679 Artists

Lore & Background

Nick Worthington started 679 Artists in 2001 after leaving XL Recordings, partnering with Warner Music Group as a joint venture. The label's name referenced the address of the Pure Groove record shop on Holloway Road. Its first release was The Streets' debut album, Original Pirate Material, in March 2002, which was later named best album of the 2000s by Observer Music Monthly at the end of 2009.

The label released subsequent albums from a diverse roster including Death From Above 1979, The Futureheads, Kano, King Creosote, and Mystery Jets. It also released The Streets' million-selling second album, A Grand Don't Come for Free. The label was founded as a joint venture with Warner Music Group and remained under Warner ownership throughout its existence. In 2010, it released Plan B's The Defamation of Strickland Banks, which sold over one million copies. The founder later formed a new record label called 37 Adventures.

Reader's Guide

679 Artists played a significant role in the UK music scene of the 2000s, particularly through its association with The Streets, whose debut album Original Pirate Material was critically acclaimed and later named best album of the decade by Observer Music Monthly. The label's roster included a wide range of artists from indie rock to electronic and hip-hop, such as Death From Above 1979, The Futureheads, Kano, and Plan B. Its commercial success included two million-selling albums: The Streets' A Grand Don't Come for Free and Plan B's The Defamation of Strickland Banks. The label's acquisition by Warner Music Group in 2008 marked its integration into a major corporate structure, while founder Nick Worthington's subsequent launch of 37 Adventures continued his involvement in the industry. 679 Artists is remembered as a distinctive imprint that balanced underground credibility with mainstream success.

Founding & the Story Behind the Name

679 Artists was born out of a single creative departure. In 2001, Nick Worthington left XL Recordings and, rather than simply joining another existing imprint, he partnered with Warner Music Group to build something new from the ground up in London. He took on the dual role of Managing Director and A&R Director, giving the fledgling label a clear artistic compass from day one. The name itself carries a small, personal story: '679' was the street address of the Pure Groove record shop on Holloway Road, a nod to the independent music culture that shaped the label's identity. Formally registered under the names Sixsevenine and 679 Recordings, the imprint carried a distinctly London flavor from its inception. Worthington's background at XL and his direct line to Warner Music Group gave the venture both creative credibility and commercial infrastructure, a combination that would prove essential in the competitive UK music market of the early 2000s.

Breakthrough Releases & Commercial Milestones

The label's very first release set the tone for everything that followed. In March 2002, 679 put out The Streets' debut album, Original Pirate Material, a record that would go on to be named the best album of the 2000s by Observer Music Monthly at the close of that decade. That early triumph was quickly matched by the million-selling follow-up, A Grand Don't Come for Free, which cemented the label's commercial credentials. Beyond The Streets, 679 built a track record of strong album releases across multiple artists, putting out records from Death From Above 1979, The Futureheads, Kano, King Creosote, and Mystery Jets. The label's commercial momentum carried well into the next decade: in 2011, it released Plan B's The Defamation of Strickland Banks, a record that surpassed one million copies sold. For a mid-sized London imprint, that kind of sustained hit-making across different artists speaks to a label that understood how to identify and nurture talent with genuine crossover appeal.

A Roster That Spanned a Wide Musical Spectrum

The roster attached to 679 Artists reads like a cross-section of the British and international music scene across two decades. Alongside the headline names The Streets and Plan B, the label's former artist list includes MSTRKRFT, Dead Disco, and The Polyphonic Spree; groups such as The Futureheads, King Creosote, Mystery Jets, The Rifles, The Stills, and The Secret Handshake; Kano; and solo or duo acts including Annie, Little Boots, Marina, M. Craft, Spark, The Webb Brothers, and Wideboys. Other names on the roster—Cut Off Your Hands, The Earlies, Fryars, Oh My!, and Secret Machines—further illustrate the breadth of the label's ambitions. This diversity suggests a label that was not locked into a single sound or scene but instead curated artists based on individual merit and potential, giving 679 a distinctive identity in the crowded London music landscape of the 2000s.

Corporate Transition & Life After 679

679 Artists' relationship with Warner Music Group evolved over time. What began as a partnership in 2001 became a full acquisition in 2008, when Warner Music Group absorbed the label into its broader portfolio. That corporate shift marked a turning point for the imprint, which had grown from a small London venture into a recognized name in the UK music industry. Meanwhile, the label's cultural footprint endured well beyond its operational years. The Streets' Original Pirate Material, the very first release on the 679 catalogue, was retrospectively crowned the best album of the 2000s by Observer Music Monthly, a testament to the label's early artistic judgment. As for its founder, Nick Worthington moved on to new creative endeavors, most recently forming a new record label called 37 Adventures, carrying forward the independent, artist-driven spirit that defined his work at 679.