In life, we crave finding the perfect partner. We desire finding the one we can start a business, collaborate creatively or build a family with. We look to find this true friend to hang out with who will just ‘get’ us. Many people spend years searching for their right partners, but what happens when you just happen to be born two minutes apart?
Billy and Louie are 17-year-old identical twin brothers who share 99.9% of the same DNA. That explains their mutual passions for music and creativity. They are known for their participation in the British TV show Little Mix The Search when the popular girl-band Little Mix sought an opening act for their upcoming "Confetti" tour.
Since the twin's first audition, it was clear to Little Mix and to thousands of viewers at home that they were witnessing something special. Their talent got all four members of Little Mix up from their seats while passionately clapping their hands.
Before the audition, Billy and Louie worked all night to deliver the best vocals and performance they could. "We practiced as much as we possibly could in the short time we had," Louie revealed.
Getting into the show provided the twins with an exciting new opportunity. At the same time there were fears involved. Billy and Louie are connected to their inner values and it is extremely important for them to be involved in every aspect of their music, including production and songwriting to express their creativity and stay true to their values.
"We want to be in charge of what we want to do. We want to make sure that we are doing what we feel comfortable with. We want to write our own music. I think you are guaranteed to be successful if you stay true to who you are," Louie commented.
"We were really worried about doing the whole show. The main thing that we didn't want to happen was to get into a band and completely lose who we are as singers. Luckily everything went well. It was just amazing," Billy revealed. "When we got into the band room we all got along so well. When we got to the final performance the most upsetting thing about leaving was the fact that we were going to leave them [their former mix-band bandmates]. It's nice that we were able to still stay in contact," Louie added.
Little Mix member Jesy Nelson shared her insight into the twins’ career in such a heartfelt way that they still value that message. "She said she was really excited to see our music career as a duo rather than being in a band. She wants us to write and release as much music as we can together," Billy said.
Billy and Louie started singing together when they were only 5 years old and by 11 years old they were writing their own songs. Throughout the years they participated in many music projects, auditions, and competitions in the struggle to receive recognition and to continue doing what they loved. The sound of "NO" didn't scare them because they knew in their hearts that the music industry is where they belong and they remain determined to make their dream a reality.
They are devoted to working hard, writing songs and producing new music. "We are very honest and very critical. Our attitude is good because it means we are always working on improving both ourselves and our singing," Billy remarked. The twins are not afraid to take risks and take on new projects. They constantly push themselves to step up to the next level with the support of two women who always have their backs, their mother and grandmother. “They follow us everywhere and drive us everywhere. They are very supportive of us and are happy that we are doing what we love to do.”
Their latest song, "Rosa," was influenced by their connection to the Latin culture acquired on multiple holidays to Spain and was written one week during lock-down. The inspiration for the name and the lyrics was their former band-mate and friend Rosie whom they met on The Search. They produced the song on their own after they self-educated themselves on production and learned how to play guitar, ukulele, and piano.
This talented duo is not only interested in concerts and recording. Billy and Louie also perform theater, teach vocal development and fund a community choir for people of all ages. They share their love of music as a means to connect people. The young men agree that music has a healing power that soothes the soul. Reaching others through music is a special experience that they hope to keep doing for many years.
4 Interesting Facts About Identical twins:
Identical Twins Have Almost Everything in Common - Identical twins have DNA that is 99.9% the same. That explains the close connection Billy and Louie share over their passions. They also have almost nearly identical brain wave patterns. Only fingerprints and bite marks are different.
Identical Twins Aren't Exactly Identical - Anyone who knows a set of identical twins knows that they are not completely identical to each other. If you look closely at Billy and Louie, you will be able to recognize the physical differences between them. For example, Billy's hair is blonder then Louie's.
Mothers of Twins Live Longer - Women who give birth to twins are usually healthy and strong and tend to live longer.
Twins Speak Their Own Language - Around 40% of twins invent their own secret language. This "language" usually consists of inverted words and expressions. These languages are often formed when twins are learning how to speak together at the same time.
References:
Coral Mastey Zoom interview with Billy and Louie Houses
https://www.verywellfamily.com/identical-twins-2447126
GRE Psychology by Kaplan, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA--JaCgiks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag2rd5lZQ00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pppBeU-c68