Today we’d like to introduce you to Lio Kanine
Hi Lio, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started off dreaming on numerous sunny days in Cocoa Beach, FL in the early 1990’s about living and working
in a big city where there was constant music surrounding me.
After graduating from Dr. Phillips High School (Orlando area) in 1992, I soon transferred to FSU (Tallahassee) for college. While there I met some like minded people with dreams of working in the music industry. I soon started working for SCE (Student Campus Entertainment) helping to put on / book shows around campus for students. We’d put on local, national touring, and worldwide touring live acts/bands on our campus venues. It was here that I saw some of my favorite bands, still this day. (The Verve, Luna. Nirvana, The Breeders, The Flaming Lips, Velocity Girl). I learned a ton about how to work with bands, what it takes to host / put on live shows, and the business of promoting live music.
In my senior year of college my roommates where in this band and needed a manager. I instantly stepped up and helped them book all of their first shows as well as their first U.S. tour. As well as organize recording of their first album.
During college I would often drive 5-6 hours to Atlanta, GA to see shows / live bands. I’d often wait till 3am to try and meet the bands. Then drive straight back to school to make my 8:00am class.
As soon as graduation was coming I knew I had to move to the closest big city to try and make my dreams of working
in the music industry happen. So I packed up my car and moved to Atlanta with only $500 to my name. After
working and living there for 2 years I realized that the city of Atlanta wasn’t going to provide the necessary environment
for me to achieve my dreams. So I worked hard to save for 2 more years to move to NYC.
So in 2000, I made the move to NYC. First landing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY in the middle of winter (20 degrees) with just a jean jacket, vans and a bennie on. I instantly realized I was in for a massive change.
I soon went to work looking for a job in the music industry. Back then we only had dial up internet so I pulled out the phone book (yellow pages) and look up music / record label companies. I wrote down 50 of them and mailed resumes to all of them. After not getting any replies I realized I had to be more pre-active.
So I tried to go visit some of them at their offices. One example was me visiting Beggars Banquet, which was my number one choice to work at.
I went to the office in Soho, NYC and couldn’t get past the door guy. So I started going back repeatedly and watching his schedule. As soon as I got it down, when he went to lunch, etc. I realized I had to get in to the office on the 12th floor. The only problem was that you needed a code to use the elevator. Instead I packed a backpack with 2 clean shirts and decided I’d walk the stairs all the way up. It was August at the time and super hot and humid. I just changed into a dry shirt at the 12th Floor before I got to the office door.
So when I got there I walked straight into the office with my resume. Someone instantly came up to me and asked, “Can I help you?” I said YES, see that The Charlatans poster on the wall. That calls to me and says I need to work here. The guy laughed and said seriously how did you get up here and past the security. I told him how and he was wowed by my story and agreed to give me an interview.
I had made it past the first 3 interviews with flying colors and thought I had the job as everyone there said they loved me and I was the perfect fit. The only issue was that I had booked a trip to the UK to go to Reading and Leeds Festival and T in the Park Festival for 2 weeks. The main president of the company said, go that is exactly what we want our employees to do so please go and the job will start when you get back. Just call in a week and check in so we can plan your first day’s schedule.
While I was there I called via payphone ($15 in change in order to do so). Unfortunately when I reached the office I was told that they gave my job away to the next candidate as the President changed her mind and wanted someone to start instantly. I was saddened but was told don’t worry we all love you and you’ll have something soon in the industry as we are gonna help you.
So I decided that I can’t wait for any job to come to me and I had to create my own jobs in the music industry.
The first thing I did was get a job at my favorite indie record shop called Rebel Rebel (in the Greenwich Village area of Manhattan).
Every time I’d go visit the owner would say I’m not hiring, even though there would be a help wanted sign in the window.
So I started hanging out there as a regular a couple days a week. Soon regular customers started just asking for me for help like I worked there. After a couple weeks of that the owner said, “Fine I need to just hire you as everyone loves you and you’re great at this, so start tomorrow.” I replied, I already started 2 weeks ago.
