Pretend Industries is an all out production company, specializing in many areas including audio production, graphic design, event production, painting, photography and more. Anything you need in music, audio, art, design or photography, contact us.
Services include but not limited to:
-audio and event production, recording, live sound, PA rental, podcasts, etc
-booking in the US, concerts, shows, live music, etc
-art, graphic design, logos, painting commissions, flyers, posters, album art, etc
-photography, action, head shots, bands, weddings, events, journalism, retail, etc
-video, recording, editing, film, music videos, podcasts etc
What started out as an imaginary record label became a reality through DIY ethics, persistence, perseverance, you know just doing the damn thing. Back in our day, we thought we needed a record label to book gigs and put albums out, so to combat this, we would send out our booking inquiries and mark our demos with the infamous but still imaginary record label, Pretend Industries. After realizing that getting a record deal was not the fantasy it was made out to be, the label became the home for all the projects we came up with.
Pretend Industries was founded by artist and musician Nicholas Cellinese. Born and based in Baltimore Maryland, Nicholas was artistic and musical early in life. Through his father’s friendship with the popular Baltimore area guitarist Carl Filipiak, he had his first lessons at 6 years old. After inheriting his father’s drums at the young age of 9, he bashed away on those until picking up a bass guitar at age 11 to be in a band for the school talent show. Although mostly self-taught, he had taken lessons from different teachers, on drums and guitar before starting his own bands. After years of playing shows, touring, and releasing independent albums, Nicholas returned to school to get both a music performance and an audio engineering degree, as well as started a cover band to get the bills paid.
Speaking of getting the bills paid, Nicholas has also worked hundreds(thousands?) of stagehand and production gigs, working with the largest names in the business. Highlights include working directly with Jane’s Addiction, Flaming Lips, Lamb of God and their crews, setting up U2’s stage on their 360 tour, hooking up Jay Z’s led screens at M and T bank stadium, even setting up Carlos Santana’s amp at Pier Six Pavilion and Peter Frampton’s talk box at a casino. There are stories of Lemmy roadie-ing for Jimi Hendrix, and these experiences make for those of legend. After seeing behind the curtain, one has to have an insight uncommon to the rest of the world.
Nicholas has performed in and worked with countless projects including Bag of Humans, My Useless Self, Muscle Twin, The Out of Water Experience, Joy on Fire, The Grayson Moon Band and many more. He is still writing, performing, recording new material, gigging, playing shows and touring when he can. He now has a family with two sons and still lives in Baltimore.
