We were lucky to catch up with Rachel Sellick recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

It was quite an odd one but really easy one. I really wanted a name that represented me… a bold, probably quite fierce, and determined women in business, but kind-hearted, loving, and passionate. I have always loved the name Scarlet and also appreciate the colour it brings! BUT, I knew that most companies tend to have two works in their name, and Scarlet Management or Scarlet PR didn’t quite cut it. I was on a driving lesson and my instructer said ‘What about Two Rivers’ since I live between the Wye and the River Severn. That’s where is came… Scarlet River!

Rachel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hey! I’m Rachel Sellick. I’m a third year PhD student in Neuroscience and Founder of Scarlet River PR, a UK-based public relations firm that specialises in modern country and Americana music. I grew up surrounded by music, but at the time, had no ambition to be involved in the industry. I loved Science and that was my chosen career path. I went to Undergrad and Graduate School and obtained an honours Degree, and masters degree in Anatomy/Translational Medicine, but during that time, had been going to music festivals, listening to country music, and enjoying what I got from listening to music.

In 2017 (my final year of undergraduate school), I went to Country2Country at the O2 Arena, London. I met lots of people over the weekend, but most notably, a couple of people who were in the music industry, they were looking to release country music at the end of the year. At the time, I wasn’t aware that there was a country music scene in the UK apart from all of us being fans of US country artists, but there you had it… By November 2017, I was working with country-pop artist Danny McMahon who I helped release his first country music EP, tour the US and the UK, and he was nominated (and won) multiple British and UK Country Music Awards. Following this initial success, I become intrigued by how I could help multiple artists in the scene, but I didn’t feel that I had a reputation and that’s where the idea of starting a business came to light. At the end of 2019, I founded Scarlet River Management. I began working with multiple UK artists, organising tours, hosting events, and working on marketing of releases.

BUT, as COVID-19 hit, many artists that I knew had recorded music but were too scared to release it. I felt that by this point, I’d been so fortunate to meet music industry professionals and network with the country music scene that I could offer a service – public relations. I started working with artists on a project basis, promoting their music to media outlets and radio. I enjoyed this so much more than management, and at the beginning of 2022, I made the transition to ‘Scarlet River PR’.

At the end of 2022, I was really fortunate to spend two months in Nashville, building relationship, and networking with the US industry. I am now building a team at Scarlet River PR, working with record label and large independent artists in UK touring, and PR. I am so excited for what the next couple of years will offer!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

One thing that I have always prided myself on, is that I am present and build unique PR campaigns with each client. I want the client to be a part of the process and feel like they can communicate with me throughout a campaign. Some artists utilise this more than others, but that’s always up to them! I feel that this has helped build rapport, trust, respect and reputation in the industry.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I’ve been very fortunate that many clients have come from word of mouth. I always feel blessed when a new client says that they have had me recommended to them by a friend. However, in 2023, I have also started working with an SEO company to build my google presence so that I can reach clients worldwide.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.scarletriverpr.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/scarletriverpr
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/scarletriverpr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelsellick/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/scarletriverpr
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@scarletriverpr1883

Image Credits
Erin Fliegel