From Boston Streets to Country Beats w/ Louie Bello #53

Who doesn’t love a good feel good song, or maybe just something with a good tune that makes you smile. Well on this episode of the SO NE POD we are going to introduce you to singer/song writer Mr. Lou Bello!! Lou performs all over New England showing people you don’t have to be from the south to crush country music! With his Boston roots making music was always a passion for Lou, he shares how it all started and how it’s all going. Lou discusses the challenges in the music industry but also how rewarding any success can be. He shares some fun stories on tour and also brings us in to discuss how being a dad makes him the man he is. Another amazing New Englandah on the pod and we hope you enjoy. And remember folks Life’s Bettah in New England!

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
From Maine's cold coast to Connecticut pride Vermont green
hills ticket all insurance Massachusetts traffic was ripped
and we grind with a. Dunkin iced coffee and no peace
of. Mind so new shouting way.
Shouting loud from thin. Weight chance to Rhode Island

(00:23):
tide New Hampshire's crime. Free or die so New England with.
Ian Brown Mill. Good freaking morning from New
England folks, and welcome back to episode 53 of the So New
England Podcast. I am your host Ian Brownhill
flying solo today because my Co host RJ Travisano is sick,

(00:45):
unfortunately. So we're going to be rocking out
without him. But he is here in spirit.
All things life's better New England.
So New England podcast producer Vinnie G behind the camera
making all the magic happen. And as always, guys, we try our
best, we go out of our way, we do our due diligence, and we
find you guys some of the best guests that we can possibly get

(01:05):
on this podcast to represent ourbeautiful New England region.
Now, since R JS not here, I'm going to read his introduction
for today's guest and hopefully I can do him some justice.
So here we go. Today's guest hails from the one
and only Bean Town, which some would say is the Mecca of New
England, a melting pot of the sorts.
And today's guest brings 2 worlds together as he combines

(01:27):
his love for his New England roots with some good old
fashioned southern hospitality. With hits like Country Girls and
Ain't Trying to Be a Cowboy, ourguest adds his flair to the
genre that is already known for its storytelling, lyrics, and
ballads that will knock your socks off.
With nearly 100 gay followers between his TikTok and

(01:47):
Instagram, our guest has toured all over the US and even stepped
overseas to share his music withour European brothers and
sisters. And his music doesn't get you.
And if his music doesn't get yougoing, his great attitude and
funny jokes absolutely will. And he's a damn good dad as
well. So without further ado, it is

(02:08):
our great pleasure here on the Snow New England Podcast to
welcome Louis Bello. What's up?
What's up, kid? Louis God, we have been trying
for a minute to get this going. It's it's been a while and I
apologize. I apologize.
You're 'cause I think busy man we met.
Like I think we met like a year ago.
I was just thinking about that with the fellas.
What? So where were?

(02:28):
That was at Gillette. But what?
Was that Joe Andrewsie's? Was it the Andrewsie Foundation?
Awesome. I was singing a couple songs,
you guys were walking by and it was.
Great. And we we've been connected ever
since, man. It's been a great journey
watching you, watching you on Instagram, getting connected and
learning a little bit about you.And man, I got to be honest with
you, I didn't realize that your footprint spanned so long for

(02:51):
such a long, successful career. It's, it's long.
I'll say, I don't know should I say how long?
But it's been a long. It's been over 20 something
years. I know.
That's incredible. That is incredible.
Well, congratulations to the success.
Thank you. And of course, thank you so much
for making time today. No, we finally connected.
This is what we've been trying to do.
So this is this is great. I love it and I tell you what,
on a regular basis you'll be asking the hard hitting

(03:12):
questions here in New England. You like those conversation
going, and I absolutely love it.I love it.
But before we dive into the social aspect of your career,
let's get into the roots. Who is Louis Bello man?
Boston boy? Let's hear it.
How did you get to where you aretoday?
Boston kid born in a triple Decker in Jamaica Plain, moved
to Hyde Park, Spent like 25 years in Hyde Park and my dad

(03:36):
was a musician. So a funny story.
I'll tell you this quick story because people ask me how I
started music, so I don't really.
I play a little bit of instruments, like just enough to
write. I became a songwriter and but
mostly I'm an entertainer. I'm I'm just the guy that jumps
around. Used to, I don't take my shirt
off as much anymore. I don't go to the gym as much,
but I used to do that stuff. But I'm the guy who jump in the
bar. I get the crowd going.
So I became an entertainer through watching my dad.

(03:58):
But my dad gave up his dreams when I was born.
So he had a chance to go to tourin Japan with his band.
He had like a nine piece horn band and he stayed home because
I was being born. So I, I'm going to say that I
wasn't a mistake then because hepurposely stayed home.
I think if I was a mistake, he might have went.
But so that always that stigma always carried with me is I like
kind of dived into the music business.

(04:18):
And so I kind of started singingand writing, and I realized you
could pick up girls as a lead singer.
Drummer. I would imagine so.
I've heard through the Grapevine.
Yep. Drummers and lead singers, I
feel like the two in guitar players and bass players.
Sorry guys, I'm not trying to throw you on the bus, but I feel
like watching the the situation unfold for 30 years.
I'm like the drummer always getting hot chicks and the

(04:39):
singers always get chicks, so the other guys get chicks too.
Don't get me wrong. They're going to kill me.
My band's going. To kill me but.
So I just, you know, I I loved Iloved music.
I loved the feeling you got. I went to end up going to school
in Northeast and I graduated from Northeastern graphic
design. So I was an artist.
Oh, cool. Some art here.
There you go. Oh, yeah.
What? Northeastern or just not
Northeastern? Yeah.

(04:59):
Graphic designer. It's a graphic designer.
Yeah, so. And I did construction, did
roofing, did everything I could possibly do under the sun to put
myself to school and when I get out I got laid off.
Art department gets laid off first if anybody in any
business. I got laid off 3 times, went
back to doing construction and remodeling, and then and then I
just, I got sick one day. I got mono one day and I was out

(05:20):
of work for three weeks with no money.
So I was like, I got to get a better job while I'm trying to
do this music stuff. Yeah, I end up doing teaching.
I started doing substitute teaching in Boston Public
Schools. Oh, OK.
And I've been, then I, I've beendoing it ever since.
So I teach and I travel and tour.
So it's like it just became thisway of making money and actually
connecting with the kids. And right, right.

(05:40):
It went from like, I'm just doing this for some some extra
money to like, I kind of like this, but I never wanted to
commit fully. So I would just keep touring and
just the years kept going by andI'm like, shit, I'm still
teaching. Like, OK, I'm just going to stay
teaching too, you know? Yeah, just it worked out.
I was very blessed. So that's the short.
That's the short. There's so many stories went on
in between. But that's like the short story

(06:01):
of how I continue to do my craftand and, you know, survive.
This was. Amazing.
Now, what draws you to music? And I asked this specifically
because my oldest brother is a sound engineer, music producer,
and he went to Berkeley early admission when he was like 16
for guitar playing. So I grew like grew up in a
house where like my brother had a band in the basement playing

(06:24):
three nights a week. I grew up listening to like
heavy metal and rock like 24/7. Pretty sure that's why I have
tinnitus. You know what I mean?
By the time I was like 10, he'd already blown my eardrums out.
Shout out Patrick for that. Thanks, brother.
And, you know, but like, I just as a fellow artist, although I'm
not in the music scene, I'm always intrigued by like, what
is it? What is that makes a musician

(06:44):
tick? And like specifically you?
Where does that come from? Well, we're all super weird, so,
you know, your brother's probably weird too.
I'm weird as hell, like everybody I know that's in the
music because you, you pick a first of all, you got to love
music, but then you pick a career in music.
It's probably the worst career to pick as far as like the like
the the A&B, like the safe careers and then like the what
the fuck is wrong with your career?
Like it's. Music, it's like that so

(07:05):
unpredictable, So you got to love it.
You got to love what you do, whether you're behind the scenes
as an engineer or you're out in front with guitar.
You got to love like the feelingof creating.
So like, you know, you make an instrument, make sound.
It's like just to get like a little baby like like you, just
you just like, it's like crazy. It's like when you drink your
Duncans on your. Stuff it's like, that's it,
baby. Right.
That's right. Got it.
That's right. You got the Duncans.
It's like you have that feeling of like euphoria for a minute,

(07:26):
like, and that's what music doesto most people that I think
everybody, at least when you start out, you know, for me it
was being on stage and seeing people react to like, singing a
good note and you kind of like it.
It's like it still weirds me outnow sometimes.
You know, you do a show and people clapping and you just
like, like, I feel like I just sang.

