Skinnyfish Music


Skinnyfish Music is a Darwin, Australia based independent record label. The label blends traditional Australian First Nations sounds, language, and instrumentation with modern western music genres.

History

Skinnyfish Music was co-founded in 1999 by Mark Grose and Michael Hohnen. The label connects remote Indigenous communities to mainstream global music markets through business development mentoring, education and promotion.
Skinnyfish undertake extensive community engagement around the production and cultural preservation of First Nations music, through consultation with the musicians, family members and community elders. They also support a model of fostering economic independence in their artists and encourage local music at community events.
In 2009 they struck a deal with Dramatico Entertainment for the Pan-European release of all the label's albums, after the success of "Gurrumul" across Europe
In 2023 in an international, cross-cultural effort with Dr. Lily Yulianti Farid, Skinny Fish Music helped to facilitate the recording of a Yolngu-Macassan version "Bayini", a significant story for Yolngu peoples.

Notable artists associated with Skinnyfish Music

The label engages with Indigenous communities through touring music groups and artists to festivals, where the main message is of cultural pride, healthy lifestyle education and social change promotion.
The label has also been notable for its championing of fair compensation for artists.
Skinnyfish Music has played a significant role in addressing pressing social issues within remote Indigenous communities.

Projects and festivals