Got the public holiday off but don’t want to celebrate colonialisation, dispossession, and genocide?
Skip the anthem and crank up the truth. These Melbourne-based First Nations artists are rewriting the soundtrack.
Check out our gig guide, our festival guide, our live music venue guide and our nightclub guide. Follow us on Instagram here.
Melbourne-based First nations artists
Alice Skye
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Wergaia and Wemba Wemba musician Alice Skye has the kind of voice that cuts quiet and lingers long after. Her introspective indie pop turns healing into hooks, threading tradition through modern melodies.
Baker Boy
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The original Fresh Prince of Arnhem Land, Baker Boy brings infectious energy to every song. The Melbourne based Yolŋu rapper flips between English and Yolŋu Matha as he blends hip hop, funk and soul into unstoppable feel good power.
Ruby Mae
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Ruby Mae’s songs are all heart, raw, open and impossible to fake. The Wiradjuri artist’s stripped back guitars and soulful vocals pour out stories of love, loss and renewal straight from then Source.
Canisha
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Warm, textured and full of depth, Canisha’s sound moves between R&B, pop and soul without missing a beat. The Trawlwoolway and Wiradjuri singer brings Naarm crowds to silence one minute and sway the next.
The Terrifying Lows
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Dark, hypnotic and cinematic, The Terrifying Lows (Gamilaroi) pairs brooding guitars with storytelling steeped in tradition. Every track hums with tension and honesty, perfect for a late night listen.
Inanna Indigo
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Dreamy, spiritual and unapologetically unique, Inanna Indigo from Boonwurrung and Bunurong Country floats between harp-like guitars and shimmering harmonies. It’s celestial pop with ancient roots.
Briggs
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Sharp, fearless and essential, Briggs doesn’t just rap, he holds a mirror up to the nation. The Yorta Yorta artist and Bad Apples founder brings biting humour and cultural pride to every verse.
A.B. Original
Briggs and Trials’ project A.B. Original still hits a decade after their formation. Their politically charged hip hop drops truth with the force of a bassline, defiant, honest and built for resistance.
BIG NOTER
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Briggs turns up the noise with BIG NOTER, a blistering mix of nu metal riffs and punk attitude. It’s fierce, fast and full of unapologetic commentary on race, rage and survival.
Pirritu
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Ngiyampaa and Wangaaypuwan artist Pirritu crafts gentle folk that feels like sunlight after rain. It’s reminiscent of quiet strength, hope and healing that hangs around after hardship.
Birdz
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Butchulla rapper Birdz has never pulled a punch. His politically charged bars weave Murri heritage through razor sharp production, with honest anthems from the frontlines of identity and resistance.
Liv & The Dream
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Fronted by Arrernte artist Olivia Meg, Liv & The Dream take indie folk rock and give it soul. Think driving harmonies, horn soaked choruses and stories of love and discovery that burst into life.
RONA
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RONA, a Kaytetye producer based in Naarm, makes music that moves through space like a storm. Deep electronic pulses and desertn rhythms come together in production that’s immersive, grounded and connected to Country.
Naomi Diane
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Gamilaroi artist Naomi Diane channels coastal calm and soulful groove into breezy pop. Her songwriting is tender and grounded, the kind you feel rather than just hear.
Lady Lash
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Kokatha and Greek artist Lady Lash fuses jazz textures with poetic hip hop verses that speak to spirit, ancestry and healing. It’s sultry, thoughtful and straight from the soul.
Jay Gonsalves
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Eastern Arrernte producer Jay Gonsalves builds lush, late night beats that glide between lo fi hip hop and dance. His production is dense yet intimate, a pulse you can sink into.
Bumpy
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Bumpy, a Noongar singer and producer, pairs velvet falsetto with neo soul swagger. Her songs ache with truth and soar with power, proof that tenderness and strength can share the same space.
Oetha
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Oetha, the trio of Lady Lash, Dizzy D Doolan and Miss Envy, bring fierce feminine fire to Naarm’s hip hop scene. Their booming beats and sharp bars celebrate sisterhood, survival and sovereignty.
Kee’ahn
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Kuku Yalanji, Jirrbal and Torres Strait Islander artist Kee’ahn makes R&B pop that glows with grace. Her melodies shimmer with themes of reconnection, hope and quiet resilience.
Kaytlyn Johnson
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Palawa indie pop artist Kaytlyn Johnson draws from her Tasmanian roots with a voice that feels both delicate and sure. Her songs trace strength through reflection and heartfelt storytelling.
For more music, head here.
Beat acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we meet.
We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Without the wisdom passed down through stories, we wouldn’t have the power to share our own today.
