Fred Mascherino recently launched his very own indie record label Heading East Records. Its inaugural release A Year and Change by The Color Fred was released worldwide. “I’m from the Philly area and anytime I was on tour, ‘Heading East’ meant we were heading towards home,” explains Mascherino. “That always brought good feelings and I’ve mentioned it in songs. It’s a nice way to represent being from the East Coast and also keeping those good vibes part of this.”
“I’ve thought about starting a label for years,” adds Mascherino. “Every time I saw a new band I wanted to help and I’d think about it more. Those thoughts kept coming back and finally things started to come together over the past few months. I now have a great team of people that help me. The bands that I’ve signed are extremely motivated. My recording studio is finally where I want it and things have been growing online these past two years. The timing couldn’t be more ideal.”
Recently, Mascherino paid tribute to the late Taylor Hawkins by covering Hawkins' favorite Foo Fighters' song "Aurora".
His first signings include Amora and Mighty Tortuga. “They sound like bands that I like,” vows Mascherino. “Amora is a little heavier. Taking Back Sunday meets Touche Amore meets Title Fight. Mighty Tortuga is more melodic with spacier guitars. Say Anything meets Death Cab For Cutie meets Jimmy Eat World.”
The opening track “Don’t Give Up On Me” has an unforgettable guitar riff that’s probably the best we’ve ever heard from him and harkens back to his Breaking Pangaea days. The ripper “Save Yourself” is the most aggressive song that he has released since his stint in Taking Back Sunday. “Never Wanted” is an anthem for the working-class and has enough pop to be a Third Eye Blind song but retains a certain heaviness throughout.
