Producer and engineer Will Yip has launched a huge raffle of gear, merch, records, and more in response to the wave of anti-Asian racism and violence in the U.S., with all proceeds going to the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community Fund.
Fans can buy raffle tickets for chances to win three grand-prize lots full of items like mint-condition Fender guitars and Zildjian drums, along with vinyl records, merch items, test pressings, lyric sheets, and more from some of the many punk, emo, and indie rock acts that Yip has produced or engineered (as well as other friends and colleagues in the music business).
Among the artists with items in the prize lots are Japanese Breakfast, Mannequin Pussy, Code Orange, Title Fight, Turnstile, Tigers Jaw, La Dispute, Bartees Strange, and many more. Record labels such as Relapse, Roadrunner, Secretly Group, Epitaph, and Run for Cover also contributed items to the raffle. Each prize lot also includes a one-on-one Q&A with Yip.
“The growing racism and violence against Asians in America have been horrific,” the producer said in a statement. “It’s been even more apparent as of late. We need to come together and stand up for one another and keep each other safe. I’m very grateful for the community of artists, instrument makers, record labels, and brands who stand with me in fighting for the rights of AAPI.”
On top of the raffle, Yip’s fundraiser also includes three separate eBay auctions: one for a snare drum signed by Slipknot’s Jay Weinberg, one for a Fender Stratocaster designed by the band Nothing, and one for Yip’s own custom drum kit.
In a longer statement posted to Twitter, Yip wrote about his parents’ experience emigrating from China in the Seventies. “My parents… made it to America with just the clothes on their back in hopes of a better life and better opportunities for their children,” he wrote. “This is the same dream all of our ancestors in this country had. They all just wanted a chance to do better, for their future generations to do better. Instead, we live in a world where the color of your skin still dictates so much.”
He also shared his own early experiences in the music business. “Personally, getting into the ‘rock music’ scene that’s dominated by white males as a Chinese kid wasn’t easy. No one wanted to make music with a Chinese kid because I didn’t look like what their rock idols looked like. But I was lucky. My parents always taught me to have thick skin. I always felt like I had to work five times harder to get what I wanted though. I want it easier for any Asian and POC in the future, it has to be.”
Enter the raffle here, and read more about how to stand against anti-Asian racism here.Producer and engineer Will Yip has launched a huge raffle of gear, merch, records, and more in response to the wave of anti-Asian racism and violence in the U.S., with all proceeds going to the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community Fund.
Fans can buy raffle tickets for chances to win three grand-prize lots full of items like mint-condition Fender guitars and Zildjian drums, along with vinyl records, merch items, test pressings, lyric sheets, and more from some of the many punk, emo, and indie rock acts that Yip has produced or engineered (as well as other friends and colleagues in the music business).
Among the artists with items in the prize lots are Japanese Breakfast, Mannequin Pussy, Code Orange, Title Fight, Turnstile, Tigers Jaw, La Dispute, Bartees Strange, and many more. Record labels such as Relapse, Roadrunner, Secretly Group, Epitaph, and Run for Cover also contributed items to the raffle. Each prize lot also includes a one-on-one Q&A with Yip.
“The growing racism and violence against Asians in America have been horrific,” the producer said in a statement. “It’s been even more apparent as of late. We need to come together and stand up for one another and keep each other safe. I’m very grateful for the community of artists, instrument makers, record labels, and brands who stand with me in fighting for the rights of AAPI.”
On top of the raffle, Yip’s fundraiser also includes three separate eBay auctions: one for a snare drum signed by Slipknot’s Jay Weinberg, one for a Fender Stratocaster designed by the band Nothing, and one for Yip’s own custom drum kit.
In a longer statement posted to Twitter, Yip wrote about his parents’ experience emigrating from China in the Seventies. “My parents… made it to America with just the clothes on their back in hopes of a better life and better opportunities for their children,” he wrote. “This is the same dream all of our ancestors in this country had. They all just wanted a chance to do better, for their future generations to do better. Instead, we live in a world where the color of your skin still dictates so much.”
He also shared his own early experiences in the music business. “Personally, getting into the ‘rock music’ scene that’s dominated by white males as a Chinese kid wasn’t easy. No one wanted to make music with a Chinese kid because I didn’t look like what their rock idols looked like. But I was lucky. My parents always taught me to have thick skin. I always felt like I had to work five times harder to get what I wanted though. I want it easier for any Asian and POC in the future, it has to be.”
Enter the raffle here, and read more about how to stand against anti-Asian racism here.
#StopAsianHate #StopAAPIHate pic.twitter.com/tC2rp489if
— Will Yip (@willyipmusic) March 25, 2021
PETA has called on Cage The Elephant to temporarily change their name ahead of their upcoming NFL halftime performance in Munich later this week.
The band are scheduled to perform during the New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions game this Sunday (November 15).
Ahead of the show, PETA has asked Cage The Elephant to change their name across their social media accounts to Free The Elephant for one week.
According to a press release from the animal rights group, an elephant named Okha “has spent most of her life forced to perform in the circus under the threat of punishment”. The organisation is now seeking support to “help retire her to a reputable sanctuary”.
PETA also alleges that Okha is “currently being hauled around in a trailer with an exhibitor, Brian Franzen”, who supposedly “has a history of felony cruelty to animals charges” and “was caught on camera yanking and striking an elephant with a bullhook”.
In a letter addressed to Cage The Elephant, PETA wrote: “There ain’t no rest for Okha. We think you’d agree that she deserves the chance to spend her remaining years in peace with care, dignity, and respect.
“Lending a rendition of your iconic name for a short while could… help us come a little closer to ending animal cruelty in circuses.”
PETA added that it has already held more than “30 demonstrations on Okha’s behalf, contacted venues hosting animal acts, and rallied tens of thousands of supporters to call for her retirement”.
The group is also asking the public to “call on venues to stop hosting circuses that use animals and help retire Okha to a reputable sanctuary where she could roam expansive habitats, forage, receive expert veterinary care, and have the companionship of other elephants”.
Cage The Elephant have not yet made a public statement about the request, and NME has reached out to the band for a response. Franzen has also not issued a public response to the allegations made by PETA.
The request follows a previous approach by PETA to Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant, asking him to temporarily adopt the name ‘Robert Plant Wool’ to help promote alternatives to sheep’s wool.
PETA has also previously urged Nintendo to redesign the popular Mario Kart World character Cow, claiming that its current appearance encourages animal cruelty.
Meanwhile, Cage The Elephant recently revealed details of their upcoming album ‘Dying In Reverse’, which is set to arrive on February 5, 2027, through Big Loud Rock. Fans can pre-order the record here.
The band are also preparing for a UK and European tour in 2027. You can check out the full list of dates here and find any remaining tickets here.
