BEHIND THE SCENES + SONGS WITH CANADIAN/AMERICAN COUNTRY ARTIST, BRITTANY KENNELL
1. YOU’VE GOT A BRAND NEW SINGLE OUT CALLED “EAT DRINK REMARRY,” TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SONG AND THE STORY BEHIND IT.
I REMEMBER WRITING THIS SONG AT BMG WITH EMILY REID. I GOT THE TITLE FROM A BOOK I WAS READING AT THE TIME AND LOVED THE CONCEPT. MY PARENTS AT THAT POINT HAD RECENTLY SPLIT UP SO I FELT LIKE I HAD SOME RELATIVE INPUT TO THE IDEA - LITTLE DID I KNOW I WOULD EVENTUALLY BE SINGING THIS SONG ABOUT MY OWN SITUATION. IT’S DEFINITELY GIVEN MY COMFORT AND TAKEN A DEEPER MEANING OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
2. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT LIVING IN CANADA AND DOING MUSIC.
CANADA IS A SPECIAL PLACE; IT’S PEACEFUL, WITH A LOT OF NICE, DOWN TO EARTH PEOPLE. A LOT OF GREAT ARTISTS HAVE COME FROM CANADA OVER THE YEARS AND I CAN ONLY HOPE TO FOLLOW IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS. I FEEL PROUD; IT’S MY HOME, MY ROOTS AND A PLACE WHERE I FEEL DEEPLY CONNECTED.
DON’T GET ME WRONG, I LOVE MY FELLOW AMERICAN NEIGHBOR, BUT THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.
3. LET’S HEAR A BIT ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY AND EXPERIENCES AS A CROSS-GENRE, INTERNATIONAL ARTIST:
NASHVILLE WAS ANOTHER DREAM BUT IT WAS ALSO A BOOTCAMP THAT PULLED ME IN SO MANY DIRECTIONS. I MOVED THERE WITH $600 AND NOT A CLUE OR CONNECTION IN SITE. I STARTED WORKING AT A COUNTRY CLUB WHERE I MADE A LOT OF MY FRIENDS AND MUSIC CONNECTIONS (A LOT OF LABEL EXECS WERE MEMBERS AND KINDLY INTRODUCED ME TO PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRY). WHENEVER I WASN’T WORKING AT THE CLUB I WAS IN A WRITING SESSION OR PLAYING A WRITERS ROUND (I USED TO GO PLAY THE GOOD OL’ OPEN MIC AT THE COMMODORE AFTER A SHIFT AT 11 PM). I HUSTLED HARD TO MEET AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, BE AT THE TOP SHOWCASES, AND GET IN THE RIGHT ROOMS WITH WRITERS AND PUBLISHERS.
MY NASHVILLE STORIES ARE ENDLESS - SEEING KACEY MUSGRAVES, CHRIS STAPLETON, MAREN MORRIS IN TINY PACKED CLUBS - ALL BEFORE THEIR CAREERS TOOK OFF. SINGING KARAOKE FOR KACEY AT SANTA’S PUB, SITTING IN ON HER LISTENING PARTY AT THE PLANETARIUM, PERFORMING FOR MIRANDA LAMBERT AT OUR YEARLY HALLOWEEN SHOWS - JUST SO MANY MAGICAL STORIES AND MOMENTS THAT I’LL NEVER FORGET. AS FOR MY SOUND, I WAS ALWAYS IN THE COUNTRY/AMERICANA LANE UNTIL I WENT ON THE VOICE. POST-SHOW I FELT REALLY CONFUSED THAT AFTER ALL THE WORK I’D DONE I STILL COULDN’T FIND A HOME OR ANYONE WHO BELIEVED IN ME (TURNS OUT, I JUST NEEDED TO BELIEVE IN MYSELF) I GAVE POP MUSIC A TRY, WHICH WAS A LOT OF FUN BUT WASN’T ME. ONCE I MOVED HOME TO MONTREAL, 8 YEARS LATER, TO RECONNECT WITH MYSELF AND MY ROOTS, I WAS REMINDED OF THE MUSIC I LOVED IN THE FIRST PLACE: THE ONE I MOVED TO NASHVILLE FOR. NASHVILLE GAVE ME THE INSPIRATION AND THE HARDSHIP I NEEDED, MONTREAL GAVE ME THE HOME.
4. SPEAKING OF HOME, AT THE MOMENT WE’RE ALL STUCK AT IN OUR HOUSES AND APARTMENTS. WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ONCE WE’RE BACK TO REALITY?
I WANT TO SEE MY FAMILY SO BAD - THE LONGEST I’VE GONE WITHOUT SEEING THEM WAS 7 MONTHS BUT IT’S DIFFERENT WHEN THEY ARE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET AND I CAN’T SPEND TIME WITH THEM. I’M ALSO ALONE IN A 600 SQUARE FOOT APARTMENT SO HUMAN CONTACT WILL BE NICE! I ALSO CAN’T WAIT TO STEP FOOT AND READ IN COFFEE SHOP AGAIN *NERD ALERT*.
5. WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO ALBUM FOR QUARANTINE?
MY LATEST ALBUM THAT I’VE GOT ON REPEAT IS ‘ODE TO A FRIEND’ BY OLD SEA BRIGADE (GREAT MUSIC FOR A RAINY MORNING OR TO GET YOU THROUGH SOME WORK TASKS. "STAY UP" AND "WANT IT AGAIN" ARE MY FAVORITES!)
6. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR UP-AND-COMING ARTISTS?
-LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BY PUTTING YOURSELF IN ROOMS WITH THE BEST OF THE BEST.
- JUST DO - PLAY SHOWS, RECORD MUSIC, WRITE SONGS (THE MORE YOU DO SOMETHING THE BETTER YOU'LL GET)
- BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND STAY TRUE TO WHO ARE
- TAKE A STEP BACK EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE AND LIVE SOME LIFE
7. WHAT’S NEXT FOR BRITTANY KENNELL? TELL US WHAT YOU’RE EXCITED ABOUT.
CURRENTLY, WE ARE WORKING ON RELEASING THE NEXT SINGLE BEFORE WE PUT OUT AN EP IN THE FALL. WE HAD SO MANY AMAZING SHOWS AND FESTIVALS LINED UP FOR THE SUMMER BUT AT THIS POINT, FOR GOOD REASON, THEY WILL HAVE TO TAKE THE BACKSEAT. I DON’T DOUBT WE’LL BE HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING AS SOON AS IT’S SAFE TO DO SO.
ALSO, STAY TUNED ON BIBLIOCLIQUE, AN ONLINE BOOK CLUB I HAVE WITH AUBRIE SELLERS - WE HAVE SOME FUN THINGS IN THE WORKS!
