Talking Business, Branding and Music Videos with Kelly Butts-Spirito

Last year, I got a friendly email from a young, hungry music video director named Kelly Butts-Spirito. He was racking up five-figure views from low-budget but well-done videos, and laying down the foundations of a career — and a brand, too, under the Love, Kelly moniker. Just under twelve months later, and he's busier than ever, expanding his resume and working hard to help the new wave of BTV talent reach eyeballs around the country.

This Saturday, it all comes together at ArtsRiot for a huge, packed show that will go down as one of the highlights of 2021. He'll be bringing in some big names and showcasing the scene that's been percolating through Queen City Kickback's secret house parties. It's free and it's all ages, so expect an equally packed house. Before doors open (at 7:30 pm sharp) Kelly took the time to explain his journey and his goals, and to offer a wealth of gems about getting started in an opaque and expensive industry, too. Dig it.

VTHH: Do you remember your first introduction to the music video artform? Were you hooked right away or was there a particular video that inspired you?

Kelly Butts-Spirito: I was first introduced to music videos by watching Odd Future music videos in middle school. I always was in love with their style, I loved Frank Ocean and Earl Sweatshirt in particular. I was definitely hooked right away to music videos and fashion. I love music, hip hop culture, style, fashion, videos and just doing weird stuff that's different. I was always attracted to stuff like Odd Future and people like BIGKLIT. I just like to fuck up societal expectations and go against the norms of society.

As a kid I watched stuff like Tyler, the Creator eating a bug or even as a teen seeing BIGKLIT drinking her own period blood never made me uncomfortable in the same way it seemed to for other people, I always just felt attracted to weird visuals and unique concepts. I think that's why I always kind of felt out of place in school growing up and its made me fall in love with NYC. So music videos just tied all of those things together for me because it allowed me an outlet to be weird and creative and make dope art with incredibly unique people.

VTHH: Did you have any mentors when you got started or are you mostly self-taught?

KBS: My brother had a big influence on me and my work. I have been big time inspired by Dextar Navy (ASAP ROCKY DIRECTOR), Cole Bennett of Lyrical Lemonade, Kidsuper (fashion designer and director of early Russ videos), Tyler, the Creator, Teezo Touchdown, Warren Fu (Doja Cat director) and a lot of other creatives that are pushing boundaries. I also had three significant mentors so far that I got the chance to work under, one is William Holby who was a film teacher of mine in high school another is Megan Tresca who was an art teacher of mine that really pushed me to lean into my artistic side. The third was Mikey Cosentino the CTO of RiTE media, a film studio in Atlanta behind a lot of the biggest music videos for A boogie, Akon, J cole etc. I interned for them this summer and Mikey was a mentor of mine. I also want to shout out BennyFlashh who is a Florida director that has done videos for Kodak Black and Chief Keef and he was the first person in the industry to ever hire me to edit for him.

VTHH: Was it hard to get a start without a reel? What advice do you have for aspiring directors trying to scramble their way up the food chain?

KBS: It was tough at first, luckily I had some incredible people take a chance on me when I didn't have much to show work wise yet. I think everyone always wants a video, it's just proving that you can be the director to deliver for them is tough. I'd say at each step in my career so far, it has been tough to get in the door, but I’ve always just had the mentality of breaking down any door in my way and just proving people wrong.

For example, my first music video ever was for Real Ricky because we were childhood friends so he trusted me and took a chance and it did amazing with like 13,000 views or something and no promotion or label anything. After that video I was trying to work with signed artists and no one would take a chance on me but I just kept spamming artists DMs on IG. I remember I looked at concerts in Boston because it was the closest big city to Vermont and found a Dave East show happening that weekend. I DM'd all the opening acts.

Out of all the DMs I had sent, one person replied. But his name happened to be Cruch Calhoun and he said, "yo I know you're young and inexperienced but your editing style is crazy come on stage in Boston and record the show plus I want you to direct my next music video.” So I drove 4 hours to Boston and waited outside of the sold out show for about 35 minutes in the winter before he sent someone out to let me in. I remebber standing outside thinking "yo what if he never lets me inside and I just drove all this way for nothing" but I had to believe that it would all work out and it did. They ended up coming out to find me and I ended up having a huge night.

I met so many artists, managers, promoters, videographers that I'm still connected with today. Cruch Calhoun has become a close friend and that night he opened doors for me that I had never been able to before because I was so persistent. The year after that show I was in college and DM'd an artist named Lonr. about 35 times before he finally replied to me. I would DM him about 5 messages for every 1 reply and finally he put me on the phone with his manager. The next week I was in the city shooting his Lollapalooza virtual set and one of his big music videos. He is also a close friend now.

This summer and fall I have been in the process of trying to land bigger budget music videos. I just directed a video for one of the artists I am the very closest with who is a Burlington artist, North Ave Jax. He just signed and we have built a lot of the foundation for our careers together over the past year in Burlington and New York. The video I just directed for him was my biggest video deal so far and I believe it will be another step to opening the doors to new opportunities.

So I think the mindset of not being fazed by rejection and being persistent is the key to continuing to move forward and take on bigger projects even if you think your work isn’t good enough yet someone might see it as amazing and its important to shoot your shot all the time because the only way to get better is to try new things and take on bigger projects. You will learn as you go through mistakes, but if you never try you will never learn the lessons you need to get better. My advice to anyone who is into video is just to shoot and edit as much as possible and take creative risks. I feel like the only way to get better is just to try new things as a director, videographer or editor.

VTHH: You've built a great platform and brand. Was that a deliberate goal for you from the start or did that curation just emerge from the networking you were doing and the need to get more exposure?

