I got my ear to the ground, I can hear the devil talking on the south side. Climbed out a tail spin. I could tell you what it’s like on the down side. Retracing my steps, follow my shadow thru valleys and mountains. A treacherous journey, follow the river to drink from the fountain.— “Fever Dream” by 81355
For local hip-hop group 81355 (pronounced Bless), their second studio album, “Bad Dogs,” which will be released on July 11, marks a progression. Their music collaboration has been full of bliss up to this point.
Headed by a trio of Indianapolis-based artists – Sean “Oreo” Jones, Sedcairn (David “Moose” Adamson) and Sirius Blvck (Niq Askren) – 81355 released its debut album, “This Time I’ll Be of Use,” in 2021 via Justin Vernon of Bon Iver’s 37d03d record label.
Jones said the title for this second album comes from the time Blvck was visiting an indigenous reservation, where he saw dogs roam freely — wild animals that were loved by the community and made their home where they laid.
“I think that kind of speaks to the theme of where we are trying to journey in the record. This album feels like it grows wild like ivy on brick,” Jones said.
In terms of lyrics, Blvck said it’s all about Naptown. “The first record, we were writing a lot about what we were seeing in the world, and ‘Bad Dogs’ is more personal.”
For their sophomore effort, 81355 have teamed up with Indianapolis record label Joyful Noise Recordings.
Jones, Sedcairn and Blvck first teamed up on the 2014 song “Tribe Quest,” which has since become a local cult classic with more than one million listens on Spotify. After working with each other on various small projects over the years, the trio decided to lock in and make a full-fledged album.
“Once we got in the studio, we found a groove and it was like, ‘Oh okay. Hold on,’” Blvck said. “We knew we had something that we wanted to find a way to keep doing together. It spawned from there, and then it snowballed.”
Heart of clay, heart of stone
Hard to say, but it’s so
Stars away from the zone
But we always come home— “Heart of Stone” by 81355
“Bad Dogs” was written more collectively as a six-piece, with the band working with producer Matt Riefler at his Fort Wayne studio, as well as Sharlene Birdsong on bass guitar, Dimitri Morris on guitar and Pat Okerson on drums.
“We’d get in the van and head to the studio in Fort Wayne,” Jones said of the album’s recording process. “Over the course of a year, we’d go once a month. We’d grab as many of us as were available and track the record.”
Having been a part of many other Indianapolis-based projects over the years — most notably the band Jookabox — Sedcairn said there’s something special about working with his 81355 buds.
“The collaboration just seems magical to me in a way, where things develop on their own,” Sedcairn said. “People can step up when they need to, and then someone else steps up. To me, that’s what seems so special about making music with Niq and Sean.”
This summer, 81355 will embark on a run of East Coast tour dates. In looking ahead to the group’s upcoming tour, Jones said he couldn’t be more excited to get back out on the road.
“We have that tour itch — it’s something that’s a real thing,” Jones said. “[We look forward to] getting out in front of people who are completely unbiased, forging new friendships and reconnecting with old friendships. I’m stoked.”
You can purchase “Bad Dogs” through Joyful Noise or at any local record shop.
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Seth Johnson is a music writer and contributor to Mirror Indy. You can reach him at seth.johnson4291@gmail.com.
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