Birds of Tokyo

Birds of Tokyo are an Australian alternative rock band from Perth, Western Australia. Their debut album Day One gained them domestic success, reaching number three on the AIR Independent Album charts and spending a total of 36 consecutive weeks in the top ten.

Birds of Tokyo
Birds of Tokyo performing at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland for the Big Day Out 2011
Background information
OriginPerth, Western Australia, Australia
GenresAlternative rock
Years active2004–present
LabelsEMI Australia
Associated acts
WebsiteOfficial website
MembersIan Kenny
Adam Spark
Adam Weston
Ian Berney
Glenn Sarangapany
Past membersMiki Cee
Anthony Jackson

In 2008, the band released Universes, which made it to number three on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart. 2010 saw the band's self-titled third studio release Birds of Tokyo spend over eight months on the Australian top 20, peaking at number two on the ARIA Albums Chart. The double platinum album received the 2010 ARIA Award for Best Rock Album and in early 2011 the band's breakthrough hit "Plans" ranked number four on Triple J's Hottest 100. The album's follow-up single, "Wild at Heart", reached number one on the country's national airplay chart and won the band an APRA Award.

In 2013 the band released their fourth studio album March Fires. Supported by the album's first two singles "This Fire" and "Lanterns", March Fires debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart—the band's first number-one record. The album was certified gold within four weeks of release and the triple platinum single "Lanterns" was the most played song on Australian radio for the first six months of 2013.

The band released their fifth studio album Brace in November 2016. Their sixth studio album, Human Design, was released in April 2020. It topped the Australian charts upon its release.[1]

History
Birds of Tokyo vocalist Ian Kenny performing at the Fly by Night Club in 2008

Early years

Birds of Tokyo formed in 2004 from a collaboration between members of another Perth act Tragic Delicate and Karnivool, from which Ian Kenny came.

The band formed when guitarist Adam Spark asked Kenny to sing on some demos intended to be sold for publication rights. The results were so good, they decided to form a band and release the songs themselves. They took their name from an article one member had read about the absence of birds in Tokyo's high-density central business district due to pollution and overcrowding. "We thought that was interesting, no birds in Tokyo – we thought, we'll be the birds of Tokyo", he says.[2]

In January 2005, Birds of Tokyo released their debut EP, Birds of Tokyo. In October 2005, Birds of Tokyo released a double A side single "One Way/Stay". It was recorded in Melbourne with acclaimed producer Forrester Savell (Helmet, Full Scale, Karnivool).

Day One (2006–2007)

2006 saw the band touring regional Western Australia on a three-week tour in January, before returning to Melbourne to finish working on their debut album, Day One. The album was released on 3 February 2007 and debuted at No. 88 on the ARIA Albums Chart and No. 3 on the AIR albums chart.

Directly following the release, the band embarked on extensive touring, starting with their "Day One" tour, playing in five capital cities around Australia. Birds of Tokyo also performed at the Perth leg of the 2007 Big Day Out and the at Blackjack 2007 (the relocated Rock-It festival).

Birds of Tokyo were nominated for two awards in the 2007 AIR Awards (Australian Independent Record Association) for Best Performing Independent Album[3] and Most Outstanding New Independent Artist.[4] "Wayside" was voted in at No. 61 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2007.[5]

They were also recognized in Rolling Stone magazine as 'Artists to Watch' in 2007.[6]

Universes (2008–2009)

The band recorded their second album Universes in Margaret River, Western Australia, which was mixed in Los Angeles by Tim Palmer (Pearl Jam, Porcupine Tree). The debut single from the album, "Silhouettic", was released as a free download on 14 April 2008. The album was released 5 July 2008 and debuted at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart[7] and at No. 1 on the AIR albums chart.[8] The album reached gold status in Australia in January 2009.

The band played all Australian shows at the Big Day Out in 2009. "Broken Bones", "Silhouettic" and "Wild Eyed Boy" were voted in at No. 20, No. 22 and No. 51 respectively in the Hottest 100 of 2008.[9]

In late 2009, the band embarked on the Broken Strings tour, which featured acoustic interpretations of a selection of their work to date, accompanied by a string quartet and grand piano arranged by producer Anthony Cormican. The supporting artist was Glenn Richards (lead singer of Augie March). A CD and DVD featuring recordings from the tour was available to preorder at the shows, and was released in early 2010 as The Broken Strings Tour. Birds of Tokyo were nominated for the 2009 Channel V Oz Artist of the Year.

