BAD APPLES MUSIC is more than just a record label – it has become a renowned and trusted name within the Australian music landscape for its consistent championing of First Nations excellence, and its consistent success in doing so.
Born out of a desire to see his People and his community flourish and thrive, BAD APPLES MUSIC is the brainchild of award-winning Yorta Yorta rapper, author, and actor, Adam Briggs.
Creating the label in 2015, Briggs built a new pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists that hadn’t previously existed in Australia. An environment solely focused on nourishing, developing and ultimately producing works that stand strong on its own; born out of self-determination and individualism.
Empowering these storytellers in a way that never sees the artist relinquish control over their work or creative path, has been key to Briggs’ work – first with BAD APPLES MUSIC and consequently with the Adam Briggs Foundation. The First Nations-led charity organisation directly feeds into the creative industries, offering support and structures for First Nations artists and arts workers to elevate their skills and ultimately, their work in a way that remains sustainable.
Since its inception, BAD APPLES MUSIC has supported a roster of passionate, talented artists including BIRDZ, BARKAA, Alice Skye, Kobie Dee and Nooky; as well as Briggs himself and the award-winning, culture-shifting A.B. Original.
Not long after, BAD APPLES MUSIC extended its scope with the debut of its distribution division, concentrating on working with unsigned artists, celebrating the diverse breadth of talent within the First Nations community at first in Australia and soon after, abroad.
Through BAD APPLES DISTRIBUTION, music by artists including Kootsie Don, Chasing Ghosts, The Deans of Soul and Canisha have been brought to national attention; while international artists such as Canada’s Snotty Nose Rez Kids, and Aotearoa’s SWIDT have reached Australian recognition in a major way.
More recent history has seen BAD APPLES MUSIC elevate in new ways, further cementing its status as a visionary presence in Australian music.
Flexing curatorial skill, BAD APPLES MUSIC has presented many live events including numerous editions of Bad Apples House Party, held at venues in Sydney and Melbourne, including the Sydney Opera House; Music For The Mob (Brunswick Music Festival), My Sis: A NAIDOC Celebration of Blak Women in Music, and the First And Forever Festival – a collaboration between BAD APPLES MUSIC, Mushroom Group and the Victorian Government that celebrated First Nations music and culture at Hanging Rock.
Leading to the evolution of a new generation of Blak excellence in Australia and international markets, BAD APPLES MUSIC blazed a new trail for innovative and diverse art being created by a community of artists with powerful stories to tell.
And as its first decade anniversary approaches, BAD APPLES MUSIC are showing no signs of slowing down. The journey in empowering a national community of artists is one that pauses for nobody and with the platform and sphere of influence continuing to grow, BAD APPLES MUSIC reinforce themselves as not just a label – but a haven for creativity, new ideas and impassioned voices ready to express.