(07:46):
Like I just sang a song. You guys liked it.
And then you're like, oh shit, this is really cool.
Like it just it doesn't it, it takes a long time to sink in,
but when it sinks in that you just feel like there's no other
feeling than than that. And then writing songs is even
better because you don't have tosing in front of them.
They're just streaming your song.
You might get Adm and somebody'slike, Oh my God, that song just
made me cry. I just lost somebody in my life

(08:07):
or I'm at a party and we're all getting drunk to your song.
It's like, either way, it's still that like, oh, that's so
dope. Like I did that and I did it and
I didn't even have to be next toyou and just like touch
somebody. So it, it, it's what keeps me
going. Because otherwise, if it was
like the financial aspect over the 30 years of doing this,
you'd be like, you would have quit 30 years ago, you know?

(08:27):
So, so would you, so would you say that writing songs is a
bigger passion for you? Do you, do you enjoy that more?
Or it's just like, over your career it's developed into that,
Like you're kind of moved away from the stage to that.
It's developed into that becauseI still do my shows and I love
it, but like and. You're a performer.
And what was that? Faneuil Hall the other day,
right? Or outside Fenway?
Where was the? Fenway, we're outside Fenway.

(08:48):
OK yeah. With big league Brian, the guy
on the stilts. Yeah.
Shadow Big league Brian. Yeah, Brian's funny man.
That's another whole character you should have Brian.
And he's been working for the Red Sox for like 30 years,
really doing the stilts. Oh, that's he's an entertainer
and everything else. So we've become friends over the
years. That gig there, like I started
doing that in 2016. The street shows.
OK, so I got to go to the all the World Series for free like

(09:10):
that we were in and like, oh, that's awesome doing the the
shows when they were playing in LA and there was there was a
rain delay and like everybody from LA and the Red Sox fans
were underneath right when the tunnel goes out when you first
walk in and get D. And then so they set our band up
there because it was raining andlike they had the fire
department shut us down because we had LA people dancing with
Boston people and it was crazy. So wow, that whole thing has

(09:33):
been a crazy experience. Was this before the Internet?
Because I don't know if I've ever seen that before.
LA and Boston people dancing together.
It was pretty cool, dude. It was It was pretty cool.
It was pretty cool. We had a bunch of LA people and
when they play them a couple weeks ago in Loretta's.
So I do a show with Loretta's every Thursday and they were in
for the game and it was probablylike they always outnumber Sox
fans, which is so weird to me. Whenever LA comes into New York
it's they always outnumber. Maybe not now because we're

(09:55):
doing good, but the last couple years.
But Loretta's there was probablylike 30 LA fans in there and
they were having a great time. I didn't even know that LA
people like country music. So it was it was interesting
dynamic of like what they knew for songs.
So cuz I was pulling out like myDre stuff and everything just
because it's like it's LA and they were like no play Morgan
wallet and I'm like, OK, let's go.
I'm like, let's do it. So when you do your shows, you

(10:18):
do a majority of cover or do youdo it's a mix?
How does that I'm, I'm curious, like I want to learn the levels
of this. So what's the thought process on
setting up a set like how you'rechoosing to perform?
Is it based on the crowd, how everyone's like responding kind
of like a DJ would be or? It is so am I because I've been
doing it so long I've been able to and my guys are like top
notch. So yeah, they hate me a lot of

(10:40):
times because I have a set list and then like third song in like
we have a a talk back mic. So you just click on the talk
back and only they can hear me. So we could talk crap about
people in the front and stuff like that.
Like yo see that dude dancing over there, You know what I
mean? Like and you just have to make
sure your foot's down 'cause sometimes I have not put my
foot. Down in APA to everyone.
Yo, check out that girl in the rant over there and she's like
hey. And I'm like, oh, sorry, hey,

(11:00):
what? You saying doing so it's like.
It's fun, but I'll, I'll be on the talk back all the time.
Be like, yeah, scratch that nextsong, go #7 you know, and do
this because I'll see what people are reacting to, right?
But that's when I do my cover shows, like when I do my
original ticketed shows, like it's more geared towards just my
originals. And we calculate the coverage.
We kind of know what crowd's coming 'cause it's like my, my

(11:22):
real fan base, right? So we have like two or three
covers and they have 4 covers, but then it's like like 10
originals with the Loretta showswhere we're mixing the originals
covers. It's kind of like you have that
30 song bass to pull from like aDJ, right?
It's not as easy like a DJ, but.You can't just press play.
Yeah, so a lot of times they'll they'll be stopping in the
middle and I just have to like work the crowd for like a minute

(11:43):
while everybody's like. TuneIn and.
What was that song again? We didn't even have that on the
list. Yeah, apologies.
Talking to each other and I'm like, you got it, you got it.
Let's go, guys. Oh, that's funny.
You just got to big up the guitar player like Maddie
Pizzone on guitar, and he's like, all right, screw it, let's
go. Let's.
Put them on the. Massaging.
It's massaging. That's it, that's it.
That's awesome, man. Now when it comes to writing

(12:07):
songs, how do you go about that?Because like, let me put it out
this way, I have always had a passion for creating like a
music video in my mind that matches the lyrics.
So yeah, like specific lyrics. Like every time I hear a song,
like I can visualize, I guess that's why TikTok is good for

(12:28):
me. I can visualize it like a movie.
Like I have a music video like boom, like ready to go.
Give me a camera and I could give you something cinematic for
this song. So I'm curious like on the the
writer's side, where does it start?
Like, is it a thought? Is it inspired by another song,
A person, a story like? All of it, all of it, all of it.

(12:49):
Oh man, it's like your own life.Like if you looked at my phone
right now, I have like, I think I have 4000 notes in my Apple,
like 4000 notes. And like out of that, damn, some
of it's groceries, some of it's,you know, like my mother asked
me to do something last week. It's like there.
But then it's like, I'll just write song lyrics summer and
then I'll have song ideas or summer.

(13:10):
That's where the, my, my latest release that we just, we just
put out came from one of my notes.
I, I just got an idea and it was, it was warm out a couple
weeks ago. And I was like, Oh, it's really
nice. How I remember when we were kids
back in the day and I was like, oh, wait, I had an idea for that
like 3 months ago. And I rolled down and I was
like, summer. And I had like back in the day,
summer when we were kids. And then, then you take that
idea and you, you write the restof the song.

(13:31):
So it's just basically about seeing things, experiencing
things and always writing them down because like Michael
Jackson, they said, used to write stuff on toilet paper.
I don't know if he did it while I was taking a shit or, or if,
or if he did it in his bed. But but I, I have like people
that used to work on Michael Jackson that would say like, he
literally like would just write stuff on anything you had if you

(13:52):
had an idea. Nowadays we're fortunate to have
it in our phone. So it's like you just got to be.
And then one day you just feeling it and you just, you
might say something like, oh, that's a great idea.
And then you like scroll too. And you're like, oh, yeah, I can
add that idea with this idea. And I can create, you know, your
story, Ian's story. I'm going to create the story
that you just told me into a chorus and into verses.

