Johnny Vitulli’s latest single is a song of amour- not about a person, but rather, a city. The artist was originally inspired by a drive with his father, who had discerningly stated “The Bronx is love”.
The cheery, raucous sounds of the stadium open up, and we find ourselves dropped into a specific slice of time and space. Next enters the acoustic guitar: the assured-feeling fingerstyle line repeating meditatively. A kick drum…and finally, the pure-yet-languid vocal line…
Dozens of thin threads intertwine to make a multicolored tapestry of sound: Hints of 60’s music, Radiohead, soft punk, and pop all twist together.
Meet Johnny Vitulli: the singer-songwriter and guitarist who is paving a solo career far and wide. The artist has toured Australia, Thailand, Italy and more. However, nothing can get in the way of his love for New York: Particularly, the Bronx.
The resulting music is a deeply personal and resonant artistic expression that everyone can relate to. A stirring message at its heart: In love, there is chaos, elation, and sometimes, ghosts which we must reckon with.
This single is a multi-faceted reflection of the town…It’s the elated feeling of being in the Yankee stadium, a stark contrast to the haunting streets. This dichotomy is showcased in the delivery of the song, which has uplifting moments, followed by darkening chords and a melancholic air.
Johnny Vitulliy takes much of his inspiration from Bad Brains: An American punk-rock band that pioneered a unique sound. Like Bad Brains, Vituilli has mixed multiple genres to create something new. As the song reaches its peak, the layers of vocal harmonies become sweeter, while an electric guitar offers a darker feeling in the background.
“Bronx Love” is a slow burn…but as it nears the end, the small flames lick up into a bonfire. The strumming guitar soldiers on, the vocals take on hints of punk’s roughness, and the entire atmosphere becomes something beautiful and massive.
What is that inexplicable sound rising up to, where does it go?
Johnny answers: “One love, one life.”
A mantra that repeats and repeats until it fades away, unresolved.
In the end, it all comes full circle… back to love.
Q&A
Why did you choose to release this on Valentine’s Day?
Given the title of the song it seemed fitting. Valentine’s Day can be a rough day for a lot of singles out there so I figured I’d present a musical offering of an atypical or unconventional kind of love. However it’s hard not to be romantic about baseball. It’s also the anniversary of the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929 when seven men were murdered in Chicago in an execution style shooting. While Al Capone was never charged or proven to have been behind the massacre he was the prime suspect. Interestingly enough his family is from the same part of Italy as mine and he also hailed from Brooklyn much like my family. Since I reference “A Bronx Tale” within the song I figured I’d salute all my famiglia Italiana.
Is the Bronx your favorite city in the United States?
New York City collectively is my favorite city in the world. I don’t discriminate against any boroughs. Love it or hate it there’s no place like it. It’s the only place I’ve ever lived that’s ever truly felt like home. I feel like I can always be myself when I’m here.
Where did you get the samples of the stadium?
YouTube.
Where did you first hear Bad Brains, and what was your first thought or impression?
I have an affinity with bands that combine genres in unique or interesting ways. I think Bad Brains were pioneers in that way and I feel like they don’t get the recognition that they deserve. I was part of the hardcore, punk, reggae, hip hop fusion Warped Tour generation. I was really into Sublime growing up and as I got older I began to understand that they were standing on the shoulders of Bad Brains. Their relentless hardcore pace coupled with their soulful reggae is like an audible manifestation of a Yin Yang or some kind of psychological paradox. It’s beautiful, brash, combative, and cathartic.
What is the most chaotic or unsettling experience you’ve had in the Bronx, and how is that represented in “Bronx Love”?
My mother always said that New York City has the best and the worst of everything. It can all be found within The Bronx or any of the other boroughs. You can be on 5th avenue in Manhattan or on Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn, there’s always a potential threat lingering in the shadows. This isn’t fear mongering this is astute awareness. If you’re from New York or if you’ve lived in the city for a significant amount of time you’ve truly seen everything so not much really phases you. I’ve been jumped plenty of times, but I was always the fastest kid on every team so my speed helped me flee from many midnight marauders. Violence was just a prevalent part of life so we grew up tough along with a heightened sense of intuition. I don’t walk down a block or get on a subway car without eyeing up everyone within my general vicinity. Much like fighting it’s the punch you don’t see coming that hurts you the most.
Before your solo career, which bands did you play in? What inspirations did you take with you from those years?
The first band I was in when I was 13 was exactly what you’d think a band of 13 year olds would be called: Absent Minded. I also played in Unknown Asset, Slam Bambi, G Spot Tornado (I guess there’s a theme there) Famous Under Cover Kids, and Made In Motion. I’ve been very fortunate to be friends with a lot of incredibly talented musicians. It’s important to surround yourself with people that are better than you. If you’re the most talented or the smartest person in the room you’re in the wrong room. High tides raise all ships. It’s definitely more fun to be in a band, especially when there’s a synergy and sense of camaraderie. However it’s super important to pick your players wisely. Definitely work with people who listen to the same bands as you and have the same vision or objective as you. Often times there’s strength in numbers, but there can also be fracture and division. There’s a lot of ego in rock and roll and often times too many egos spoil the mix. A true collaboration is when the best idea available is the one we use; especially if it’s NOT my idea. A lot of contention stems from insecurity. Every band I’ve been in has operated as a true democracy so it can take a long time for everyone’s voice to be heard so we can attain concurrence before moving forward. It’s just faster for me to get things done by myself as the songwriter, performer, and producer. I can play and sing all the parts much more efficiently. However there is nothing quite like co-creating. When you’re in the room piecing a song together with one of your best friends it feels like the only true magic in the world. Every other magic has some kind of a trick. But with music each song you write is one of one. It’s unique unto itself and to the universe. It feels like you discovered something special. That feeling of your hands in the clay, the act of creating, those are the moments I live for. There’s also an Lennon/McCartney kind of friendly completion aspect to being in a band. You know you’ve got to step your game up with you’re surrounded by a lot of other talented songwriters and musicians.