Birds of Tokyo (2010–2011)

In early 2010, the band returned to the studio to work on their eponymous third album. In March 2010 the band released the single "The Saddest Thing I Know" and announced an Australian tour by the same name. They toured with the New Zealand-based band Midnight Youth. The second single "Plans" was premiered on Sunday 20 June. The album was released on 23 July 2010. They toured with Silversun Pickups in September and October 2010. Birds of Tokyo received six 2010 ARIA Music Awards nominations.[10] "Wild at Heart" was the album's third single. "Plans" was voted at No. 4 in the Hottest 100 of 2010, while "Wild at Heart" and "The Saddest Thing I Know" also appeared at No. 47 and No. 87, respectively. The band also played at the Big Day Out in 2011 for their third time.

In March 2011, the band announced via their Facebook page that bass player Anthony Jackson was leaving the band. Ian Berney from Sugar Army later filled the position.[11][12]

In April 2011, they played alongside Art vs Science, The Jezabels and local Joshy Willo at the Triple J One Night Stand at Tumby Bay, South Australia.

The band were nominated in five different categories at the 2011 West Australian Music Industry Awards (WAMi), including Most Popular Act, Most Popular Album, Best Male Vocalist, Best Instrumentalist and Best Bassist.[13] The band won for Most Popular Album and Best Instrumentalist.

In late April/early May 2011, Birds of Tokyo played at the annual Groovin' the Moo music festival alongside other Australian artists like Gotye, Washington, Art vs Science and Architecture in Helsinki.[14]

The band toured through September and October 2011, their final national tour for the year. The tour was called the Closer Tour due to the fact that they opted to play smaller venues than they had played prior.

During an interview on Radar, Adam revealed that the band would be heading back into the studio to record their new album over the summer.[15]

March Fires (2012–2014)

On 1 February 2012, the band announced that they had finished writing their new album and would start recording the week after.[16] Creating the new album was a journey of "exploration and reinvention" for Birds of Tokyo, telling the story of burning down the old and coming together to build something new. In October 2012, the band released an EP titled This Fire, which featured two songs ("This Fire" and "Boy") from the album. On 14 January 2013, "Lanterns" was released as a single, with its video coming out on 8 February. After being available for preorder on iTunes for 3 months, March Fires was released on 1 March 2013.

Led by the first two singles, March Fires debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, making it the band's first No. 1 record. The album was certified gold within four weeks of release and the triple platinum single "Lanterns" was the most played song on Australia radio in the first six months of 2013. "When the Night Falls Quiet" was later released as a single, with its video coming out on 22 April.

Birds of Tokyo completed a sell-out tour of Australia to accompany the release and received positive reviews for shows across their March Fires album tour. They also performed at the 2013 AFL Grand Final, Splendour in the Grass 2013 and were announced as the sole support for Muse on their national Australian tour across November and December.

Playlist and Brace (2015–2017)

On 24 April 2015, the group released their third EP, Anchor. The EP was supported by a national tour and the release of a single of the same name. The music video for that song was released the following month. Birds of Tokyo subsequently debuted a new song, "I'd Go with You Anywhere", confirming the release of a compilation album, Playlist, which was released in November 2015 and peaked at number 4. The group released their fifth studio album Brace in November 2016. The album peaked at number 3 on the ARIA charts.

Human Design (2018–present)

In September 2018, Birds of Tokyo released "Unbreakable". The song was chosen as the theme for the 2018 Invictus Games in Sydney. Birds of Tokyo performed the track at the official Closing Ceremony on 27 October at Sydney Super Dome.[17] In February 2019, Birds of Tokyo released "Good Lord" which peaked at number 19 on the ARIA charts. This was followed by the singles "The Greatest Mistakes" and "Two of Us".

In February 2020, AFL team West Coast Eagles revealed a revamped official club song, which was produced by bass player Ian Berney and sung by vocalist Ian Kenny.[18]

In February 2020, the band announced the forthcoming release of their sixth studio album, Human Design, released in April 2020.[19] The album debuted at number 1 on the ARIA charts, becoming the band's second chart topper.

Members
Current members
  • Ian Kenny – vocals (2004–present)
  • Adam Spark – guitars, keyboards, vocals (2004–present)
  • Adam Weston – drums, percussion (2004–present)
  • Ian Berney – bass (2011–present)
  • Glenn Sarangapany – keyboards, synthesisers, vocals (2011–present)
Past members
  • Miki Cee – guitars, vocals (2004–2008)
  • Anthony Jackson – bass (2004–2011)

Discography
Main article: Birds of Tokyo discography

Awards and nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2007[20][21] themselves Most Outstanding New Independent Artist Nominated
Day One Best Performing Independent Album Nominated
2008[22] themselves Best Independent Artist Won
Universes Best Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album Nominated
2010[23] themselves Most Popular Independent Artist Nominated