(14:14):
And and then that song might take a year to finish or it
might take a week. Just depends on how inspired you
are in the moment. OK, now how does it go?
So how does it work then with the music aspect of it, the
instrumental, the beats, like how do you formulate that?
I always imagined that it was like you heard a beat and it
inspired you to write. But I guess that's more like, is

(14:35):
that more rap or no? That does.
That's like everything that. Happens to that happens to like
that's another process. Like you hear it's a melody or
something like that. And but like what I do is a lot
of time is nowadays as I'll get.So I used to be a top line
writer back in the day. So I used to write for Sony,
like way back in the day. And they'd put me with different
artists and different writers and sometimes country, sometimes
pop, sometimes R&B and they would sometimes they would give

(14:56):
me tracks. So they call it a top line
writer because you would get a track and it would already be
formed out and have verse, chorus, verse, chorus and then
you would have to put that counter melody on top and create
the story on the track. So I did that for years.
So like that's how I kind of actually started learning how to
write was top lining because I wasn't a musician by trade.
Like I said, I play a little bitof stuff, but I just went full

(15:19):
force into performing and just kept going with do what you're
good at. My grandfather said do what
you're good at. So I kind of took that to heart
and I was like, all right, I'm good at this.
So I learned how to write on andthat kind of helped me create
melodies. And nowadays, like the last 10
years since I went to Nashville,it's like I have the melody,
create the concept, the lyrics, and then I'll go to somebody

(15:40):
who's a producer like your brother or something like that.
And I would say like, here's my melody, here's the idea.
I think it, I want it to be country with trap and then let
them form it out, you know, and,and so that that's what happens
a lot nowadays for me I'm. Kidding, that is fascinating.
I feel like I would be overwhelmed at the thought of
like having to have someone elses work.

(16:02):
Like the amount of people that are involved would make me
nervous. And I feel like that maybe
that's just because as a performer now I do everything on
my own. So the thought of like having to
outsource and allow other people's minds to jump in and
kind of the collaborative effortthat you guys go through must
be, it's hard unique one. Because you do as an artist, you
do have this thing right? And you have to like humble

(16:25):
yourself. I think being a writer,
especially in Nashville, when I went to Nashville 10 years ago,
so I was doing R&B and pop forever.
I liked country music, but I wasn't like deep into like 90s
country or 2000 country was likeI met, I met Sam Hunt one time
at a Spotify event at South by Southwest.
We were playing a show so we couldn't get on South by
Southwest. I could get on.

(16:45):
It was called, it was called like the gorilla sessions or
something like that. Somebody's going to call me on
this. I don't know if it's gorilla
sessions or, but it was this other festival that was tucked
in South by Southwest. And we we we were in town and I
got a friend invited me and him and Leon Bridges were doing a
show at Spotify. So I was with my friend and

(17:06):
she's like, Oh, this is the nextbig country thing.
This was years ago. Sam Hunt.
He he's country. This dude was singing R and BI
go, what's the fucking country? It's R&B.
And she's like, no, no, no, it'scountry.
And then as he as he sang and I heard the hooks and I'm like,
oh, but that is country, but that is R&B.
Like I'm. So Sam Hunt is that the guy body
like a back Rd. Body like a back.
Road, you know, fun fact, I never ever listened to country.

(17:27):
I was never a country guy. My wife put that one song on it
sold you and it sold me and now top three artists got a country
guy. In there so we are connected by
Sam Hunt there you go so that's the next guy we're.
Connected because you got an Elvis shirt on and my birthday
is January 8th, which is the same as Elvis.
My mom is obsessed with Elvis and sometimes I think she did it
on purpose where she just waitedto have me there but not saying

(17:49):
that I'm the favorite. My aunt was a crazy.
My aunt was a crazy Elvis fan. Like everything Elvis
everywhere. We were just talking about the
other night, so yeah. What do you think of the movie?
The one that recently came out. Yeah, the one with Austin
Butler. Austin Butler.
Austin Butler. It was amazing.
Yeah, I thought I did a good job.
The way they intertwined him going to Beale Street and like
learning. Like, I think there's a lot of
myths and there's a lot of like,stereotypes about Elvis and

(18:11):
like, you know, white artists and black artists back in the
day and stealing music. But to be honest with you,
everybody steals from everybody.Yeah, it's just been going on
since the beginning. I'm sure Beethoven's stole from
Bach. I don't even know if they're
alive at the same time, but right.
But they, they all stole from each other, right?
Of course 'cause like. Is it stealing or is it
inspiration? I mean, how many notes can
really exist? Like I think of the the case

(18:33):
cause Ed Sheeran's one of my favorite artists.
And I think about the fact that when he was in court, he was
strumming those tunes to prove apoint that like, you know, like
this is this could be the bridgefor any song A. 100%.
So it's. You ever see those that comedic
act from back in the day, they do 4 chords and like the the
group like sings like I got to find it on YouTube.
But it was this funny thing where they do like 1520 songs

(18:56):
with the same courts and you're like, oh shit, Oh shit.
Oh wait, yeah, it's true. It's it's I call it inspiration.
People call it stealing, but I call it inspiration.
It's one thing if you took, likeif you wrote a song and then I
took it and just put my name on it, that's stealing.
But you know, but inspiration islike, I heard your song.
I heard those chords, and those chords made me want to write a
song with those chords. And I change it a little bit,

(19:18):
but I write my own song, right? To me, that's just being an
artist. Right.
I I think that's inspired and I and I've always thought like how
many again, how many chords, howmany beats really exist?
And it's like you're putting a flavor on and sometimes too,
it's like there's so many good songs from the 90s.
It's like those songs shouldn't die.
Like if we can kind of revamp them and put a good like a newer
artist. Like what's one that came the

(19:40):
I'm Blue song, right? Like BB Rex or whatever.
Yeah, she like she redid. And it was like this was like
strictly like an EDM like club song.
But now it's kind of like a bop that you can play.
I love her. Version now, yeah, like it's a.
Good song. Like, yeah, I don't know.
So that just that came to mind. Now here's my next question.
What is your thought on this whole AI stuff now getting

(20:02):
involved in the music industry? I was.
Just going to say that to you because I I got an e-mail
yesterday to be an influencer for Suno, which is Suno's one of
the big AI companies. OK, that's what I used for our
our theme. Song yeah, so I'm going to tell
you right now and I'm probably getting in trouble for this, but
it's it because it's such a touchy subject because if you
use the AI programs as a writingpartner and a writing tool, it's

(20:25):
amazing, right? If but but anybody could use it
to just write a song. Like write me a song about the
loving my wife named Laura and it'll make you a cool bop.
And the production on the Suno AI is absolutely.
Have you heard the intro song that we are like the song we
have? Do you have?
That was that was from Suno, yeah.
Yeah, yeah. Like the the Sonu and it's like

(20:45):
an AI voice and everything like that I believe.
Because like, that's it, it the production value is so good.
So I'm a I'm a fan of you can't fight City Hall.
Sometimes you have to learn to get into City Hall, get your
agenda pushed the other way. So AI is not leaving.
It means that the record companyis trying to sue the people like
Suno and all them right now because they're saying like AI

(21:08):
programs can only learn off of things that exist.
So they're saying that AI has learned from Morgan Wallin and
Sam Hunt and Michael Jackson. And so when they spit out
arrangements that they're all based off of something.
But you go back to what you saidabout the court case there and
he played those chords. It's the same thing though.
I'm learning from listening to all these guys.

(21:29):
So one of my songs might have a thing that I don't even I
subconsciously sing a certain melody one way because you just
listening to thousands of songs a day.
So I could see the case on both ways.
But right now it's a great tool.Like I'll write a guitar part
and then I'll write my lyrics and you can pop it into Suno and
you can get some production ideas.

