Label Feature #10: Greenway Records
By Simon Daley
Founded in 2015, Greenway Records continue the strong lineage of record labels born in the melting pot of Brooklyn, NY. Having amassed 70+ releases over six years, they’ve developed a Midas touch and show no signs of slowing down in 2021.
Harry Portnof is a renaissance man. Musician, artist manager and event booker are just a few of the hats he wears alongside being the founder and owner of Greenway Records. In fact, catch Portnof on the right day and you might even find him at a pressing plant, creating his own 7″ vinyl records and bringing a whole new meaning to ‘hands on’ management. We caught up with him last month to learn what kick started his record label journey and what have been some of the highlights along the way.
Independent record labels are often founded when a band or project without a home meets a passionate music lover with an entrepreneurial mind. What was your gateway into the industry?
It first started with my personal obsession with hunting vinyl as a collector. I was searching high and low for records I knew existed but were hard to pin down. I was playing in a band at the time and also working in accounting in New York City. I had the idea that the natural middle ground between running a business and making records was to start a label. I figured if there were colored vinyl records I couldn’t find as a collector, I could try and make them myself with Greenway.
Greenway is known for regularly choosing some of the most striking and collectable vinyl effects for your releases. Are these a direct interpretation of the music, or does inspiration come from elsewhere?
My goal is to make a product that is as artistic and beautiful as the music I get to press into the grooves. The overall packaging becomes my artistic contribution and I work hand in hand with the bands to connect all the pieces. I really love using the vinyl design to accent the overall art direction and pull the entire package together. It started as a way to get people excited about bands they might not know, now I’m lucky enough to work with my favorite bands and we are selling even more records.
Many of your 7″ releases also feature alternative cover artwork, exclusive to the format. Tell us about the genesis of this tradition?
Early on, I wanted to create a theme that connected different artists to each other on the label. I worked very closely with New York artist Dan Curran, he was creating alternative art pieces that were meant to work with the bands actual record cover while being a handmade alternative piece. We ended up doing it 30+ times and the Dan Curran covers unified a lot of great artists and records. I’m very proud of that series and the time period it marked for Greenway.
Greenway Records recently passed its 70th release, an incredible achievement for such a young label. Which three releases were milestones for the label?
It has been a lot of hard work and I’m very proud of making so many vinyl releases in 6 years. I put a lot of heart into every release but if I had to pick a few, I would say Frankie and the Witch Fingers‘ album ZAM really opened up the label to a large and dedicated audience of vinyl lovers.
The Muckers debut album Endeavor is one I’ve been working hard on and is the most recent release for the label. We made some really beautiful vinyl versions, some of which are already sold out and some that are running low. Such an amazing record and story behind The Muckers.
I’m very excited about the upcoming new album from Acid Dad, a band I’m very close with as Greenways HQ shares a studio space with Acid Dad in Brooklyn. For me, all of the records on the label have been exciting and releasing with bands like L.A. Witch, Dirty Fences, Stonefield, Levitation Room have been so important to the growth of Greenway.
2020 was a rollercoaster year for many independent record labels. Live shows and press tours shifted online due to the global pandemic, yet vinyl record sales skyrocketed to new heights. What has been your experience over the past twelve months?
I definitely miss live shows, living in Brooklyn, I would be able to find new talent, opportunities and most importantly personal enjoyment on a nightly basis. All that being said, we have been selling a lot of records during this time and I think people still need to get that escape and satisfaction. An LP can transport you to a similar place and that’s been very important for people during this time. In addition to running Greenway, I’ve also been busy working with psych-festival and record label LEVITATION. So between the two, I’ve handled a lot of new records getting out to the world and hopefully bringing people that much needed sonic enjoyment.
Traditionally it was the goal of many DIY labels to grow into music industry titans and challenge the majors. Given the recent preference of many artists and bands to move to smaller independent operations, how do you see Greenway Records positioned in the future?
My goal is to continue to make our records more accessible around the world, between our distribution partners, the opportunities have continued to grow and the amount of records getting sold have increased. My priority is getting our artist heard and their amazing albums spun on as many turntables as possible!
What can we be excited about from the label in the remainder of 2021?
You can expect a lot of great new vinyl and some really special releases! Greenway Records has no intention of slowing down any time soon.
For more information about the label and releases visit greenwayrecords.com.
To discover and purchase artwork by Dan Curran visit danjcurran.com.
Photo credit: Devon Bristol Shaw (Header)