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Long distance: Jared Davis

Here: Silkscreen artist at Red Stick Sports

There: Co-owner of Oops Baby Records in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Why did you leave?

I moved in April of 2010 to move to a bigger city with a larger music scene and more opportunities in the fields of journalism and music.

Is Brooklyn just crawling with little indie labels and musicians?

There’s definitely a plethora of bands and a good bit of labels, but like most scenes, there are different scenes within the music scene—so it’s actually not too hard to get your name out there by word of mouth.

So what is it like to start a record label?

The biggest challenge is getting your releases in stores and getting press for them. The fun thing is just working with artists you like, meeting people in the industry and helping bands get their music out there.

Tell me about one of your artists.

Shark? was the first band (whose music) we decided to put out. They play at least once a week in Brooklyn and have been getting lots of local press as well as some national press. I really like them because they have a sound that’s not like most bands out there right now. They have a lot of influences, but they don’t sound like they actually ripped off any of them, which a lot of bands these days are guilty of.

What do you miss most about Baton Rouge?

I miss being only an hour away from New Orleans and the freedom of being able to take a road trip whenever I wanted to. I also really miss the food.

What don’t you miss?

The college town atmosphere—how small it feels—and the lack of touring bands going through. I always like for there to be something going on, and in Baton Rouge there was a lot of time spent just hanging out. (It) was fun for the time I was there, but I like the busy lifestyle that New York offers. There’s always something to do.

When was the last time you came back?

I visited in March for my brother’s wedding. Whenever I am back in Louisiana, I try to hit up a crawfish boil if it’s in season, or tailgate with my family and friends if it’s football season. I always have to eat at Chelsea’s Cafe and have a drink at Red Star, then get down to New Orleans for a night or two.