(21:50):
And then we take those production ideas and I'm like,
hey, what do you think of this? I'm my producer and he'll take
it and we change it and we form.And then at the end it doesn't
sound like the Suno song, but itwas like writing in the room
with a partner, right, right. So that way, if you're not in
Nashville, you're not not in a writing session with a bunch of
people, you can still create. Right.
And I yeah, so as a fellow creative, like, yeah, that's

(22:13):
where I'm at with because I'm like, OK, this definitely is
making my life easier. It's helped.
I've never I've never created a video like content idea inside
of it because I haven't figured out how to use it that way me.
Neither. Yeah, I can't.
But it's like, if it's, if this is going to give me an
additional 10 to 15% ahead of mycompetition, how would I not do
it right? Because it's a race like you're,

(22:34):
you're trying to stay relevant in this industry in some
capacity. So if you're going to be able to
get ahead of the game. But it's like quite ironic that
like the company that owns everyone's like, hey, don't do
what we're doing to everyone in the industry here.
How dare you take everything from us that we took from all of
these talented people. Oh my God, how about how about
they own like half the labels onSpotify, but they're mad when

(22:56):
somebody like uses a marketing company to market on Spotify.
And I'm not talking about bots, but like now like so spot the
way Spotify's set up is any of these, they call them digital
service providers. So like I tune core or there's
all these things that like, so I'll take my song, I put it in
like a tune core, then tune coreserves it to the Apple and you
know, Pandora and all that stuff.

(23:17):
So if I went and got a marketingservice that was legit because
there are some that puts me on playlist.
They pay like if you had a big playlist, they might say, hey,
we got this artist Louis, we give you 200 bucks.
Can you put them on your countrytop 100 because you got 5
million fans? If they, they do an algorithm
trace and if they find out that you've done that, they pull all
your shit down. But they're doing it with every

(23:40):
one of the artists. It's a fact.
They're paying to have things put everywhere.
So it's just, it's a hypocritical business.
And so to get a leg up to make aliving as an artist, you do what
you got to do because it's, it's, it's not about ethic.
I'm not stealing, you're not stealing.
We're just using the tools that are out there to get fans.
And if the fans like us don't give a shit about the record
labels or the big corporations because our fans are driving our

(24:00):
pocketbooks. So yeah, it's, it's a touchy
subject, man. It's, it is.
It's hard to talk. I'm probably going to get shit
for this now. No, I, it's a, it's a unique
conversation that I've yet to really kind of explore with
anybody because it's when you'reagain, when you're doing what I
do with the social media stuff. I'm not outperforming concerts
and meeting like I don't have a team around me.

(24:21):
You know what I mean? Like I have Vin who's available
via text, but this is like my best friend.
This isn't like a stranger who has his own personal agenda.
You know what I'm saying? Like I haven't had to
necessarily face the consequences of using this type
of program or learning how to dothat.
So this is a very fascinating conversation to kind of open up
about. I appreciate you.
You know, chat, you know, like ChatGPT kind of came out first.

(24:42):
Yeah. So a couple years ago we did, I
did a writing camp at Johnny Cash's farm.
And yeah, it was fucking. It was awesome.
I got invited to this camp. So they split us up into groups
and part of the, it was like a camp competition.
So I had two guys with me and everybody got split up and we
went in different parts, like I was in this, We were in his
living room was crazy. Some people were out in the
barn. He had old car stories.
It was crazy, just like Mythicalwould be up there.

(25:04):
Yeah, I bet. And I'm sure he owned a bunch of
places, But this was like the spot where, like, at the end he
was like, was at. So we're trying to come up with
ideas for a song. And as a songwriter back in the
nineties, 2000s, like you had like what the thesauruses, were
they the ones that are like or rhyming dictionaries?
Yeah, like rhyming dictionaries.Yeah, the source would be a
good. Yeah, you'd have those before
the computers. Right now I'm taping myself so

(25:25):
before computers came. Even before the dial up
Internet, which I just heard AOLofficially stopped their dial up
Internet just this past week. I didn't even know it was.
You still on I? Guess all right BA dude.
Trending I would have bought that I would have bought dial up
just to have. It just to have it again.
Sit there and just just press and just sit back and listen.
Just. Play that, play that sound over
him. It's.
Like I. Wish I had it.

(25:47):
Yeah, yeah, add that. Add that in post.
But that I mean, but, but like we were sitting there and we
were like, we were like, hey, one of the kids said, oh, why
don't we use chat CBT just to get some ideas.
And the other two of us were like, I don't know, dude, like
that's kind of like cheating. And he's like, no, I just going
to say like, give me some rhyming words with like house or
like what figure was love or what is some things that are

(26:10):
like synonyms for, you know, breaking up broken heart or
like, and which is what you would do.
We would flip through a book if we, if we had that back in the
day, Like what's what's saying is for this, you know, and, and
we did it, but we didn't use it.It was like, and this is like
four or five years ago. So we got to the point where
we're like, Nah, and we trashed it all and then we just wrote

(26:31):
the song anyways. But it was like afterwards we
were like, we should have done it.
Cause like who's gonna like whatare we gonna slapped in the
wrist the. Whole point is to like,
entertain people, so you're doing yourself a disservice if
you're refusing to improve your ability to be like.
It's a pride thing. You know, what it is too, is I
think that it's the same thing as now as an actor, I always
believe that there's obviously amassive difference between

(26:52):
theater acting and film acting. And I, I always say that theater
actors are classically trained individuals who have a passion
and a sole purpose for the art, whereas film actors are people
who are entertainers, people wholike to act, people who are good
at acting. And sometimes they cross,
sometimes there's amazing theatre actors who end up on
film and and vice versa. But just in general, when I

(27:14):
think of like theater, I don't have that historical passion for
Shakespeare to be on stage in this vivid monologue for 45
minutes. I, I'm more like a, how funny
can we make the next 30 seconds in this film?
And let's do like 15 takes untilwe get a couple of good ones,
You know what I mean? Like, and I think that's kind of
like the same thing. People who are kind of like,
look, I love music. I love doing this but I am an

(27:35):
entertainer. ChatGPT might be able to advance
me a few times or having a thesaurus might be able to just
level up this lyrical. I mean this bar here, why would
I not take advantage? Everybody does it, you know, and
it's just the people that like, you know, because I also sit
down. We write songs like in Nashville
with four or five people in a room with a guitar.
So we do all of it, you know, you do all of it.
So but it I'm telling you it's it's a it's a thing.

(27:57):
Even talking about it right now,I feel feel a little like it's
just like thinking my like like acid reflux.
It feels kind of wrong. Yeah, but, but if you break it
down, it is the exact same process.
It's like having a writing partner in the room to get ideas
out. And I think that's the thing
that if you use it in the right way, you're still being
creative. You're still doing the exact

(28:18):
same thing. You just you're, you're you're
having help with your thoughts. You know, you're not saying,
right? I, I'm not, I mean, you could do
this. I mean, because this is what the
whole controversy is, you could say here's the thing, here's the
song description. Write me a song, produce it.
And you could technically, it's still not advanced right now the
way everything sounds good because if you read the songs

(28:39):
that it writes you, you're like,Nah, there's.
Something always screwy with. It there's a computer right in
this, so you always have to change.
But like I'm using it and most of my friends using it as a tool
and I think anything is used as a toolman.
If you can make money, listen, I'm nobody's putting food on my
table for my kids except for me.So I'm going to put food on my
table. I mean, listen, this is nothing
new. It's new for us.

(28:59):
But the the advancements have happened for years.
Think about the guy who had his donkey and his horse plowing his
fields and the tractor came out and he said, no way, I'm never
going to use that. That's cheap, You know, now he's
probably got 10 John Deeres trying to keep the farm away
alive. You know what I'm saying?
It's like every industry goes through fluctuations.
I just think that this is the first time, at least in my 33

(29:20):
years, where we've seen something in the art field.
And I feel like art is such a sensitive subject because it's
such an emotional genre of, I guess, existence, because art
has survived all every mankind as we know it, as you.
Know politics? Exactly, So I feel like that's

(29:42):
why people are are starting to be so sensitive about it.
But, and I respect that I do it came so quick.
I get. It it came so quick too.
I think it just went from zero to 100.
So first time I heard something was when Drake was beefing with
Kendrick and people started putting in ChatGPT like, like
replies. I was like, yeah, you guys heard
Drake. He killed them.
They're like, that wasn't him. I was like, what do you mean?

