Hailing from the picturesque city of Asti, Italy, LouTente & the Cameltoes is a captivating combo that opted to pursue the bluegrass basics in 2015. There origins can be traced back to the fact that upright bassist and mandolin player Fabio Pregno and singer, resonator guitarist and bassist Paolo Bortolato have played together since 2003. Their previous work focused mainly on grunge, but after Pregno met Manuel Sorce while working at his day job, the two decided to form a new group.
“I sent Manuel a short riff played on a mandolin built by my dad via WhatsApp,” Pregno recalls. “Immediately, Manuel responded with a banjo riff, and that’s when we decided to involve Paolo and start the band.”
With Sorce at the forefront, plying his captivating vocals to the sound of banjo and ukulele, the band’s signature sound began to take shape. Each member’s mastery of their respective instruments, coupled with the band’s vibrant harmonies, forms the backbone of the group’s sound. So too, it draws inspiration from a diverse array of musical genres, but ultimately LouTente & the Cameltoes infuse each cover they tackle with a distinctive bluegrass flair. Their reinterpretations breathe new life into familiar fare, offering audiences a fresh perspective on well-seasoned standards while maintaining a musical stance that’s decidedly their own.
“We endeavor to infuse our rendition of bluegrass with an Italian flavor, although it diverges from the traditional style of bluegrass music,” Pregno insists. “Our unique approach celebrates both cultures, resulting in a harmonious fusion.”
That said, Pregno also says it’s difficult to describe any specific influences. “It’s a bit complex to articulate, as each of us has a leaning towards rock in terms of taste, naturally influencing our inclination to choose rock songs for bluegrass-style covers,” he explains. “Given that we primarily perform as a cover band, artists like The Cleverlys, Hayseed Dixie, and Steve ‘n’ Seagulls are among our top picks. Speaking about traditional bluegrass, it’s not possible to not love Bill Monroe.”
Currently, the band’s performances are mostly limited to the Piedmont region that they continue to call home. “We had our first concert in July 2015, and up until now we have played more than 100 live gigs,” Pregno explains. “However after the 2020 pandemic, we reduced the number of live concerts for at least a year. Then, in 2017, we played at an Italian Festival called Collisioni.”
Pregno goes on to say that the band has been well-received back home, although that hasn’t necessarily always been the case.
“It was truly astonishing,” he recalls. “We started almost as a joke back in 2015, but in no time, we built a small audience that appreciated our bluegrass-style song interpretations.”
The band’s recorded work can currently be found on Spotify, which features some of their singles and a live album.
“At the moment we focus basically on covers from other musical styles,” Pregno says. “But they’re played with typical bluegrass instrumentation.”
That fusion of sounds and styles is well in keeping with Pregno’s thoughts as to why bluegrass is growing in popularity, even overseas.
“Everybody loves bluegrass,” he maintains. “Many just don’t realize that.”
Clearly LouTente & the Cameltoes are doing their share to make that realization become a reality.
