Wharf Cat Records

About

Heavily influenced by the No Wave movement’s abandonment of rock and roll cliches in favor of creative freedom, Wharf Cat Records started out as an enclave for highly experimental artists who may not otherwise have had an avenue for sharing their music with the world. Despite its niche origins, the label quickly earned a reputation for releasing music that “couldn’t care less about trends” but still “generated buzz around the city and beyond' (-Bandcamp Daily), with early releases from artists such as The Ukiah Drag, Palberta, and The Sediment Club solidifying Wharf Cat's role as a champion of all things underground. Today, while still headquartered in New York City, Wharf Cat is a globally distributed label with over 100 widely varied releases and a roster featuring artists from locales as far-ranging as China, Estonia, and Ukraine. Though the label has grown in terms of genre and geographic reach, it remains firmly committed to preserving the same ideals of creativity and inclusivity that brought it into existence.