(30:02):
They're like, oh, that was like a computer.
I was like, I don't understand. He killed it.
That sounded like Drake. They're like, no, I'm like, I'm
telling you. It's crazy, Yeah.
You don't know what you don't know anymore.
So you got to, you know, it's just, it's the Wild West, man.
But you know, I'm, I'm coming out slinging.
I got 26 shooters. I'm like, I'm getting that gold
train, robbing that train next week.
Let's go. That's what I'm doing.
All right, so let's talk about the the music scene here in New

(30:23):
England. Like, is there any particular
thing that you've been like inspired by or what is the music
scene like as a whole been like and meant to you as a Bostonian
and and like growing up around here?
Well, I think growing up, to me,the music, I'm gonna sound like
an old fogey now, but the music scene way back in the day was
much better for creative artiststhan it is that that it has

(30:45):
been. I think there's a little
resurgence because you got a lotof singing songwriters, but like
the like, you know, I'm talking about Aerosmiths and all that.
When it was really new kids on the Block, like those times were
when like everybody came to Boston for artists, like they
were looking for that. There was 50 boy groups on the
corner, boy bands and girl groups.
And then it kind of like it kindof the live music scene kind of
died a little for because DJs and club stuff hit.

(31:08):
I think it's the live scene for for cover bands is really good
right now. The original stuff is good, but
most people move out really right away now quicker because
they have access to things. Back in the day, you didn't
know, you know, you're like, I got to move to New York, you
know, and give everything up. I'm going to wait a little
longer. And some of those talented
people stayed here. Now they can see what's going

(31:30):
on. They can plant seeds before they
move and stuff like, so a lot ofpeople start here and then they
leave. But I think creative wise, it's
great to create your brand in inNew England, like Maine has some
Maine, New Hampshire has some amazing acts, Rhode Island has
some amazing acts. They're like there's a group
called nothing personal. I don't know if you ever.
Heard of them? No.
No. From Rhode Island and so I book

(31:51):
a lot of clubs in Boston right now too as a as a consultant.
So I pay the bills. Look at you, man.
Yeah, I'm hands. And everything.
So I get to see a lot of these up and coming bands now that the
person they don't do, they don'tdo originals, they're just
coverage, but they are sick. So like for Rhode Island scene,
like that's the band. There's probably other ones, but
that's my favorite. You know, what is it?
Again, it's nothing personal. Nothing personal.

(32:13):
OK, we'll have to look them up. So I think they do like
Moonshine Alley and places like that.
But but so so there is a great music scene right now with
Berkeley being in Boston. There's a lot of original
artists out there like cultivating their sound.
But again, they they stay for a couple of years and they bounce.
So you've really got to go out and look, there's spots you can
see people and you right just got to take and take a hold of

(32:34):
what you see and then follow them because they won't be here
long. But and they probably won't ever
lay claim to be in here, Which is weird as hell because I I'm
so Boston though, dude, like I grew up in the like next to the
projects when I was a kid, like I'm Boston, right.
I love that always and got a RepYeah, but I've travelled the
world so I've seen everywhere. I've I've Nashville, NY, LA,
Iceland, Finland, like Europe, but I've always been home.

(32:59):
I always loved coming home. So you would say that performing
in New England is still your favorite or?
No, not at all. No, I just like being from
Boston. You just like I love I love the
people, I love the food, I love the vibe.
But I mean I performed in I formed in this I can't remember

(33:19):
the name in in London. It's in Piccadilly Circus at
this jazz club, this famous jazzclub.
Like this is like 7-8 years ago.And it was so cool because it
was an accident. We had a show on a private ship
and we got to stay in London forlike a week after the show.
So it was like paid for the show, stayed in London and we
went to the jazz club and we knew a kid who went to Berkeley

(33:42):
randomly, was from England and moved home years ago and he was
like yo what's up? We're in this club and what?
So we ended up playing songs andstuff and like that was the
coolest because it was not planned and those people were so
inviting to us singing there andthey just watched just like, and
that was probably one of my favorite shows, just as a small
show. There's only like 30 people in

(34:02):
the room. But but no New England's fun to
play at. But I just love the people.
I love somebody telling me to fuck off, you know, and knowing
that they're usually not being an asshole, they're just fucking
telling me to fuck off. Like, I mean, it's such a true
thing about New England that youdon't get that anywhere else.
And I've used it to my advantage.
If I'm in Nashville and I'm justbeing me, you meet 10 people in

(34:23):
the room. If you're just some kid from
like Kansas market in the room that's just talking and there's
no. And again, no offense to Kansas
people from Kansas. I don't know a lot of them, but
I'm sure from Kansas. No, I don't, Dorothy.
Maybe Dorothy was from Kansas. That's it.
That's the only one. Shout out, Dorothy.
Shout out, shout out Dorothy. You got to put it in no place
like home. Yeah, exactly.
But there's, there's something about just having that New

(34:45):
England thing that just that pulls people in.
So I just, I don't know, that's just me.
I'm a homeboy. I love that.
I love that. Now let me ask you something,
maybe I don't know if you have the answer to something like
this, but you know, I've always noticed nobody that has an
accent from around the world hasan accent when they sing.
Why is that? Like Irish singers, people from

(35:06):
Australia, like everyone sings in English?
How is that and why is that? Louis Capaldi, great example,
heavy English accent. Love that guy.
Beautiful voice but sings plain English.
How's. John, sometimes you don't even
know some of the songs he sings like.
How does that work? I don't get it.
I don't I don't know how it. Works.
Is it like dialect coaches that teach you to sing without an

(35:26):
accent? No, I think like.
I think, I think for like artists outside the US, yeah,
they're mimicking their whole life.
Cause American Music, let's faceit, I it, it's the center of
the, the pop culture musical world for sure.
You got some people in like, youknow, Ukraine right now, like
just listening to like some Doctor Dre from like 1986.

(35:47):
Like that's, that's just what itis.
They love the music here. So I think when you got people
that that are aspiring to be artists and they're writing
English songs, I think they're just pronouncing every R and
every so, So it just comes off like that, 'cause it's funny
because then they'll start speaking the like, if you ever
watch like the voice, like like like with any country, the

(36:07):
voice, I always watch it to see these other singers and I'll
turn it on. I'm like, yo, this kids dope.
And then they stop and they theycan't speak a lick of English.
Right it goes. You're like, you're watching
them sing an English song and then they speak like in German,
you're like. Yeah.
What are they saying? Do they like them?
Do they not like them? They just learn to pronounce all
those words because that's how the song is sung and felt in
those syllables, you know? So it's like you have to kind of

(36:28):
learn that. But no, for me, like a lot of my
songs, I look back at my old stuff.
I don't say my Rs in like some of that like water, like I want
to take you to the water, you know.
And I'm like, so as I started doing country music, I was like,
how do I transition without sounding fake?
Because like, if I'm like, you know, singing a song about being
down by the water and then I'm like, I kid, yeah, let's go get

(36:50):
some water after I get off stage.
Like it just doesn't mix. So I had, I had to slowly meld
that and, and make like a come with a halfway point because
it's a craft, it's an art. So I'm singing a song.
I don't have to be from Boston to sing my song, right?
Right. So I just decided like I'm going
to own if I change some Rs. And I do that because this song
calls for it. But yeah, other people are just
like, Nope. Keith Urban, that dude's from

(37:11):
Australia, thick as hell accent.And he, he, he's like singing
like he's from like, you know, like New Jersey or something.
I don't know, like somewhere. Now, I'm curious, just because
you've been in the industry so long, is there a part of you
that has, I don't want to say jealousy, I don't think that's
the right word. But is there a part of you that
looks at social media now and think about the fact that when

(37:34):
you were coming up in the scene,you had to network.
You had to be out every single night in these bars, in these
clubs, trying to network yourself to people to promote
yourself. And now I feel like there are so
many talented people out there that are label list, but they're
putting on these shows and they're getting seen overnight.

