Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian alternative rock band, formed in London, United Kingdom in 1983 by frontman Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist Blixa Bargeld. The band has included international personnel throughout its career and currently includes Cave, violinist and multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis, bassist Martyn P. Casey, keyboardist Conway Savage, and percussionists Thomas Wydler (Switzerland) and Jim Sclavunos (United States).
The band was founded after the demise of Cave and Harvey's former group, The Birthday Party. Deviating from the noise rock roots of their contemporaries, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have a distinctive take on alternative rock that has been influenced by various genres, including punk rock, gothic rock, no wave and blues. Their early material—From Her to Eternity (1984), The Firstborn Is Dead (1985), Your Funeral... My Trial (1986) and Tender Prey (1988)—had a primarily post-punk sound. As the band progressed, they began to incorporate more refined singer-songwriter elements. Their latest release, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (2008), also experimented with garage rock, inspired by their side project Grinderman.
They are best known for "Where the Wild Roses Grow", a collaborative single with Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue from their ninth studio album, Murder Ballads (1996). The song was an international commercial and critical success, giving them exposure in pop charts. The band also has a large cult following, due to their extensive back catalogue of fourteen studio albums and frequent international touring.