Meet the Founders of Keep Good Company, Tina & Matt Baoine
Founded by husband-and-wife team Tina and Matt Baione, Keep Good Company Records is a Hudson Valley-rooted, artist-first label committed to timeless music and thoughtful collaboration. Since launching in 2022. with the discovery of singer/songwriter Ginger Winn, they’ve cultivated a tight-knit roster including Winn, America’s Got Talent standout Sal “The Voice” Valentinetti, and multi-hyphenate artist Tomás Tomás. From co-writing and creative direction to film production and zine-making, the Baiones are building a world where art, family, and integrity go hand in hand. We sat down with them to learn more about their mission – and it turns out, they really do keep good company.
MM: Let’s start at the beginning: What inspired you to start Keep Good Company Records, and how did the idea evolve into a full-fledged label?
T&MB: Keep Good Company started as a creative consultancy focused mostly on branding. We always wanted to produce a record, but didn’t have a plan. When we discovered Ginger, we decided to launch the label.
MM: What’s the story behind the name Keep Good Company? How does that phrase reflect your values or mission as a label?
On the wall of our apartment, we hung up a page we had ripped out of the Picture Book by John Derian with the phrase “Keep Good Company” written repeatedly like an elementary school chalkboard punishment. When we were thinking of names, we wanted a word that evoked thoughtful collaboration. After nights of countless free association word bubbles, we looked up and there it was.
MM: Who are the artists currently on your roster, and what drew you to them? What kinds of music or voices are you most passionate about amplifying?
T&MB: Ginger Winn - our first and our forever creative partner. She started as a stranger on the internet, became a collaborator, spent some time as our roommate and is now a part of our family. Aside from being an incredible artist, songwriter, musician, producer, and having a hauntingly captivating unique voice, she is an honest, trustworthy, conscientious, beautiful person. We couldn’t be happier to work with her or more proud of the woman she has grown into just in this past year.
Sal “The Voice” Valentinetti - We met Sal through our mutual friend , Rosemarie Sparacio, who also co-directed the video for Averna from Ginger’s debut album. Sal sings standards from the Great American Songbook and won a Golden Buzzer from Heidi Klum on America’s Got Talent and ultimately came in second place that season. People refer to his voice as a modern day Sinatra. Since his catalog of released music is almost universally covers, we pitched him on some original compositions. We started with one song, and it has grown into something much greater. He performed with Ginger at the San Gennaro Feast in Little Italy last year and again at the Albion Hotel in Summit, NJ.
Tomás Tomás - After swearing we would never sign another artist, we met Tomás Tomás (Tom Fattorusso) on the set of Ginger’s 8:48 video where he was working as an assistant director, and soon received an invite to his private concert where he previewed unreleased music. We all, including Ginger, love his music and style. He added production, mixing, and some background vocals to Ginger’s album Freeze Frame which was the icing on the cake for her incredible album. We are working on finalizing music now so stay tuned. Tomás just acted across from Jaeden Martell in the short film “Out of Body” and across from Anna from the North in “The Isdal Man,” Gus Dapperton’s directorial debut. True to our name, first they need to be good people, and we are lucky that all three of them are genuinely good people that we feel comfortable having as business partners and more importantly in our home and around our children. They must also be open to working with existing artists on the label.
MM: So much of the label’s activity is based in the Hudson Valley. How has this area shaped or influenced your work, both musically and personally?
T&MB: Tina’s grandpa Vito bought property and built a house in Grahamsville shortly after she was born. She grew up going to that house every weekend, holiday, summer, etc. It was like her second home. They had a vegetable garden, a chicken coop, cows, and horses. It was a magical place that shaped who she is as a person. When we started dating, we would go up there constantly and explore the Hudson Valley. Watching the explosion of creativity in the area has been mind blowing and awe inspiring. When we were listening to Brightside by The Lumineers on repeat and decided to see if we could reach out to someone who worked on it, we found David Baron’s name. When we saw he was in Boiceville, just outside of Woodstock, it felt meant to be, and it turns out it was. We helped Ginger launch her career locally around David’s studio and she’s found a home in Kingston and community of creatives all over the Hudson Valley that have loved and supported her career. It’s a magical place with old, wise rolling mountains, cascading waterfalls, and endless sources of wonder. It is the perfect place to make music that stands the test of time.