(37:54):
I mean, at this point, I feel like my 4U page is flooded with
at least because I love listening to music.
I probably see 10 to 15 new artists on my page every single
day with originals, with covers,promoting themselves like
they're on The Voice. Like, how does that make you
feel as an artist? How does that make you feel as
someone who's been in the game for a long time and as someone

(38:16):
who's still obviously in it and working towards, you know,
whatever what is you're looking towards?
And I'd love to hear more about that, too.
So it's not jealousy. Yeah.
Because like and I didn't think it would.
Be no, it's not. It's not jealousy or envy.
It's like it's I've always been like, so my grandfather, I'm
gonna go and I'm gonna, I'm gonna take this to back to my
grandfather. So my grandfather had three
jobs. My other grandfather had so so

(38:37):
my Irish Italian family, so my dad's Italian.
Soccer, Irish, Italian in Boston.
It's so weird. I mean, like, you know, like my
grandfather, my father used to carry my grandfather home from
the bar and he'd be calling him a fucking whop.
And if I can't eat and like, I hate you and I'd you marry my
daughter. Oh, yeah, That's love it.
Yeah, as we'd be doing so like that was that was my father
growing up. So like, but but he my

(38:58):
grandfather was a custodian for Boston schools.
He sold crispy, had a Christmas tree lot next to the fire
station in Jamaica Plain. He sold Christmas trees.
He drove a cab and he was a bartender and so he did all that
and I grew up knowing he did that.
Now that was like like I was younger and like he was at the
later stages, but he was still working a job.
My other grandfather worked 2 jobs like a printing.
There was my family's like the printing business.

(39:19):
So we worked in a printing pressand they did other things all in
World War 2. So I kind of grew up with that,
that that work ethic of always like working towards what you
need and like talking to people.My grandfather was in like
politics. He used to like, yeah, I
remember he helped Menino when Menino was like getting elected
way back in the 90s, right? He was like a big person on his
campaign. So like, I just knew that you

(39:41):
needed to speak to people. You needed to talk to people.
So I was always trying to find ways of streamlining that going
to events. Like I went to that I was
singing at that event like that we were at like, so it's just in
my blood to do that. So when we got the tool of like
using social media, I, I got nervous at first because I'm
like, shit, I got to relearn to do my shtick all over again.

(40:02):
Yeah, yeah, like I like, I got to look at myself and, and and
and get a reaction because if I'm in a room that I can work a
room, right? Because I'm honest, I'm never
trying to get anything from anybody but their time.
I always say that like I tell people like you're just trying
to get 5 minutes of time from somebody.
Don't talk to Ian because you want him to promote your tick

(40:22):
tock reel. Talk to Ian because you want to
find out, you think what he's doing is cool and become, you
know, create a relationship and maybe a year down the line.
If not, maybe a very very few handful of people that I met on
the spot and willingly gave my personal phone number too.
That's cool man. Like.
That's like pretty, it's like pretty rare, but like, I just
felt like right off the RIP I was like, oh, I know.
I like this guy. I can tell that he means well.

(40:45):
I can, I can see that there's a friendship, a relationship that
can build here. I'm cool with that 'cause I feel
like, you know, often people tryand do that, so they want
something. Yeah, obviously that's a
testament to to your network. Well, I appreciate it.
I know I appreciate it. No, and it's just because like I
just that's I, I know that it doesn't work the other way, I
guess because I did try it way back in the day, like I've have
back in the day, went to somebody and just asked them

(41:06):
like, hey, I, I just need you tohelp me do this.
Like I learned, I had to learn. I fell on my face.
Like it wasn't just like I woke up like in the womb.
I mean, I had the idea of what you do, but I fell on my face.
I understood that if you're going to make a relationship
with somebody, it can't be hollow.
It can't be just for your benefit.
You just have to create a network.
It's I have a lot of friends. I've never, I have friends in
the industry. I've never asked a favor before

(41:27):
in 20 years. As I get older, I think I'm
going to start calling her favors.
But I got it. But, but I don't because I like
meeting people. Like I just like meeting people
and seeing like, what are you doing for a living?
Like, oh shit, like, oh, tell memore about that.
Maybe I can get into that. Like I'm just like curious.
So social media came around and I saw all these people using it
the way they were using it. Of course, I was like, I got a

(41:47):
little scared to be honest with you.
I was like, shit, it's a different world.
How do I do this? So I had to start.
I would just put songs out all the time.
No, no traction 'cause there's amillion people in songs.
Then I started just putting stupid shit out and I was like,
oh, I get more stuff if I ask somebody if they like Coke or
Pepsi with a pizza like 30,000 like likes on something like
that. And people fight with each other

(42:07):
about pizza and Coke and I'm like Pepsi and I'm like hell,
I'm like I. So I had to learn.
And I also learned the hard way that a lot of those people that
you're seeing in your feed that are even have a million
followers, they can't stream their song to 1,000,000 people
and they can't fill a bar in Boston.
So there is a big disconnect between somebody who has a

(42:30):
million followers and a million comments for singing on their
sites and then OK, go promote a show at Loretta's and 10 people
show up. So this is where that whole that
you see this now is where sponsorships and all this stuff
where for one time was Wild Westand companies were just giving
people money because they had all these things.

(42:50):
And now they're looking at like interactions and like oh he has
all this but how many interactions and everything.
That's same thing with singers now.
So they're not paying these people to come into a bar
anymore and giving them 5 grand because they just, you did just
not doing it. And so now these people are
screwed because they don't know how to network.
They don't know what to do because they've been sitting in
their room for five years makingmusic and they sound great, but

(43:11):
they're like, shit, What do you mean?
I have to sing in front of real people and fill a club?
Like dude, like that's that's what you got to do.
It's different than. Dropping these crazy notes in
the parking garage. That's what it is.
That's what it is. You know, it's like.
That's so true. And I've said that so many times
when I've tried to work with brands where they have come to
me and they've been like, oh, like, what do you think about
like if we did like a pop up? And I'm like, look, I understand

(43:31):
that my number is very fancy to you.
But these people who follow me, follow me for a particular
reason. It's 30 seconds to a minute
where I make them laugh and entertain.
It does not mean that they like me at that kind of celebrity
untouchable status where it's like, Oh my God, Ian Brownhill.
I'm going to go wait in line fortwo hours to have him sign my
shirt and take a photo. Like that's not what content

(43:54):
creator and influencer fame is. And I think that same thing goes
for music. It's like, well, I you're very
talented, but if I can just stayon my phone in my bed and put in
the minimal effort, 'cause it's like, you know, going and
meeting you for 10 seconds and spending $100 on a ticket and
beer and food like. It's hard.
Is it worth it? And I think that's it's like out
of 10 influencers that have a million followers, there's
probably only one who truly has that that celebrity impact where

(44:20):
and it's usually young girls whocan who connect with the younger
girls. Or if you get like a teddy swims
like you get, you get these anomalies that come they they,
they push. Look how much work he does in
the public eye dude. Like he still does.
Yep, you. Know what I mean?
It's like. That is, you have to do it all.
And I think that's where like going back to the original
question, like it, it, it, it gave me the excitement like the

(44:41):
AI does. Like it disappoints me.
It depresses me when it doesn't hit.
But when it does hit, it's cool.And when people come up to me
and say, I saw you, you're funny.
And I'll be like, did you hear my music?
No, you do music. And I'm like, you know what?
I'm cool with that. You don't even know I do music.
I'm actually cool with that. You like my whole thing about
Dunkin' Donuts. That's cool.
Let's do it. Because to me, it's feeding my
soul as a creator 1st. And then second, it's allowing

(45:05):
me an open door to figure out like how do I make money off of
this? I may not figure it out or I
may, but it gives me the belief that there is something Next.
I got a lifeline. It's keep giving me that
lifeline, you know what I mean? And that's as an artist, you
need a lifeline to build your business.
And I'm all about business now because I got to feed the family
goes back to that. So the passion of the music,
putting food on the table so I can just sit on my porch when

(45:28):
I'm like 100 years old, which isnot far away, and just look at
the sunset with a couple of close friends.
I love that. So do you have, do you have like
a favorite venue, favorite country that you've performed
in? And how does Nashville come into
play 'cause you're you're constantly down in Nashville.
I love Nashville. I went.
Never, never been before. You got to go.

