E: Anthony, as the owner of Genco Records, do you think that you have a pretty good view of what goes on in the music scene aside from what we hear on albums and see at concerts?
Anthony: I like to think I have a pretty good idea of what goes on in the national music scene. More so in my NJ tri-state area, just because that�s my home area. Other than that, I receive a ton of press kits from all over the US and all over the world. So with all of the online rumors and other things I read, I think I have a good idea of what is going on.
E: How long after you sign a band do they start to feel like family?
Anthony: Usually, the bands I sign feel like they are part of our family before they even get signed. We like to bring bands in we are interested in, and have them around us for a few months--book them on shows with the other bands on the label, invite them out with us when we party. We keep it extremely person here at Genco Records. Everyone is friends and we are always doing things as a family, not as individuals.
E: How often do you get to see your bands' shows?
Anthony: When the show is in New Jersey or in the tri-state area, I am usually at ninety-eight percent of their shows. I try never to miss any of their shows if it can be avoided. One thing anyone who has seen my bands can tell you, one of the best things about them is their live performance. Even though the bands are on my label, I am a still big fan of all their music. I have also gone on tour with my bands a few times, which is always mayhem, but some of the best times you could imagine. I love seeing my bands live. It definitely is the culmination of all the work we do, just getting out there and showing the kids what the bands are made of.
E: How do you decide when it's time to sign a new band?
Anthony: All of my bands up until this point have fallen into my lap. Post Break I had found just on the internet and though word of mouth. Royden I had found because their drummer, Nick, came to Pennsylvania, with Post Break Tragedy, and our friends in a band called Maverick. And Kick Over The Traces I had just started booking and our relationship grew and now they are on the label. I do receive a ton of press kits, but I have never found the perfect band for the label through that. Also most of the times, the bands I sign must be from the tri-state area. I am not that big of a label yet, and a big thing is, I need to keep an eye out for all of my bands directly.
E: What do you do for the bands you sign?
Anthony: The main thing I do is help with funds. I give them the extra push that they wouldn't normally have. Other than that, I do as much promoting as humanly possible through online means and through flyer-ing and other things of that sort. Other than that, we give them friendship. We bring bands into this label, and they will make friends that they will have for the rest of their life. I honestly think we are the coolest the funniest label on the planet.
E: How do you think that the internet has changed the way labels work over the past few years?
Anthony: It has changed everything. Without the internet I don't think I would have a label right now. That goes for so many other labels too. Maybe not directly, but it definitely effects everyone. For instance, my good friend Kyle runs another label in NJ, No Milk Records. He also does various forms of web design besides running the label, and that brings in a lot of extra funds that he uses to make his label as successful as it has become. It also allows you to reach one thousand times as many people as you would if you did not have the internet. Just sites like PureVolume, SmartPunk, Absolute Punk, Euphonia, and Acclaimed Punk, make things so much easier for us labels and different music industry companies.
E: Do you think that New Jersey bands generally have a style that's characteristic of them to the point of almost being a sub-genre?
Anthony: New Jersey is a whole different world when it comes to "scene." Everyone here knows each other, we have been going to the same venues, dancing to the same bands, and just being around each other for going on ten years now. In the area of the bands, you can always tell which band is from NJ, and what band is not. So many influences for bands come out of NJ. So many phenomenal bands have come out of our area. For instance, Midtown, Saves The Day, and Thursday, all lived within a twenty-minute radius of each other. I mean, I remember being fourteen and seeing these bands play every weekend. I kind of miss that. But as for style, NJ is definitely its own genre, just because we seem to be trendsetters in that area. But as for the actual music, we might get the ball rolling with new kinds of emo or punk, but give it five months, and I guarantee there will be four hundred bands in NJ all doing the same thing. Nothing against them though, all kids have to start somewhere.
E: How can a label help a band become more known on the scene?
Anthony: Simply through constant promotion. I mean, there is no real trick about it. Just bombarding the public with different materials until they actually listen. It is tough and tedious but eventually they will listen, and the most important thing is that you have a good product to show all the scene kids, or they will bash you until you are dead and buried. These kids run the scene, not people like me. Without them, we have nothing.
E: So just how much daily work does your job provide for you to do?
Anthony: It�s non-stop. On average, I get, twenty-five voice mails a day, and at least seventy-five e-mails. It is a never ending process but I have a lot of great people helping me out now.
E: But it's all worth it?
Anthony: No doubt about it. I�m in this for the long haul. If I can't do this for the rest of my life, I have no idea what I am going to do.
E: Thanks a lot for doing the interview, among all else that you do.
Anthony: No problem my friend, thanks for having me--it has been a pleasure!
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