ALTON - Harbor Music Co. musicians have two things: a story and a soul.
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Harbor Music Co., an independent record label in Alton, helps connect indie musicians with people and resources so they can share their music with a wider audience. Owner Nick Bifano — the organizer of the Mississippi River Festival — said that Harbor aims to support musicians who put their “hearts and souls” into their work.
“If you boil it down, really, the crux of what we’re doing is just connecting people, which is a beautiful thing,” Bifano said. “I really feel that that’s what Harbor’s goal is, to sort of be the center of the wheel, to connect people to the right conversations, the right resources, the right doorways and opportunities so that they can have the greatest chance of success.”
The record label also runs a private recording studio and live music promotion company out of Alton. They help bands connect with gigs, graphic designers, website creators, other musicians and more people who can boost them on the path to success. Harbor Music acts as a “resource hub” for these artists.
Bifano noted that there is “a huge gap” between independent musicians and bands who are signed to big-time record labels. Bigger record labels have more resources, and Spotify or Apple Music playlists are more likely to include new music released by the labels. Indie musicians, meanwhile, have to rely on social media and word-of-mouth to make an impact.
After years of watching people struggle to make it in the music scene, Bifano decided to launch Harbor Music with the hopes of uplifting artists and bands. If Harbor can help bands connect with more people and share their music on a wider platform, then Bifano considers it a success.
“I was just sick and tired of seeing bands spin their wheels and not make much traction. I’m a big believer in high tides raising all ships,” Bifano explained. “I just saw these bands that were struggling, one, to make a living, or two, to gain any traction in what they’re doing, and just felt that there needed to be a record label that fought for those bands because the music is great and it deserves to be heard. This is people putting their hearts and souls into their songs, into their music, and it’s a shame that only a couple hundred people hear it.”
Bifano said he recognizes that Harbor Music isn’t going to take on the bigger labels; it’s not about that. It’s about offering support to musicians and giving them a fair shot.
And the hard work has paid off. Bifano sees big things in the future for the bands and musicians who are represented by Harbor Music, including the band FEEL and artist Matt Jordan. The Chicago-based band Little Victory is releasing a single later this week, and Harbor Music has expanded to support more musicians throughout the Midwest.
“I’m not here to fool anybody into thinking that we've got some sort of leg-up on anybody and if you sign with Harbor, then you’re going to be the next big thing,” Bifano added. “We’re in the trenches together because we believe in music and we believe that there is a way, if you want to really pursue this thing and it’s within your soul, that you can make a go at this and have a career around this.”
Bifano and his team want to work with dedicated people. They believe in the music, and they’re ready to share it with the world. Harbor Music helps them connect with artists who share the same passion.
“We just had a vision for what a record label could look like, sort of giving it our best swing at the giants in Nashville and beyond. And we may not take them down, but we’ll certainly make a dent in it with this team,” he said. “Harbor itself, myself as a producer and a mixing engineer, I’ll work with anybody who’s got a story to tell and wants to put some heart and soul behind their music.”
For more information about Harbor Music Co., you can visit their official website at HarborMusicCo.com.
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