About Us
Yellow Racket Records is an academy of artists who are in a particular place in life.
We are musicians who live quietly – raising families and working day jobs; fixing leaks and making lunches; balancing the budget and mowing the lawn (with no little amount of grumbling, mind you).
We make music in a way that enables us to come home at night; to make dinner for friends; to walk our dogs at dusk; to chase our kids with quilts over our heads; to kiss our lovers after lights out.
And because we are in this particular place in life, by necessity we make music any place we can.
We make music in bedroom studios when everyone else is asleep. We make music in professional studios when everyone else is at work. We make music in empty churches during the week. We make music in empty office buildings on the weekend. We make music at house parties when we can draw a crowd. We make music in our cars when we have 10 minutes alone.
For us, music is a necessity of life, without which we would shrivel and waste away. But just as great a necessity are the families and communities who rely on us to be present, and who enrich the music we make.
You may not find us in glossy magazines or crowded arenas. You may not find us touring in a van for 5 months straight. But you will always find us making music, no matter where we are.
FAQ's
What is the meaning behind “Yellow Racket”?
There is a school of literary theory called “reader-response criticism” which suggests that the meaning of a text is defined by the reader. We like the name “Yellow Racket” because of all the meanings it might carry for each person.
For example, I think about how “yellow” can be the color of Fall, or an insult for the faint of heart. I think about how “racket” might refer to tennis, or badminton, or the stranger who befriends you in the grocery store and says you can make millions selling insurance in your pajamas. I think about the angry yellow jacket that drilled me in the chest while I was swinging an axe in the back yard. And of course, I think of my sable collie who barks more than a whole dog pound and a family of seals combined.
How can I support Yellow Racket’s music?
If you love it, share it. We just want to win our way into the hearts and minds of as many people as possible.
If you want to keep the music coming, buy an album or a t-shirt. We love the fact that anyone in the world can access our music by streaming it on YouTube or Spotify, but picking out a souvenir from our online store is the surest way to keep our lights on.
What kind of music do you represent?
One of the most important questions in life is “What kind of music do you like?” And one of the worst answers is “Oh, you know… I’ll listen to anything.”
That being said, we like rock, folk, classical, jazz, hip hop, new wave, shoegaze, chill wave, nu gaze, new shoe, gazewave, and all that other nonsense. We think the best musicians borrow from all over the spectrum, and the most interesting things happen when they borrow from music that sounds nothing like their own.
Are you a Christian record label?
No. Don’t be ridiculous. You ever see a record label receive the Eucharist?
Many other adjectives apply: You could say we are a “small” record label. You could say we are a “neat” record label. You could even say we are an “idealistic and out-of-touch” record label.
We’re just in the business of making music and loving people well. Let’s leave it at that.
What do you mean when you say Yellow Racket Records is an “academy of artists”?
Let us clear it up for you. We’re not a school. At least, not in an institutional sense.
But we like to think that Yellow Racket represents a school of thought. As with any group of artists, our hodge-podge constituency has a wide range of aesthetic values that often leads to thoughtful discussion and sometimes amiable disagreement. Even though these values vary from person to person, the common thread between us is our academic approach to music. It doesn’t mean we spend our time reading stacks of books in the library (though that’s always a good thing to do). It means we are committed to the exchange of musical ideas, philosophies, and techniques in a collegial setting, whether it’s a classroom, a text message, or a bar booth.
Do you accept demos?
Sure do! Mail them to info@yellowracket.com
We’ll do our best to listen, but we can’t guarantee a response.
Our hometown - Chattanooga, TN.
Yellow Racket was founded in 2017 by musician/composer/producer Ben VanderHart as a platform for releasing his own music. However, the ultimate goal of Yellow Racket is to build a community of artists with shared aesthetic values who can retain creative control of their work and find exposure with a broad audience, while leading balanced and healthy lives.
Contact
General
2311 E Main St
Chattanooga, TN 37404
info@yellowracket.com
