Why would an Oscar-winning actor create a travel app? Kevin Costner shares his story

Kevin Costner listens to good stories.

He was interested when he heard about the app that alert travelers of notable places of interest along their journeys.

When you see those bronze markers along the way, I want to stop. He said he wanted to read what was there. You are just watching the miles click off.

He said that an app that would send him compelling, timely stories was appealing.

Woody Sears said that Costner was connected to the app through their children. Costner joined the company as a co-founder after agreeing to narrate several stories for the app.

One of the biggest travel trends of the Covid era is the resurrection of the road trip, which coincides with the launch of the HearHere app.

According to a survey by The Vacationer, road trips are expected to dominate this summer. According to the survey, 80% of American adults plan to take one.

Sears said that HearHere, which is billed as a road trip story guide, was in development before the swine flu hit.

Sears said that the idea of travel had changed for a lot of people.

Kevin Costner said a key part of the app HearHere is to tell the stories of the people who first inhabited North America, a subject at the heart of his Academy Award-winning film "Dances With Wolves."

Costner said he has been involved with several start-ups, but this one was in the center of what he already does in terms of telling stories and his love of history.

Costner's most well-known movies have touched upon important figures in American history. He wanted to tell the stories of the first people to come to North America. Costner directed and produced the Academy Award-winning film "Dances With Wolves", which he starred in.

Who are the first people was the fundamental question for him.

There are more than 9000 stories on HearHere, with topics ranging from Abraham Lincoln to Janis Joplin.

Costner wants to tell the harder truths about U.S. history.

Our story isn't always a great one. There was a lot of violence in America. We are watching violence play out across the globe, and we think that it did not happen here.

There are many stories about America's founding fathers and the Civil War battlefields, but there are also many stories about Mississippi towns that were settled by slaves.

Costner said that they don't have to be ashamed about it.

Sears said HearHere has been downloaded more than 400,000 times and has subscribers in every state. The company announced in February that it had raised $3.2 million in seed funding.

Costner is at the forefront of a new mobile app company, but he isn't much into tech. Most mobile apps fly over my head and I don't know how to use it.

The co-founders of HearHere: Woody Sears, Kevin Costner and Bill Werlin. "I'm not a figurehead … this is my interest," said Costner.

He said that he was raised with wolves. When I travel across the country, my nose doesn't need to be in a computer, it needs to be looking out.

Sears said that screen fatigue is one of the reasons audio content outpaced video content. Audio entertainment can be consumed while walking, driving and doing chores, which makes it easier to integrate into daily life.

Over the past several years, companies such as Amazon and Facebook have announced expanded audio platforms.

Costner said that HearHere has a model that would work well for international expansion.

He said the company is still refining its business and listening to its customers, but he likes to try something new.

Costner said he applies the same approach to his movies.

It is more difficult to try to be original when following a trend. He said that trends, or the repetition of something popular, is a way to make a lot of money.