Birds of Tokyo - Set to Soar

By now, Perth rock outfit Birds of Tokyo have shaken off the ‘side project’ label and have forged a massive fan base in their own right. Hell, not only shaken off, but ripped apart and stomped upon it with forceful conviction.

Made up of members from Karnivool and Tragic Delicate, if their runaway success is anything to go by, any spillover fans are here to stay. Bass player Anthonny Jackson shares his excitement about the upcoming Wayside Tour and the recent release of their debut full-length, Day One.

“It has been received amazingly well. We put a lot of work into making sure everything prior to the release was exactly how we wanted it,” Jackson reveals. In fact, Day One was such a success that it completely ran out of stock across the country, weeks after its release. “We were a little apprehensive to how people would react to it, but ultimately overwhelmed to how well it is going and people’s positive reaction towards it”.

The last few months have been a whirlwind of excitement for the Birds of Tokyo, having jet-setted across the country as part of the Day One tour, selling out a bunch of shows on the east coast. If that wasn’t enough, awaiting them on their return was a shiny West Australian Music Industry (WAMi) Award for Favourite Newcomer as well as the Most Popular Male Vocalist WAMi for frontman Ian Kenny (shared with Karnivool). As Jackson explains “It was great to recognized by our own music industry, even though we have been around for over 2 years and aren’t really the newest kids on the block.”

Only weeks ago, Birds of Tokyo were billed as the curtain raisers for one of Perth’s most exciting festivals, Blackjack, headlined this year by none other than The Pixies. “Blackjack was great fun, even though it rained through our entire set,” Jackson jokes. "We got to watch the Pixies from the side of the stage which was amazing."

So what should the punters expect this time around? Well, for starters, the Birds are bringing resident keyboardist Glenn Sarangapany (Bus #56, Dyslexic Fish, The Dirty Secrets) along for the ride, “So expect a much fuller sound that is true to the record,” says Jackson. Also promising to give the album a more thorough workout, the Birds are set to soar on their biggest tour yet.

Spanning most capital cities, The Wayside Tour includes an armful of regional shows in its extensive itinerary. "We are very excited… It will be great fun, though a lot of work,” says Jackson “We are looking forward to the challenge and promise to deliver something extra special this time round.”

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