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ALTON - An Alton record label has recorded an EP for Little Victory, an up-and-coming band out of Chicago.
Harbor Music Co., founded by Nick Bifano, is an Alton record label and recording studio that recently produced an EP for Little Victory. Bifano explained that he was excited to work with Vince and Erika Camerano, the husband-and-wife duo that makes up the band. Both Vince and Bifano are impressed by Alton’s music scene, and they look forward to building up the resources in Alton so it will become “another hub for great musicians,” Vince said.
“We look for people who want to build a team and have a good relationship with our music and our band, and I think the coolest thing so far was completely not being aware of this town in Illinois and then showing up there and going, ‘Where has this been? Where has this community been?’” Vince remembered. “What Nick is doing out in Alton is really a testament to where I think music is going to go in Alton.”
The Cameranos and Bifano connected via Instagram, and Bifano was immediately impressed by Little Victory’s music. He welcomed Vince and Erika to Alton, where they visited Harbor Music’s studio and decided to record their EP.
Vince and Bifano remember working on the EP until 4 a.m., making sure it perfectly captured what Little Victory wanted to say in their music. Looking back on it now, both men noted they felt comfortable with each other, and Bifano’s support helped Vince and Erika feel more encouraged to share their work.
“My role as a producer, as much as it is to guide the music or to help with that, it’s also to be a bit of a psychologist in a way, where if Erika and Vince feel great inside the space, that’s where we’re going to find the best performances,” Bifano said. “I care about your sound. I care about what you’re doing, and I want you to have a real moment.”
This mindset guides much of Harbor Music’s work. Bifano explained that the goal of Harbor Music is to connect artists with resources so they can succeed.
This connection is what inspired Vince and Erika to engage with the record label. Based in Chicago, Little Victory decided to work with an Alton-based label because they enjoyed the community that Alton’s music scene has fostered.
“Erika and I are looking for something a little different, and I think for us, the city of Chicago is missing something that is what Nick is doing. That’s more of a community instead of a competition,” Vince said. “I think that is really what’s most important when it comes to music because you can have the best song in the world or the best musicians in the world, but without a big, good group of great, good-quality people bringing it together, you don’t really have anything. And that’s what you guys have in Alton.”
That community has also inspired Bifano. He noted that Alton is a great place for creatives, and he is proud of the network he has helped form. He hopes more bands like Little Victory will work with Harbor Music going forward.
“Alton feels like a safe haven to me, and I think perhaps bands experience that as well,” he said. “The studio has really become home to a lot of people…I think that speaks to the greater spirit of Alton, of a place to foster art and community. But then I think it’s also just the natural culmination of people who make up the space.”
For more information about Harbor Music Co., you can visit their official website at HarborMusicCo.com.
Little Victory will be playing locally on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at Old Herald Brewery and Distillery in Collinsville. For more information about Little Victory and their music, you can visit their official website at LittleVictoryBand.com. The band recently released “Asleep at the Wheel,” the first single on their EP set to be released later this year. They will follow this single with “Hummingbird,” out on Aug. 30, 2024.
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