Introducing…. Take It Or Leave It
Blending punk’s grit with pop punk’s heart, Take It Or Leave It have quickly carved out a space for themselves in New York’s alternative scene. Known for their explosive live sets, DIY ethos, and tongue-in-cheek “pasta rock” moniker, the Rockland County quartet are gearing up for their second full-length release in 2026. We caught up with them to talk musical beginnings, crowd connection, and building songs out of weird grooves and harmonicas.
Click Roll Boom: Tell me about how you got started
Take It Or Leave It: Take It Or Leave It started in 2021. Craig and Mario met through one of Mario’s coworkers who used to play with Craig in another project. That connection led to a jam session, and it immediately felt like something worth building on. They soon brought in Devon, who Mario played with over a decade ago in a similar style band. And in the summer 2025, they brought Nick into the fold on guitar. He and Mario had known each other since just before the band officially came together, so it felt like a natural fit.
CRB: How would you describe your sound, and how has it evolved since you first started?
TIOLI: We were a bit directionless in the beginning, but we’ve since focused that in. Our sound has evolved into a more mature take on pop punk, with strong roots in 90s and 2000s punk rock. We’ve always been drawn to catchy melodies, but over time we’ve developed our own voice in how we build out the drums, guitars, and bass. We aim to strike that balance between familiarity and freshness. Something that reminds you of the bands you grew up with but still feels new.
CRB: Who or what have been some of your biggest influences, musically and beyond?
TIOLI: Everyday life is a huge influence. The news, family, a random moment during your day. It all plays a role. Musically, we take inspiration from what’s popular now, just to stay tapped in, but we also bring in bits from every corner of our libraries. From metal to classical, from The Offspring to The Beach Boys. If it sparks something, we’ll find a way to make it part of the sound. It’s all fair game.
CRB: What does your songwriting process typically look like – is it a more individual or collaborative effort?
TIOLI: It changes from song to song, but there’s usually some kind of catalyst that kicks things off. A lyric, a riff, a rhythm, something that got stuck in someone’s head. From there, we like to workshop ideas together to find the groove but sometimes we’ll split up to write individually and bring more structured ideas back. Craig handles most of the lyrics solo at first but we’ll workshop stuff together until it feels right. It’s very collaborative and everyone gets their own space to bring something to the table.
CRB: How do you approach experimenting with new sounds or ideas when creating music?
TIOLI: We like to get weird with it. Try something that might not belong and see what happens. There are no rules. If it feels good, we follow it. Our upcoming single “Therapy” actually started with a groovy bass lick that didn’t sound like anything we’d normally write. It sparked something new and took on a life of its own. So we leaned into it and wrote the whole song around that one groove.
CRB: What’s been one of the most memorable moments in your journey so far?
TIOLI: Playing our first road show in Buffalo earlier this year was huge for us. We were up there with our friend Dave, who was our extra set of ears during the ‘Tunnel Vision’ mastering sessions. We leaned on him a lot when it came to feedback on guitar tones and harmonies. He heard the songs before anyone else. So bringing them to his town and getting to play them live for the first time was a really special moment, especially because his family was there too. The venue, Amy’s Place, had this energy that was locked in the whole time. It was also the first time we brought someone on stage to sing with us. That night just had all the right pieces.
CRB: How do you prepare for live shows, and what do you aim to bring to your performances?
TIOLI: If we can drive to the gig together, that’s our ideal. It gives us a chance to catch up, joke around, and feel the vibe of the night before we hit the stage. If we’re meeting there instead, we still take time to check in and get on the same page. As far as the shows themselves, we bring full energy every single time. You’ll see props, lightboxes, megaphones, harmonicas, and who knows what else. Devon’s going wild behind the kit, Mario and Nick are bouncing around, and Craig is pouring his soul into the vocals. We give it everything we’ve got because we want to give you a reason to remember it.
CRB: How do you balance creative expression with staying connected to your audience?
TIOLI: One way we stay connected is through live streaming. While we definitely want people to come see us in person because nothing beats the energy of a live crowd, we get that not everyone can make it to every show. Whether it’s distance, life stuff, or just bad timing, we still want people to be part of the experience. So we stream some of our sets on Instagram and we’ll even do live shows directly to YouTube. Streaming gives us the space to experiment, try weird covers, take song requests, and interact with fans in real time. Even some of our originals, like “Therapy,” have evolved based on feedback from those streams. We try to keep that feeling of community strong, even through a screen.
CRB: What do you hope listeners take away from your work?
TIOLI: We hope people feel like they’re hearing something honest. There’s no gimmick here. We write songs that mean something to us, and we’re putting it all out there. Take It Or Leave It, that really is our ethos. We hope it connects with people and finds its way into their lives, but even if it doesn’t, we’re still going to show up and do what we love. This is who we are and we’re proud of what we make.
CRB: What does the future hold for you – any plans or goals you’re excited about?
TIOLI: We’re deep in the writing process for our second full release which we hope to release in the early part of 2026. More shows will be announced soon, we’ve already teased one this fall. We have some plans for a music video or two. Things feel like they’re clicking into place right now and we’re just getting started.
OFFICIAL BIO
Take It Or Leave It is a punk rock band from Rockland County, NY that blends raw punk energy with pop punk hooks, pulling from influences like Rancid, Alkaline Trio, The Offspring, Blink-182, and NOFX. Their songs are melodic and emotional, but still rowdy enough to throw a shoulder. They jokingly call their style “Pasta Rock” as a nod to how their name abbreviation (TIOLI) sounds like ravioli. It’s comfort food for your ears. Music that hits hard, sticks with you, and feels like home.
Their debut EP Tunnel Vision dropped in November 2024. Self-recorded and later mixed and mastered by Anthony Bilancia at Small Room Studio, the release opens with the high-energy single “Run” and features a punked-up take on the Gin Blossoms classic “Hey Jealousy.” The name Tunnel Vision is a nod to the opening line of the record as well as a reminder to keep focused but stay aware of your surroundings.
Known for their high-energy shows and spontaneous moments, Take It Or Leave It thrives on live performance. Whether you’re catching them at a local venue or one of their occasional YouTube live streams, every show brings something a little different.
Like the name says, take it or leave it. They’re not going anywhere, so come along for the ride or get out of their way.
MEMBERS
Craig Chalfin – Bass, Vocals
Mario Frascone – Guitar, Manager
Devon Beuschel – Drums
Nick Correa – Guitar
LINK TREE
https://linktr.ee/music.takeitorleaveit
SOCIALS
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takeitorleaveit_band
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/takeitorleaveitband
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TakeItOrLeaveIt_band
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tioli-band.bsky.social
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takeitorleaveit_band
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/takeitorleaveit_band
MUSIC
Soundcloud:https://soundcloud.com/takeitorleaveit-872042877
BandCamp:https://takeitorleaveitband.bandcamp.com/album/tunnel-vision
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/5S60w9S5bvsF4qM00hjf6V?si=JBUdwxl-RAOxAYjsp_maxw
Apple Music:https://music.apple.com/us/artist/take-it-or-leave-it/1777896776
Amazon Music:https://music.amazon.com/artists/B017WY07QI/take-it-or-leave-it?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_T8xEQeAy5t6qutx57HmfJAmEN
