Sunday, April 13 Hattiesburg residents gathered to hear local talent perform at South City Records’ annual SCR Music Festival.

The organization, an independent student-run record label at The University of Southern Mississippi, brought many Mississippians together by inviting a variety of musicians to perform at the event.
According to www.festivaltransfers.com, the festival previously took place at Benny’s Boom Boom Room and featured artists such as Cardinal Sun and Oh, Jeremiah.

In 2014, the record label and the Keg and Barrel came together to create an even more diverse show for local music fans. The event took place around the backyard deck of the bar and drew in crowds from all
around the state.

According to the newly elected South City Records President Hunter White, the SCR festival featured talented musical artists including Chris Hartfield, The Squirms and Stellatone.

“We were able to cover a wide range of genres from hip-hop to country to rock, so we’re really proud of it,” White said. He discussed why the record company chose artists of different musical backgrounds and how he hopes the diversity in the festival will continue to attract bigger crowds.

The festival began with a short speech by former SCR President Drew Young. Young thanked everyone for coming out and those involved with the show. Afterwards, performer Chris Hartfield graced the stage.

Hartfield began his act by playing the song “Always be Crazy,” before playing other tunes, such as “Convoluted, “City of Thorns” and “Mary’s Away,” a song about a girl who ran away from home. Hartfield then talked about what inspires him to write many of his songs.

“It can be anything from sappy movies to political events,” Hartfield said. “I mean, it just varies.”

The Squirms entertained guests with a few more upbeat songs before DaCon and Soup Kitchen entered the stage. Afterwards, Somethin’ Sweet and Scott Chism and the Better Half performed. This event was a rare occasion for Scott Chism and the Better Half due to the fact that all of the band members were present during the performance.

The festival also featured band merchandise, as well as t-shirts advertising South City Records. Guests also had the opportunity to purchase “Sounds from the ‘Burg” and “Hattiesburg: Unplugged,” CDs that feature music from many musical talents around the area.