The experimental Naptown hip-hop group 81355 returns with “Bad Dogs”

July 16, 2025

Listen to an interview with the experimental Indiana hip-hop group 81355. Also hear music from their new album Bad Dogs.

81355 was formed in 2021 as a trio, featuring Oreo Jones, Sirius Black and David Moose Adamson. Each member brought a rich and varied history to the project, leading some to label the band an Indianapolis super-group. Their debut album This Time I’ll Be of Use was issued that same year on 37d03d, a label founded by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, and Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National. The album received national attention, earning praise from Pitchfork, Consequence and Flood.

Bad Dogs is the group’s second album and it finds the trio expanding into a full band, with Sharlene Birdsong on bass, Dimitri Morris on guitar, and Pat Okerson on drums.