worth going to see what all the fuss was about... goodness me!! I would have missed out.
Listen to Breland's fully produced music and you'll find a collection of up-beat hip-hop influenced country music so one might expect to hear a full-band set complete with backing tracks and synthesisers but instead, a quirky, geeky and bubbly young man hopped on to the stage with his guitarist for an acoustic set... and what a set it was! Down-to-earth, honest and true to himself. An incredible vocal performance that had everyone on their feet, going to church!
'Country music can come from anywhere'
Find out more here: https://www.brelandmusic.com/
Tenille Arts
The Canadian artist and singer-songwriter graced the stage with her sparkles and humble character. Already named Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the MusicRow Awards and claiming her first #1 with 'Somebody Like That', it is clear that this young lady has an incredibly bright future!
Find out more here: https://www.tenillearts.com/
Who were your artists of the weekend? Let us know in the comments.
One big family!
I have always loved the UK country music scene for the people! Scarlet River PR exists today because of the people that we've met and the relationships we've built over the last couple of years - those who supported an ambitious idea that eventually became a reality. One such person that we want to shout out is Kellie Lou from Bring Country 2 UK. I (Rachel) met Kellie a few years ago and this lady has been a rock, a supporter and a listener since day one! Not only does she write well thought-out and honest reviews but, she's become a life long friend!
For me, these friendships make country music!
