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| Asthmatic Kitty | |
|---|---|
| Name | Asthmatic Kitty |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Sufjan Stevens, Lowell Brams |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Lansing, Michigan |
| Genres | Indie rock, Folk music, Experimental music |
Asthmatic Kitty is an American independent record label founded in 1999 by musician Sufjan Stevens and music executive Lowell Brams. The label, rooted in Lansing, Michigan and associated with the Ann Arbor and Brooklyn, New York scenes, has released recordings spanning Indie rock, Folk music, Chamber pop, Electronica, and Experimental music. Known for artist-centered practices and collaborative projects, the label has worked with a network of musicians, producers, and cultural institutions across the United States and internationally.
Asthmatic Kitty was established amid the late-1990s indie label resurgence alongside contemporaries like Sub Pop, Merge Records, Matador Records, Domino Recording Company, and Secretly Canadian. Initial releases coincided with early recordings by founders linked to scenes in Chicago, New York City, and Detroit. The label expanded during the 2000s with notable releases that connected to festivals such as SXSW, Coachella, Pitchfork Music Festival, and tours alongside acts like Arcade Fire, Wilco, Bon Iver, and The National. Asthmatic Kitty navigated changes in distribution, licensing, and streaming via partnerships reminiscent of deals made by Nonesuch Records, 4AD, and Rough Trade Records. Over time the label engaged with archival projects similar to those by Rhino Entertainment and Third Man Records.
Founders include Sufjan Stevens and Lowell Brams; collaborators and contributors have included artists and producers associated with Shara Nova, Danielson (band), Sufjan Stevens (solo work), My Brightest Diamond, Marisa Anderson, Rachael Yamagata, Ira Kaplan, and others. The roster has featured musicians linked to ensembles and labels such as The National, Elliott Smith, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Iron & Wine, and PJ Harvey through tours, splits, or shared projects. Key personnel over time have included label managers, A&R representatives, designers, and publicists who previously worked with XL Recordings, 679 Recordings, Columbia Records, Sony Music, and boutique firms servicing artists like Radiohead, Nirvana, Beck, and David Bowie. Production collaborators and engineers have ties to studios and figures such as Electric Lady Studios, Abbey Road Studios, Steve Albini, John Vanderslice, and Brian Eno.
Asthmatic Kitty’s catalog includes studio albums, EPs, singles, compilations, and soundtracks released by artists with connections to Sufjan Stevens and broader indie networks. Notable releases mirrored the critical attention of contemporaneous albums from Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago, Arcade Fire's Funeral, and Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot in their cultural impact. Releases have been featured in coverage by outlets such as Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Guardian, and NME. The label has also issued limited-edition vinyl pressings akin to collectors’ packages from Rhino Records and reissues paralleling efforts by Light in the Attic Records and Numero Group.
Asthmatic Kitty operates as an independent label with practices emphasizing artist-friendly agreements, physical formats, and curated aesthetic presentation. Its business approach is comparable to independent operators such as Sub Pop and Secretly Group while navigating distribution channels used by ADA (Warner Music Group), The Orchard, and red distribution. The label has engaged in licensing for film and television placements similar to sync deals secured by labels working with productions from Netflix, HBO, Apple TV+, BBC, and PBS. Merchandising, limited-run releases, and partnerships with independent record stores echo collaborations undertaken by Rough Trade, Amoeba Music, and Independent Records & Productions.
Artists from the label have participated in tours, residencies, festival appearances, and curated events at venues and festivals including SXSW, Coachella, Glastonbury Festival, Primavera Sound, Pitchfork Music Festival, Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, and The Troubadour. The label has coordinated live showcases in cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Austin, and London. Touring arrangements and event production have involved promoters and agencies comparable to Live Nation, AEG Presents, Booking Agency Paradigm, and independent promoters active in the indie rock circuit.
Asthmatic Kitty has been involved in charitable and community-oriented initiatives, partnering with arts organizations, benefit compilations, and fundraisers similarly to campaigns run by Red Hot Organization, Musicians on Call, Artists for Peace and Justice, and The Magnolia Fund. The label has supported local music scenes, educational programs, and benefit concerts connected to institutions like Ann Arbor Folk Festival, Lansing Art Gallery initiatives, and nonprofit arts spaces modeled on The Kitchen, MoMA PS1, and Judson Memorial Church. Collaborations with community radio stations echo relationships typical of labels working with KEXP, NPR Music, WNYC, BBC Radio 6 Music, and WFMU.
Category:American record labels Category:Independent record labels