Forest Raynes Ella’s Fella song story featuring the Back Bay Ale House in Atlantic City, a fruity mason jar drink, cowboy hat, red rose, and waterfront marina.

How a Jersey Shore Bar Inspired My New Song, Ella’s Fella

My brand-new single “Ella’s Fella” is out now, and the official music video is live on YouTube. Of course, I’ve gotta tell you the story behind this one, because it’s one of my favorites.

It Started With a Song on the Radio

My good friends and two of my favorite songwriters, Bill Guerro and his son, Bill Jr., wrote this song. Together, they’re the father-and-son team known as Guerro Songs.

This past summer, Bill Sr. was driving into Atlantic City to grab some lunch when Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” came on the radio. Then he got to thinkin’ about how her fan club is called “Ella’s Fellas,” and he laughed and said to himself, “I’d like to be her fella.”

Think about it. After all, every cowboy from Tennessee to Alabama is lining up for a shot with a girl like Ella. So what about the guy who doesn’t want to be just another one of Ella’s Fellas? What about the guy who wants to be the one? That was the hook.

Written at the Back Bay Ale House

So Bill heads down to the Back Bay Ale House in Gardner’s Basin in Atlantic City, grabs a seat at the outside bar, and orders one of their famous Basin Masons, served up in a Mason jar. Meanwhile, he’s sitting there, looking out at the water, still thinking about that line from the car.

If you’ve never been, the Back Bay Ale House is one of those spots that feels made for songwriting. Good food, a cold drink, boats in the basin, and a view of the water. It’s a little piece of the Jersey Shore that made its way into a country song.

Written One Text at a Time

Still, there was just one catch: Bill Jr. lives way out in Texas. So Bill texts his son, and the two of them start writing back and forth, right there from the bar. Then Bill looks around, and the first verse just shows up, right in front of him:

Hot summer sun, not a cloud in the sky,
rockin’ on the porch, watchin’ cars roll by,
sweet tea sweatin’ in a Mason jar,
Ella on the radio, stealin’ my heart.

Now that’s exactly what he was doing: watching the sweat roll off that Mason jar and the cars go by. However, it wasn’t sweet tea in that jar. It was a Basin Mason. Ha! We’ll just leave it at that.

Line by line, text by text, the two of them wrote the whole song before Bill ever left the Back Bay. In fact, it’s a song inspired by “Choosin’ Texas,” written with half the team in Texas. In other words, sometimes the story writes itself.

And the rest, as they say, is history. In the end, those two wrote a killer song, and I’m real thankful they gave me the chance to record it. Above all, I hope you love it as much as I do.

What “Ella’s Fella” Is All About

“Ella’s Fella” is a feel-good, upbeat summer country-rock song about a front porch, sweet tea in a Mason jar, and a guy who knows he’s got competition but isn’t backing down. In short, it’s fun, it’s a little cocky, and it’s made to be played loud with the windows down. Just like the drive that started it. You can also find it with the rest of my songs on the Music page.

Watch the Official “Ella’s Fella” Music Video

The official music video for “Ella’s Fella” is streaming now on YouTube:

If you enjoy it, please give it a like, leave a comment, and share it with a friend. After all, every view, comment, and share helps an independent country artist get heard.

Stream and Download “Ella’s Fella”

Credits

  • Artist: Forest Raynes
  • Written by: William A. Guerro Sr. & William A. Guerro Jr. (Guerro Songs)
  • Produced by: W4WAG Studios
  • Published by: W4WAG Publishing
  • Released: November 3, 2026

Grab a Basin Mason at the Back Bay

If you’re ever in the Atlantic City area, be sure to stop by the Back Bay Ale House in Gardner’s Basin, grab a seat at the outside bar, and order yourself a Basin Mason. Who knows? Then maybe you’ll get lucky and “Ella’s Fella” will come on the radio, and you’ll see exactly how this song wrote itself, sitting right there on that hot summer day, watching the cars roll by.

🍹 Back Bay Ale House: backbayalehouse.com
👍 Follow them on Facebook: facebook.com/backbayalehouse

A Special Thank You

A huge thank you to J.K. Coltrain and Nashville Radio Promotions for promoting “Ella’s Fella” and getting it out to independent country radio stations. Truth is, I couldn’t do this without you! Of course, the biggest thanks goes to you for listening.

Finally, thanks for riding along with me. Now turn it up!

Forest Raynes