Do you have any advice for musicians who are just beginning to pave their own solo careers?
Have fun and make the music you want to hear. Be the audience you’re creating for. Don’t listen to the peanut gallery. If someone’s praise is going to elevate you then their criticism is certainly going to diminish you. If your security is dependent on someone else then you’re insecure. Truly not giving a fuck what anyone thinks about you is your superpower. Do what you love to do regardless of the facts or analytics and don’t have a backup plan. I love being a solo musician and an independent artist because there’s nobody there to tell me what I can and cannot do. I’m combining genres in ways that probably unnerve a lot of people, but that’s really not my concern. I love it and that’s all that matters. If you’re creating music to appease a particular group of the audience your work will be watered down and you will undermine the process. Try not to put so much pressure on yourself. Art isn’t here to save the world, art is here to thrill the artist. It almost always comes down to the last one standing and it’s only failure if you give up. If you have the wisdom to discern temporary defeat as a stepping stone on your way to success then you’ve got it figured out. Obstacles don’t block the path, they are the path. They’re in your way to test your will, emotional resilience, mental toughness, and fortitude. It’s part of your purification process to temper your character and fortify your resolve. I think I had an advantage because there was nowhere for me to run when things got tough, there was never a net to catch me when I would fall. I’ve slept on the streets of multiple major cities and lived in my car for an extended amount of time. Boo hoo nobody cares. Stay hustling, shower in the gym if you have to, and do what you gotta do to survive. I just had to soldier on and figure it out. If success is the only option you have then you must succeed. That being said nobody succeeds alone, make sure you surround yourself with people who truly support you and your dreams. Do everything you can to present the best version of yourself. Find the vibrational frequency of your dreams fulfilled with unwavering faith and conviction. Don’t ask yourself what it looks like, ask yourself what it feels like. Once you consistently match that frequency and capture the feeling of your wishes fulfilled then they have to make their way to you. It’s law. This isn’t philosophy, it’s quantum physics. You can suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The easy path becomes hard very quickly and the hard path eventually becomes easy with enough discipline and consistency.
Did you write the lyrics to ‘Bronx Love’ first, or the music? Do you feel the order you make a composition makes a difference?
When I write a song I generally start with guitar unless I’m just trying to add music to one of my poems. I feel like the guitar part should be good enough to stand on its own before I add any lyrics. If it’s intriguing enough as an instrumental I’ll do my best to discover the possible lyrics hidden within. But, it all starts with a nonverbal sound. Something as simple that’s cool, that sounds like a song. I was dealing with a lot of personal issues at the time that I wrote Bronx Love. I was sitting in my favorite spot in Brooklyn on a beach of the east river facing the Manhattan skyline. The song came to me as some sort of solace as summer faded into fall. It was Derek Jeter’s last season so it was a very sentimental time for a lot of die hard Yankee fans.
Finally: At what moment did you know the song was complete, and that you’d successfully captured the Bronx?
When I write I do my best not over analyze, critique, or edit what comes through. I just want to be as authentic as possible. If I receive it from the divine then I do my best to let it be. Not everything needs to make logical sense. Like a painting I’ll start with a big brush as I splatter as much paint as possible onto the canvas, but then I’ll come through with a smaller brush and tighten up and spots that any need subtle fine tuning. I’m the son of two artists.
I’m not sure if anyone can successfully capture the essence of The Bronx. At least that wasn’t initially my intention. I’m just sharing the experiences I had with my family growing up. My parents have been separated since my birth. I grew up in a very contentious and violent place. The Yankees were our refuge. They offered us some semblance of peace and inspiration amidst a world filled with darkness and hate. My Dad would commandeer some random nose bleed tickets from a distant relative and that was our one big outing of the entire year. The days we would go to the ball game were filled with immense awe and wonder. We’d get there before the players arrived with the slim chance and hope that we could get an autograph as they entered the stadium. One day my brother miraculously got Mariano Rivera’s autograph, which will hopefully remain a family heirloom for many generations to come. We would see the craziest shit on the way to the game. Even as a kid I picked up guys exchanging money, drugs, or both as they seamlessly whisked by each other in the streets. The palpable energy of the infamous Bronx cheer gearing up to deliver her merciless roar. Cunning scalpers all scheming to out hustle one other. Decrepit cries from the lesser fortunate who lay in their destitute bed of dismal decisions. It was all in stark contrast to the prestige and professionalism of the clean cut Yankees. Night and day difference all within less than a block away. That’s what this song is about, that’s what I was trying to capture. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and many of the other great Yankees were tremendous role models for so many of us. They gave us something to believe in, something to strive for, a vision of what’s possible with enough hard work and dedication. There’s no shortcut to becoming a better ball player or musician. You have to put the work in.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/jahkneevee
https://x.com/johnnyvitulli
https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvitulli
https://open.spotify.com/artist/13xAedB95369skMYeoj7Og