(45:48):
It's it's awesome. And I you got to pace yourself.
Broadway is a a vicious beast. You don't drink.
So you're like me. Yeah, I don't drink.
Yeah. So.
Alcohol for me so and I'm married so I'm also like feels
like it's a bachelor party of the like capital of the US at
this point. So I'm like it is my wife went
for a Bachelorette. She says she absolutely loves it
there. So she's been like we definitely
need to go. But she said a group setting is

(46:08):
probably better than just like acouples just because it's such a
party. Scene it's funny, you should go
with a couple people, but then don't don't just get stuck on
Broadway. Yeah, because it's that's the
tourist trap. So the first time you go to
Broadway, experience it. Most of my friends go to
Broadway, ask me where to go. I tell them and they tell me
they never even made it to the second venue because they stayed
at 1 and got so smashed, blackedout woke up the next morning
like 4 in the afternoon, had dinner and went to one more

(46:29):
venue then flew home Sunday. Yeah.
So it's like that's the typical like you.
Know you listening, Vin? He's got plans.
He's going in October. You going?
Yeah. All right, I'll give you some
good spots to go if you want to see good music.
So I say pace yourself, but Nashville, I went for a meeting
10 years ago, me and my sister, there was a guy wanted to sign
me and my sister as like a singing group and oh.
Your sister sings too. My.
Sister sings too, as well. Yeah.
So we've always toured. We, we did America's Got Talent

(46:53):
one year. We made it right before you get
on stage too, as a brother and sister act.
So we've always done that every once in a while.
And we sing at shows together sometimes.
But she does like straight R&B. She was living in New York for a
while and then she's back in Boston.
But. But I went down with her for a
meeting for the guy to tell us that we didn't have good stuff.
It was awesome. Yeah.

(47:13):
Paid for all that money to go toNashville and have a feel like
that's happened more than once. So it just feeds my soul like,
oh, negative trip. I love it.
But it turned out to be in the best thing ever because I fell
in love with the city. And then I fell in love with the
I went to see songwriter sessions and like in in writers
rounds and I don't see ever seena writers round, but it's like 3
artists sit on the stage with guitar.

(47:34):
Each one goes does a song in original and the audience
watches and listens. There's no covers.
And I was like, Yo, this is kindof cool.
That's dope. I fell in love with it and I
came home and then it was right after that that I met Sam Hunt
and it was like all kind of cametogether and like I got to go to
Nashville more and I started doing it, meeting people,
networking, and then just fell in love with country and my my

(47:55):
country. I'm not going to, you know, be
the Beyoncé of country where I'mlike my country's country.
I'm like, Nah, like my country'sa hybrid.
Like it is a hybrid. I totally agree.
It's a, it's a hybrid of my country love and my, and my R&B
pop love and we and we mesh it and I'm constantly meshing it
and finding ways to because I love straight country and I love
straight R&B. So I'm just like, how do I keep

(48:16):
meshing it? And some of my songs sound more
country than others. And I'm I'm happy with and
people like it and. I think that's country nowadays,
you know, I mean, like, look at what's his name.
Morgan Wallin is like Morgan. Wallin is a good example but
like I'm a huge fan of Zach Top but that's like very 90s
country. He's.
No, Holmes kind of teeters back and forth now, and you know what
I mean? Now and again with his music,

(48:38):
it's a mix. And like Kane Brown, Kane Brown
is like a huge mix. So it's like there's a lot of
successful artists in that genre.
I think they get away with it more because they're from South.
Like I think, I think Kane Brown's like Atlanta or
something like that, and like Luke Bryan's like.
So I think they get away with itmore.
Where is me? Because I'm up here.
It's it's it's it's harder for me because I'm coming from

(48:59):
Boston going down north and my and also I'm not doing straight
country, right. So it gets a little harder.
Like some people are like you'retotally not country, but you
can't. It's like online, you get
haters, you get people you just got to like, you're like,
whatever, dude, you like my song.
You don't like my song? You.
Could probably post something. I mean, you'll probably post
something about this someone, but he's not really from Boston.
If he's going to Nashville, it'slike.

(49:20):
I do, I did a post about seaportand I was I was walking across
the seaport and I was like just talking about how back in the
day in the seaport when there was like 3 bars here and I was
growing up there was like, you know, I just made a joke of like
there's been stories about Whitey dumping dead bodies in
the seaport, right? You should go back.
I'll I'll send you some of the things with these old timers on
there who should be on TikTok anyways.
Yeah. You ain't young.

(49:41):
You ain't old enough to be from the seaport.
Why he never dumped a body there.
What are you talking about? Go home.
What murder? What murder he's a good talking
about? Yeah, yeah.
While he was my neighbor, he just owned a liquor store.
That was it. Oh my.
God, I love it. All right, let's jump into the
so New England segment here, allright, And I like to try and
customize this. Oh yeah, you got the new the new

(50:03):
sound. Let's hear it.
The So New England segment. I don't have a new sound but.
Oh well, hit the button I love. It I want to hear it.
Oh man, Uh oh. Oh man, is this an AI sound?
See that one's real? It's a New England segment, all
right? I'm going to try and customize
it here because you're a music guy.
So tell me, what do you believe is the song that represents New

(50:29):
England best? Oh jeez.
Let's be honest, probably Boston, but.
Good vibrations. Oh, mocky, mocky mock.
OK, that's Boston. It's a good vibration.
OK, I wasn't sure. Now we have 6 beautiful states
here in New England. Do me a favor and rank those for

(50:50):
me. You know, I had to look, I had
to look up on Google again what the six, what the six states
were. That's looking like a true book.
This is my favorite thing about Boston folk.
Right. They treat New England like they
are. When people say New England,
they immediately think Boston. And Boston people are like we
are the center of the university.
Well, Massachusetts is massive in comparison to the size of
Boston. And then you ask people from

(51:11):
Boston to rank the New England States and they have to Google
it. That right there is why we have
a podcast called So New England.There's only in New England the
biggest city, the most importantpeople in their world.
Boston folk not know all the states.
I love that for you, Louis. I had to.
I'm I'm So we got Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts,
Vermont, New Hampshire. You mean you know what 1's going

(51:32):
to be? Massachusetts, of course.
Massachusetts, I would say I, I think Rhode Island's my second.
It's because it's closest. I mean, if you live close, if
you live in the North Shore of Boston, you're closest to New
Hampshire. So I would say Mass, Rhode
Island. And then you got New Hampshire
because I like going to Ware's Beach and Water Country.
So anybody that has water country like that, that could

(51:54):
take #2 just because they got water, because Rhode Island.
I'm from Rhode Island. I got us at the bottom, so you
don't got to justify it to me. If Rocky Point was still around,
I would say. OK, shut out.
Rocky, rocky point man clam balls up there and that big
dip's awesome old school. But so we got Mass Rhode Island,
New Hampshire, then I would say Maine.
I've, I've come to like Maine a lot lately because I've played a

(52:14):
lot of shows up there. Those people are just really
amazing music fans. I love that.
Then Connecticut and then you have Vermont.
I don't even, I don't know, Vermont's like part of Canada.
I don't even know if Vermont's, I don't even know if Vermont's
that that's like the softest state.
So we got, we got that's, that'sthe ranking for me.
I love it. So I have Vermont if I have fans
in Vermont. All right, well, you're a Boston

(52:35):
guy, so that means you got a bigopinion when it comes to sports,
I would imagine. So give me your top, give me
your sports in order. Oh, sports in order.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Personal sports is is Bruins
because I love. So Bruins are #1 for you.
Bruins are #1 I would say Celtics #2.
Red Sox #3 patriots #4 for nostalgia.

