In mid-2009, Louie the Singer left a lucrative music tour to return home to Fort Worth to raise his then two-year-old son. The decision to leave Los Angeles is one that Louie said he doesn’t regret. Now a father of four, the songwriter, performer, and producer is preparing to co-headline Centro Popular at Wild Acre Live, the new music stage near Wild Acre Brewing Company. 
 

 

WHAT PROJECTS HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON?

"I have four shows coming up in the next two months, and I’m in recording sessions twice a week. I record at Music In Focus Studio with [recording engineer] Chico. He is one of the go-to engineers in DFW. I’ve got enough music to drop three projects right now.


HOW RECEPTIVE IS FORT WORTH TO THE R&B MUSIC YOU WRITE AND PERFORM?

"It’s like anything. It has to be promoted right. Leon Bridges was tapping into it. He told me, ‘Ya, it’s better for my [vocal] range.’ That’s cool. You have to like rap to enjoy rap. You can’t go to a Tim McGraw fan and say, ‘Listen to this new song by Lil Baby.’ If you walk up to a rap or Tim McGraw fan and play one of my songs, it’s easier to take in. You don’t meet many people who weren’t a Michael Jackson, Prince or Boyz II Men fan at some point. [Performing R&B] is like getting to yell out loud in a whole different language but everyone understands it."

Worst-case scenario, they say you sound really great, but the song was horrible, Louie said with a laugh. 

HOW DOES FAITH PLAY INTO YOUR ARTISTRY?

I use a lot of references to demons and dark times and stuff like that. I do make secular music too. I believe in Christ our Lord and Savior, but I don’t push it down people’s throats. I feel like God will find them at the perfect time for that person. It’s always better that way.

 

WHERE ARE YOU IN YOUR CAREER AS A R&B ARTIST?

"I would say I’m content. The whole part of being an artist is not only figuring out what kind of music you need to do but figuring out who you are as an artist. If you don’t know who you are as a person, you cannot figure out who you are as an artist. Now that I’ve figured it out, I’m content. Smooth Vega and I are recording music to the point where you may not like this song, but you can’t say it’s bad. I’ve worked hard to develop my sound. I’ve been groomed by a lot of people."

DESCRIBE YOUR SONGWRITING PROCESS.

"I am the weirdest person to hang out with. I will be in the middle of a conversation, I’ll say something, and I have to write it down in my notes. I’ll tell Chico, ‘I’m in the car. Upload this beat.’ I’ll walk in with my team. I don’t write half of this. I freestyle. I make my melodies first. *sings example* Then I’ll put lyrics to it real quick. We just create."

WHERE DO YOU GO TO KICK BACK WHEN YOU AREN’T RECORDING?

"There are the tourist spots like West 7th. Now that I’m in my 30s, I go to Top Golf near downtown. Across the street is a river area where you can rent bikes. You can chill by the water. I sometimes go to the downtown Worthington Renaissance Hotel and play the grand piano. There’s a Starbucks there. If you know Fort Worth, there’s Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant [not the Austin-born Chuy's] on the North Side. My friend owns that. I also eat at Dos Molina’s, a beautiful family-style Mexican food restaurant. If I’m in the South Side, El Mil Tacos.