KBS: Thank you! I really appreciate that. It was my goal to be doing music videos and concerts but the whole "Love, Kelly" thing and my Youtube channel and Instagram sort of just came from artists having nowhere to drop their videos. I was able to provide them with that place, and I had also worked with some artists outside of Vermont so that helped as well. The Vermont artists have trusted my vision and allowed me to take risks on their videos that have allowed me to get bigger videos and then it has allowed the channel to grow, so it all just really ties into building itself. I am so thankful for every Vermont artist and artist outside of Vermont that had trusted me with their music videos.

VTHH: The upcoming show at ArtsRiot has a crazy lineup. Do you feel like you got involved with a thriving scene that was already there, or did a lot of these artists connect through you?

KBS: I think a lot of things are fully coming together in the Burlington music scene for the first time. I feel like there have been amazing time periods that I have gotten to feel the benefits of. For example in middle school I remember people like Sasha Travis and Vader the Villin doing crazy dope shit but there weren't enough people around them to really make it explode I feel like.

Then I think 99 Neighbors getting signed out of Vermont was so awesome and made a lot of people feel like it was possible to make music that would get noticed. I think it made people more invested in Vermont music, but they left and are doing their thing outside of Burlington, so I think even though they had such a dope scene around them it wasn't able to really reach all the way to put people like Jax in contact with connections and leave a long lasting structure for young Vermont artists to get connected and pop off.

I'd love to think that now artists have resources to turn to that will get them videos and connections and performances etc. I also think Rivan C. throwing shows have been huge for Vermont music. So I think there were definitely people that were doing amazing stuff in Burlington, but I feel like its always had a bit of a disconnect. Like I don't think there has ever been a time where everyone in Burlington who makes music and art and videos and pictures at all ages can throw down together and have real connections to labels and other artists for features, shows and exposure to the world outside of Burlington. I also feel like there has never really been events like this where bigger artists are coming here to perform with local acts and celebrate everyone together.

The scene is honestly so crazy right now, it’s so much bigger than any one person. People like DJ David Chief who is making insane beats that are running up millions of streams, to producers like Siilas, Teddy Baker, Yung Lu, videographers like the Brennan Bros, artists like Jax, Ricky, Rivan, Hakim, Kami, Brazii and so many others all coming together in a way that hasn’t happened before. It’s like everyone is on the same page, just building this community together without any cliques and stuff. The north end, south end and people from outside of Vermont are all getting together to be behind it.

Also UVM students are performing at the show and the dance group "The King Cobras" that went viral that is making a UVM dance group called "The Elites," and they are performing ,too. Like it’s crazy, everyone who normally doesn’t really interact are all coming together for this show, so it’s just a really awesome moment in time. It feels cool that I have gotten to work outside of Vermont and then connect people in Vermont to the work I’ve been doing. For example ZAIA (ATL based) has a huge song called “Blue.” Well ZAIA and I worked together all summer and he’s a close friend now. Kami called me and said "Yo ZAIA 's song Blue literally got me through my first break up. Tell him I love him." So I go, ZAIA listen to this kid he loves your music. Next thing ZAIA is messaging Kami like yo I like your music, etc. So its just an amazing structure that’s being built for artist to have connections.

As soon as their music is at the right level, all the connections will be there for them to be in the right rooms. I feel fortunate to be able to open some of those doors for people here who maybe didn’t have the same opportunities I did growing up. Its surreal what’s been happening. Like Jax label executives are out at Red Square with me talking about how they first blew up 6lack and Summer Walker. I mean it's just really crazy that stuff like that is happening in Vermont, and that there is talent here that is bringing people like those executives to hangout at Red Square because we are shooting at Als French Fries.

I think the talent was always here but now the eyes are finally coming, and the community is really backing it in a new way that includes so many people, not just artists but videographers, engineers producers, managers, etc. This year Rivan and I connected about shows, Jax got signed, and a few other things fell into place that I think has brought a lot of energy to the scene. It's amazing because it's really been so much bigger than music or videos for all of us. Its like a family. We all collaborate and we all uplift each other. Its like all the stuff you want to have in school but never happens like mentorship and brotherhood and growth all at once.

Also throughout this year so many other dope artists in Vermont have popped out that I didn't even know about, so it’s only growing and I think more people are getting inspired and wanting to be a part of it which is something I really have just been blessed to be a part of. I think North Ave Jax will be the best artist to ever come out of Vermont.

VTHH: The quality of your work has sharply escalated over the past year. Do you attribute that just to more experience, or are you more or less constantly testing out new techniques and ideas outside of paid gigs?

KBS: I think that video is something that really just takes time to get good at in terms of quality and the only way to get better is to go through the cringe fazes of not being that good. I feel like the ways I've been able to do bigger videos even when my quality wasn't as good was trying new ideas and being ultra creative. On top of that I always try to bring something to the table for the artist weather it is my personality or new styles etc. I think that the quality of work has increased with experience, more money, better gear etc but the creative vision is what has always set me apart even when you look back to my very first videos. I think in a few years my videos will be visually top of the line quality wise but my unique style and weird ideas will still set my videos apart no matter how high profile the quality becomes.

VTHH: A lot of great directors cut their teeth making music videos before they went on to make movies -- do you have ambitions like that?

KBS: Yes absolutely, I'd love to do short form documentaries for a newsroom someday maybe even make my own like VICE Media. I've been writing about my time in rehab and I've always dreamed about making it into a TV show. I would also love to go as far as possible with music videos. I want to be the best director the music industry has ever seen. There is no back up plan. I'm just sending it 24-7, going after my goals.