(52:59):
That might be the lowest the Patriots have ever been, yeah.
I love the Patriots. Yeah, yeah.
But I grew up with my, my grandfather was like a Bow Sox
member and like, so when I was akid, I used to go to like
Anthony's pair. 4IN Boston, which is no longer there,
another Mafia, well known Mafia spot allegedly.
Allegedly. Allegedly.
But the Bow Sox, like I met Roger Clemens in the like the
80s and I met like all these plays.
So like, I love the Red Sox. But so that's like, you know,

(53:23):
Fenway Park is my thing. But like, yeah, Patriots.
I love the Patriots too. I do.
I do. Of course, that's our team.
But I, I don't put them above the Red Sox, OK.
Because like the the Red Sox winning that first World Series
to me is way more significant, significant than the Patriots
win in their first Super Bowl. That's just to me, way more

(53:43):
significant. That's a that's a hot take right
down. I'd love to see what people say
in the comment section. What was bigger, the Patriots
1st Super Bowl or the Sox in O four?
You're saying when they kind of broke the curse?
Yeah, because you think about people died, people lived and
then they died. Like my grandfather literally
died like 6 months after they won.
Not even crap. And you like he did like these

(54:04):
months they waited. They just waited in bated breath
with all these. I just bought this Red Sox hat
that had the 6. It's a 67 World Series edition
on it. And I, I don't even want to wear
it because I'm like, they didn'teven win.
But it's a really nice hat. But it's like, so we like held
on to these almost with the Red Sox for like 100 years, Like,
hey, we almost beat them. Bill almost caught the ground

(54:24):
against the Mets. So it was like when they won, it
like shook the whole I, I think all in New England.
Yeah, when the Patriots won, I went to that parade.
It was amazing. It was awesome.
But didn't have the same feelingI also feel like.
There wasn't as much pressure onthe Patriots to win, No.
Like when Bledsoe went down, we were all kind of like, all
right. Season Season is over and we.
Were like, Hey, this guy is hot man.
This guy is good. Like we, we like this Brady guy.

(54:45):
And then we were there like evenin the fourth quarter, Madam was
kind of like, all right, you gota rookie QB.
You got, you know, 40 seconds left.
You take the knee, you go to overtime.
You shouldn't even be here to begin with.
Exactly. And then it's like, then we
won't, we're kind of like what the what just happened?
Absolutely no, 100%. The fluke was there.
Whereas with like the Red Sox was like when we got to the
World Series, it was like this, this is do or die.

(55:06):
Like this city is going to crumble if we do not win this
well. Especially the year before where
they lost, I mean. It was like it was just so much
pressure. Set it up, it was like a movie.
It set it up for us to be just like our hearts.
We're either going to be destroyed for life or we were
going to just like be in euphoria for like ever.
And that's what it was. It was like even the rest of the
the Red Sox championships to me don't compare to that first one.

(55:28):
But you know, some people weren't alive back then.
I happened to be live forever so.
All right, when it comes to Boston based or New England
based influenced films, do you have a favorite?
Oh, the town. The town, It's usually the town.
A lot of people go with the town.
This girl from Canada came the other day, so it was a it was a
guest at my show that Lorettis and that she she was like she

(55:48):
was like, Oh my God, you sound this is what she said.
You said first of all, she said the most I posted the other day.
I go, what's the most Boston thing you've experienced?
And she goes you. I started dilapid.
She goes because you reminded meof my favorite movie, The town,
and I'm like get the yeah, I waslike, dude, I post.
I was like, that's that's you made my whole day.
I'm going home. Oh, I love that.
Like the town. That's great.

(56:09):
That's. It New England food Is there a
dish or a particular food that you think best represents New
England? I don't know man, being Italian,
just spaghetti and meatballs to me.
I just feel like. That's a hot take too.
I mean, a lot of people say the Italian food here is good, which
obviously it absolutely is. Rhode Island might even be
better than the North End, but. I want to go to Federal Hill

(56:31):
this weekend just because I wantto.
Like I was, you know, I go all the fees to the North End.
I've been to Federal Hill before, but I haven't been in so
long that I got to refresh my palate.
I will say with respect to the Federal Hill people, it's not
what it used to be. So there's a lot of other and we
can, you know, Yeah, you'll haveto get called out on the spot,
yeah. You'll have to text you some
spots to. Text you some other spots,
they're gonna have some pretty, pretty good Italian food.

(56:52):
All right. Now, if there was something that
you would say is the most overrated thing about New
England, what would it be? And then what is the most
underrated thing about New England?
Well, the underrated thing is the kind hearted folk in New
England. That's underrated.
We really have the best people. Even though 100%.
Even though the Hollywood and the world seems to think I

(57:13):
genuinely believe that the Northeast is the best.
No, it is. And you have to really be from
here to be. I mean, there's a lot of,
there's a lot of transplants that don't count as like New
England people, but. Especially Boston.
You get it more than anywhere. Boston, Yeah.
So there's this people, Yeah, the real neighborhood people.
Kind of hard. Overrated is.
Oh, God, that's a good one. The most overrated thing in
Boston is. It could be in New England too,

(57:35):
as a whole. I mean, I know you.
I think a love of seafood, I think that's overrated.
Yeah. You think the seafood itself is
overrated or you just think thatno, no, no, no, like thought
that like all we eat is seafood.Yeah, it's thoughts like, you
know, it's, it's in the lobsters, like lobsters and
oysters, clams like I like. People forget that it's like
freezing here like 7 or 8 monthsout of the year.
So like, we're not we're only eating seafood for like 3-4

(57:56):
months when it's actually fresh and good.
Absolutely. I mean true.
New Englanders will probably eatit year round, but like, you
know. Well, when tourists come here,
that's all they look for is the seafood, which I get, 'cause if
you live inland, you don't have like oceans around you.
You're not getting anything green.
No. So you want to come here.
But it's like, hey, we got otherfood too.
Love it. How about the seasons here rank
those bad Larry's in order whichjust bring summer fall with the.
Best fall by far, because fall you still still got baseball,

(58:19):
you still got you have football and hockey's about to start,
yes. So as far as the sports go, fall
is the best. Weather's nice.
I would say fall, spring, summer, then winter.
Oh, OK. Yeah, there we go.
We got it. All right, I got one more for
you. I got to.
I got to look down here because I'm working on some new ones
here. If you could come up with one
word to best describe New England, what would it be?

(58:42):
Word for New England? Well, that's that's a tough one,
man. Yeah, that's a tough one.
One word to best describe New England.
I know the word I want to say and I'm trying to go into my
mental AI dictionary here to seeif I can see if I can.
Say Chachi BT where you at? Yeah, what's the word for
adventurous? Adventurous.

(59:03):
Adventurous. I love that you want to
elaborate or just leave it there.
I just think we're willing to try things, yeah.
Whether it's beating somebody upfor the first time, we're trying
some new food, New England people are willing to try
things. That right there.
Folks is so New England. We're adventurous.
Well, we're willing to kick yourass or try new food.
Yeah, exactly a sentence for thelet's go and then sit down and

(59:24):
have a drink later on. Louis Bello TM Louis tell
everyone where they can TuneIn and listen to your music, follow
you on your socials, new show songs you got going on.
You have everyone to know. Louis Bello on everything.
So at Louis Bello, pretty much everywhere, we got new songs.
Come, I just put a new song called Summertime, not to
reference Will Smith, you know, but it does smack you in the

(59:45):
face. It's it's, it's a good beat.
It's a good beat. But no, Summertime is a good
song. Just came out and I got some new
stuff coming out working on a little movie.
So if you follow me on socials, we'll see the the movie stuff
that's coming out and yeah, justjust follow and have fun.
I do stupid things online and sometimes I sing songs so.
Love it. Awesome.
Thank you so much. Appreciate it, man.
To come down and jump on the Stone New England podcast.
Thank you. All right folks, that's going to

(01:00:06):
conclude episode 53 of the So New England podcast.
This is sad. It's the first closing we're
doing without RJ. But Please remember, folks,
life's better in New England. Red Sox crack and the Celtics
fly, the Patriots fights and theBruins cry from six great
states. We raised this down New England
strong, homeward bound, So New England with Ian Brown.