> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.hypebot.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Indie Label Asthmatic Kitty Shares “What Is Working?”
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/indie-label-asthmatic-shares-what-is-working/
- Published: 2009-02-10T05:46:38.000Z
- Updated: 2009-02-10T05:46:38.000Z
- Description: In an ongoing series Hypebot has been asking indie professionals: "In this fractured media landscape, what is working? What outlets and tools are helping your artists build an audience? ". Continue reading [https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2009/02/indie-label-asthmatic-shares-what-is-working.html]
- Author: Bruce Houghton
- Tags: Indie Music, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 11:03

[![Asthmatic Kitty sneezybanner](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e20105371d21f9970b-350wi "Asthmatic Kitty sneezybanner")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e20105371d21f9970b-pi?ref=hypebot.com)

In an ongoing series Hypebot has been [asking](https://www.hypebot.com/what-is-working/)  
indie [professionals](https://www.hypebot.com/kill-rock-stars/): **"In this fractured media landscape, what is** 
**working?** What outlets and tools are helping your artists build an  
audience? " Today **Michael Kaufmann**, **John Beele**r and the team at indie label **[Asthmatic Kitty](http://asthmatickitty.com/?ref=hypebot.com)** (Sufjan Stevens, I Heart Lung, Welcome Wagon, Castanets, Half-handed Cloud) share their philosophies and methodology.

**[![Cat ak](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e2011168579c88970c-50wi "Cat ak")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e2011168579c88970c-pi?ref=hypebot.com)** 
**MARATHON RUNNING –** The temptation is the glory hogging sprint, the  
sweaty pride of a blast out of the gates and that debut artist getting  
the gold. Sure, it is rewarding to have a debut artist be  
significantly noticed, but the challenge and subsequent reward of  
sustaining your roster artists through financial support, emotional  
nurturing, and aesthetic challenging is a more satisfying mode of  
operation. I imagine that there are plenty of super talented musicians  
and bands out there who didn't hit on their first album and as a  
result their label and support network dropped. But what if those  
artists had had the opportunity to develop and hone their skills as  
songwriters and musicians over several albums with the support of  
their label?

"…people buy  
records because they want to own them,   
not because they want to hear  
them."

**[![Cat ak](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e2011168579c68970c-50wi "Cat ak")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e2011168579c68970c-pi?ref=hypebot.com)** 
**SELLING EXPERIENCE** – I operate under the conviction that people buy  
records because they want to own them, not because they want to hear  
them. It is too easy these days to hear a record without having to buy  
it. I don't resent that fact, rather I feel we at Asthmatic Kitty embrace it through streaming albums and offering several free mp3s  
(even whole free albums). And why do they want to own it? They want it  
to illustrate to others their taste and identify who they are as a  
person. I also believe they want to be part of something bigger than  
themselves, they want to belong.

Our job is no longer to sell folks  
things they want to hear. They want an experience and to identify  
themselves as part of a community. Ownership then becomes a way of  
them supporting your community through investing in that community.  
Fostering that in an honest, transparent and "non-gross" way takes a  
combination of gracefulness, creativity and not taking oneself too  
seriously, while still taking art and music seriously.

**[![Cat ak](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e2011168579c9b970c-50wi)](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e2011168579c9b970c-pi?ref=hypebot.com)** 
**INFORMATION SAVVY –** In other words, taking on the responsibility for  
being information savvy so your customer doesn't have to be. This  
requires the creation or utilization of multiple contexts for  
potential fans to connect with your music, which isn't limited to the  
internet. It is shortsighted to limit this concept to how many social  
networking sites you can sign up for. And 

part of being information  
savvy might have more to do with being selective, going for quality  
over quantity. At some point the social networking game diminishes  
each site's effectiveness if you are spread too thin across them all.  
And beyond social networking our tech savvy pioneer John Beeler has  
reached out to independent video game developers, has helped us  
embrace opportunities like muxtape, and continues to seek out creative  
and non-traditional marketing and/or collaborative art making  
opportunities or venues.

The other side of this is internally. The  
more we are able to streamline how we gather and then release the  
information for a given album or project, the more time we have to  
release more music, explore new opportunities for our artists, and be  
more than just a record label that manufactures releases. There are  
some exciting new tools out there that we have been utilizing to help  
us in this endeavor. Some of them have been built internally by John,  
but we have also integrated third party options such as flickr, vimeo,  
artistdata, and wordpress. At the root of the external and internal  
technological advances is the goal to build relationshiops with people  
behind the technology rather than relying on the technology. The tech  
comes and goes, but the players stay the same.

[![Cat ak](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e2011168579d27970c-50wi)](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e2011168579d27970c-pi?ref=hypebot.com)

  
MICROCULTURE ECOSYSTEMS – In all of this, I think my driving philosphy  
which I feel connects these three things is probably what is no more  
than a fancy way of saying, DIY. We have tried to create our own  
microculture ecosystem by working with friends while making new ones,  
and striving for independence, while understanding the need at times  
for interdependence (i.e. distribution through Touch and Go and SC  
Distribution).

We have also done our best to support bands and scenes  
through our Unusual Animal parties which celebrate and highlight local  
art and music talent. We share information and collaborate with  
like-minded labels. Through all of this, we hope at the end of the day  
people look at Asthmatic Kitty and see a catalog of creative and  
innovative music, an attention to details, and an integrity and  
honesty in the way we do business.

[![Cat ak](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e2011168579d3d970c-50wi)](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e2011168579d3d970c-pi?ref=hypebot.com)

  
BE GRATEFUL – We work hard, but we also know we are lucky to be alive.  
That is why we still personally answer every email that  
info@asthmatickitty.com receives. Our mail-order has the best customer  
service in the business bar none. Responding to emails, managing  
returns, and sending product quickly and smoothly are old-fashioned  
concepts that lack a buzzword, but they have helped us bring customers  
back to our website to purchase merch rather than send them to Amazon  
or iTunes or big box stores. This kind of attitude also helped us  
develop the brand, which gives us a certain amount of capital when  
introducing a new act or even in selling grocery tote bags. And in  
each communication with customers, artists, and the companies we  
contract – each of us strives to maintain an air of graciousness  
because we know that this whole thing could come crashing down at any  
minute. It's good to live on the edge.

[![Cat ak](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e20105371d252c970b-50wi)](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e20105371d252c970b-pi?ref=hypebot.com)
  
  
**More about the Asthmatic Kitty Recrods and it's artists [here](http://asthmatickitty.com/?ref=hypebot.com).**