While working there I also started my own Dj club nights and booking live bands around NYC and Brooklyn under the name
Crashin’ In. It was under this umbrella that I gained tons of recognition in the music industry. My nights were such a massive success that all the record labels that I wanted to work with wanted to work with me and would send me tons of band to book and free records monthly.
One day while working at the record shop, Matt Harmon (later on to become the President of Beggars Banquet) called
me and said I have a job in the music industry if you still want one. I know you are so busy with your club nights
but the demand to have you is there. I instantly said yes.
I’m stoked that I’m gonna work at Beggars Banquet. He said well not exactly that you’ll be working at Beggars Banquet, but
I have something even cooler.
Our distributor ADA (Alternative Distribution Alliance) has an opening and needs someone. That actually was the best thing for me as I was working at a company that distributed over 50 of the hippest and most profitable independent record labels in the U.S. music industry and I got to talk to them on a daily basis.
It was there that I learned what to do and what not to do with running my own record label. When my partner and I
decided that we should we should start our own Record Label, my co-workers there helped me with everyone process
on how to put out our first release. So I’m grateful for those years.
Kanine Records (www.kaninerecords.com) started in 2023 and is still going strong. This Florida native started out dreaming while looking at the stars on the beach to reaching his dreams and still living them.
During the years we have put out various bands from all around the world. But for us Florida natives we have been lucky to work with some great Florida bands including; Surfer Blood, Beach Day, Blind Man’s Color, Viernes, and mostly recently Palomino Blond.
Based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY since 2000, I have worked in pretty much every aspect of the music business. From working in small indie record stores (Rebel Rebel, Rough Trade), to running club nights for 15 years in the NYC/Brooklyn area (booking bands, djing, promoting), managing bands, A&R and Sales at various indie labels (Mexican Summer, Rough Trade, currently still Kanine Records www.kaninerecords.com), working in physical and digital distribution (Alternative Distribution Alliance), to currently helping start The New Colossus Festival (www.newcolossusfestival.com) in NYC and its been an amazing adventure.
But I would have to say my newest feat has been working to start and continue to promote The New Colossus Festival. As one of the Festival’s founders, I’m extremely proud how it has grown from a grass roots festival to an International Musical Experience. Not only do we put together a yearly March Festival that hosts 150 bands from all around the world, but we also host weekly shows and yearly summer outdoor block parties that focuses on showcasing over 300 artists / bands from all five boroughs of NYC.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
NO, its been a constant struggle from day 1.
When we first started the record label we started in a four hundred square foot studio apt with only
$50,000.00 for the whole company. We had no investors and most of the other people in the industry
wanted us to fail as everyone is super competitive instead of helpful in the music industry.
Every time we achieved any success with any of our artists / bands instead of people congratulating us
they would bicker and thrash talk us.
But we never let any of that bother us. We started our own company / record label for us and not them.
Kanine Records is our dream and not theirs.
Instead it motivated me to work harder. Seeing that I was making other companies uneasy and upset
went that we must be doing something right.
As you know, we’re big fans of Kanine Records. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Kanine Records is well known for helping new artists break into the music industry and establish
professional careers within the music industry as artists / bands.
For me, I’m well known within the company as spear heading the A&R.
A&R is basically the job of finding new talent for the company.
I have travelled all around the world to find new bands / artists for Kanine Records.
And we have had tons of success working with various artists including:
Surfer Blood (from Florida), Grizzly Bear (from NY), Hockey Dad (from Australia), Chairlift (from NY), Pearl Charles(from CA),
dust (from Australia), Braids (from Canada), Lucid Express(from Hong Kong) and many more.
How do you think about happiness?
Life. I love being alive.
I love getting up at 6:00am every day knowing that I have tons to do and accomplish that day.
My family, friends, co-workers mean the world to me. I only surround myself with positive, loving people as I believe
that if you surround yourself around positive / happy people your life will be more for-filled.
I get up every day early at 6:00am, take a shower, exercise for 2 hours, work for 8 hours, then spend some time with family after work, then spend time with friends at live shows / concerts, then come home and finish up some last minute work and start over all again.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kaninerecords.com and newcolossusfestival.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kaninerecords, instagram.com/newcolossusfestival, and instagram.com/liokanine
