Tor Hansen started the label in 1997, two years after moving to North Carolina to help manage a chain of record stores in the South. He recruited his friend and former bandmate Glenn Dicker, with whom he had worked at Rounder Records. They made the decision to also start a distribution wing, Redeye. The first releases were local compilations, followed in subsequent years by records by
Hüsker Dü's
Bob Mould,
Marah,
Dolorean, The Legendary Shack Shakers, Cities,
Dave Alvin, and
Los Straitjackets. The success of Los Straitjackets and the experience of working with Dicker on the Rounder-distributed Upstart convinced
Nick Lowe to join Yep Roc.
Scott McCaughey (
The Minus 5,
Young Fresh Fellows,
The Baseball Project, The No Ones) joined the label because of Nick Lowe's presence, and has remained for almost a decade. ==Artists==