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters".[24]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2011"Plans" (Anthony Jackson, Ian Kenny, Adam Spark, Adam Weston)Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year[25]Nominated
Most Played Australian Work[26]Nominated
Rock Work of the Year[27]Nominated
Song of the Year[28]Nominated
2012"Wild at Heart" (Anthony Jackson, Ian Kenny, Adam Spark, Adam Weston)Rock Work of the Year[29]Won
Most Played Australian Work[30]Nominated
2014"Lanterns" (Ian Berney, Ian Kenny, Glenn Sarangapany, Adam Spark, Adam Weston)Most Played Australian Work[31]Won
Rock Work of the Year[32]Won
Song of the Year[33]Nominated
"When the Night Falls Quiet" (Ian Berney, Ian Kenny, Glen Sarangapany, Adam Spark, Adam Weston)Rock Work of the Year[32]Nominated
2016"Anchor" (Ian Berney, Ian Kenny, Glen Sarangapany, Adam Spark, Adam Weston)Rock Work of the YearWon
Song of the YearNominated
2017"I'd Go with You Anywhere" (Berney, Kenny, Sarangapany, Spark, Weston)Rock Work of the Year[34]Won
2018"Brace" (Berney, Kenny, Sarangapany, Spark, Weston)Rock Work of the Year[35]Won
2020"Good Lord" (Berney, Kenny, Sarangapany, Spark, Adam Weston)Most Performed Australian Work of the Year[36][37]Nominated
Most Performed Alternative Work of the YearNominated

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Lost to
2010[10] Birds of Tokyo Best Rock Album Won N/A
Album of the Year Nominated Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way
"Plans" Single of the Year Nominated Angus & Julia Stone - "Big Jet Plane"
The Broken Strings Tour DVD Best Music DVD Nominated Various Artists - Sound Relief
Birds Of Tokyo Most Popular Australian Artist Eliminated Powderfinger
Birds Of Tokyo Best Group Nominated The Temper Trap - "Love Lost"
2011 "Wild At Heart" Best Group Nominated Boy & Bear - Moonfire
Single of the Year Nominated Gotye - "Somebody That I Used To Know (with Kimbra)"
"Plans" Highest Selling Single Nominated Guy Sebastian - "Who's That Girl? (with Eve)"
Birds Of Tokyo Highest Selling Album Nominated Altiyan Childs - Altiyan Childs
Birds Of Tokyo Most Popular Australian Live Act Nominated The Living End
Birds Of Tokyo Most Popular Australian Artist Won N/A
2013 March Fires Album of the Year Nominated Tame Impala - Lonerism
Best Group Nominated Tame Impala - Lonerism
Best Rock Album Nominated Tame Impala - Lonerism
"Lanterns" Song of the Year Nominated Matt Corby - "Resolution"
Best Video Nominated Samantha Jade - "Firestarter"
March Fires Tour Best Australian Live Act Nominated Guy Sebastian - Get Along Tour
2019[38][39] "Good Lord" Best Group Nominated The Teskey Brothers - Run Home Slow
Song of the Year Nominated Guy Sebastian - "Choir"

Other awards
YearTypeAwardResult
2005WAMi AwardRock Song of the Year – "Stay"Won
2007 WAMi Award Favourite Newcomer Won
Best Male Vocalist – Ian Kenny Won
2008 WAMi Award Most Popular Album – Day One[40] Won
2008 WAMi Award – Best Rock Act[40] Won
Best Guitarist – Adam Spark[40] Nominated
Best Male Vocalist – Ian Kenny[40] Nominated
Best Drummer – Adam Weston[40] Nominated
Best Instrumentalist – Glenn Sarangapany[40] Nominated
J Award Best Album - Universes Nominated
2009 WAMi Award Most Popular Act[41] Won
Most Popular Album - Universes[41] Won
Most Popular Live Act[41] Won
Best Male Vocalist - Ian Kenny[41] Won
Best Rock Act[41] Won

References
  1. Manning, James (3 May 2020). "ARIA Chart: Birds of Tokyo straight to the top with Human Design". Mediaweek. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  2. "Birds of Tokyo Interview". Apollo Magazine. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  3. "Best Performing Independent Album (2007 nominees)". AIR. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  4. "Most Outstanding New Independent Artist (2007 nominees)". AIR. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  5. "hottest 100 2007". Triple J. Archived from the original on 11 February 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2009.
  6. Hanna, Jay (12 May 2007). "Driven to succeed". PerthNow.com. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  7. "Universes - Birds of Tokyo". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  8. "AIR Charts". Australian Music Office. Archived from the original on 21 January 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  9. McCabe, Kathy (26 January 2009). "Kings of Leon win Triple J Hottest 100 with Sex on Fire". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 July 2009.
  10. 2010 ARIA Nominations Announced Archived 2 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine Take40 Australia (mcm entertainment). Retrieved 2010-09-29.
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  12. Smith, Barnaby (21 March 2011). "Birds of Tokyo split with bassist". Music Feeds. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
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  15. Radar Radio Interview Archived 21 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine
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  41. 2009 WAMi Awards Archived 8 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2010-09-29.
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