Dan's Papers - August 15, 2008

With essentially no cohesive music scene for younger bands on the North Fork, two local teens decided to take matters into their own hands.

Three years ago, Pat Serrano, of New Suffolk, and Joe Capuano, of Greenport, formed Take Back Productions, not only booking showcases for local bands, but also acting as a record label. And now, after an 18-month hiatus, Take Back has not only released a new four-song EP for Greenport artist, Warren, but they also have three upcoming shows. On August 16, local bands Well, Hello, Native Sons, Myriad, High Bluff and Viola will be playing at the Greenport Legion Hall for $10, followed by a free show on August 21 at Mitchell Park, also in Greenport, featuring Well, Hello, Show Me Action and Danny Rocco. They also have another show at the Legion Hall in the works for September 6.

The duo met at a BOCES class in Riverhead, where they learned the art of recording and mixing music. The two were constantly complaining to their teacher and other students about the music industry. "So, our teacher said, 'Why don't you just do it?" Serrano said. "It was a put up or shut up kind of thing."

Each quickly took on a specific role within Take Back. Serrano, who had booked shows with a previous production company he founded, took on more of a promotions role, while Capuano took on more of a technical role, dealing with sound at all the shows and serving as the label's recording engineer. They've worked with a handful of bands over the years, recording, promoting and distributing their records, and even have two they work with on a regular basis - Warren and Crime Is a Trend. "We put out records for the people we really like," Serrano said. "And people who are not just trying to make some money, but who really want to be musicians. We personally choose the bands that we like."

"We choose the bands that we love listening to and also like working with," Capuano added. "I don't work with anyone I don't enjoy working with."

Take Back has become a lifesaver for the North Fork music scene, caring more about the music than making any money. They care more about the bands they work with and making their releases affordable and accessible than putting anything into their own pockets.

"When bands sign that hunk of paper [with a record label] they give away their rights," said Capuano. "But we know in the long run, it's their work, not ours," adding that the contracts they sign with bands are very loose and include no exclusivity clauses.

Since the bands on their label are mostly looking for exposure, and since the production for the CDs is done in house, several of Take Back's releases, including the most recent one from Warren, are downloadable for free on their Web site. Others are priced as low as $2 or $3. "Music is art and should be free," Serrano said. "Unfortunately, free doesn't always work, but we try our hardest. This is the fourth year in a row that CD sales in the whole industry are down."

Of course, it hasn't always been easy for them. An attendee at a show at the Peconic Rec Center, where Take Back held shows on a regular basis, broke his nose in a mosh pit a year-and-a-half ago. After that, they weren't allowed to use the space anymore and found themselves without a home for their shows. Fortunately, the label has recently paired up with the Village of Greenport, which has been very supportive of their efforts to keep music alive and has found them some local venues for their comeback.

For more information on Take Back Productions' upcoming shows and releases, go to www.takebackproductions.com or www.myspace.com/takebackproductions.

If you're a band or musician interested in being featured in our new music column, email tiffany@danspapers.com.