Birds Of Tokyo
An Interview with Adam Spark
by Rebecca Clark
Static Noise
http://www.staticnoise.net
Most of my friends know that I have a strong love for a handful of amazing bands, one of these bands is a band from Australia called Karnivool. Their talent and live show has done nothing but amaze the hell out of me, so when I heard about Karnivool's lead singer Ian Kenny being in another band, Birds of Tokyo, I of course had to check them out.
I will admit at first I wasn't sure about their music because it is so different from Karnivool that it down right surprised me and caught me off guard! But the more and more I listened to their latest self-titled album, the more and more I started to become a huge fan.
BOT's sound is so different from anything I have ever heard. Their album is rocking, yet soothing, dark, hopeful and full of soul. BOT's lyrics are simply brilliant; full of imagery and in a sense poetic.
Birds of Tokyo has created a new breed of rock that America needs to hear. Do yourself a favor and check out Birds of Tokyo. You will thank me for it, I promise.
Check out our interview we did with the band. It was done a little while ago, our apologies for the delay in posting it.
Static Noise: How are you today? Anything interesting happening down under?
Adam: I am very well. The weather is warming up down here...we are right in the middle of a small bunch of shows. We get to play a fashion awards show in a couple of days so that should be quite the glamorous affair! We won the “Best Rock Album” award just last week or so at the ARIAs, which is like our version of the Grammys, so that's been the coolest thing for us in the last couple of weeks!
SN: I heard the new record has gone gold and now platinum! Congrats! Can you describe in words how you felt when you received the news?
Adam: Feels great. The most important thing for us means that we are reaching new people with this record, which can never be a bad thing, ya know?
SN: The new album is truly amazing from beginning to end, what was the hardest track to record on it and why?
Adam: It would have to be “Plans,” as we went through so many shifts in feel and tempo and vibe for this song until we felt we had it right. For a deceptively simple sounding song, it was quite the challenge.
SN: Are there any plans for the record to drop in stores over here in the USA?
Adam: We certainly hope so. It's tough being from the other side of the world getting a foot in the door, ya know? We are planning some sort of attack which holds merit and relevance, as opposed to just throwing sand into the wind and see what happens.
SN: What about tour plans in the US?
Adam:Once we have the reason to be there, try and keep us out! As soon as we square away a legit release for the U.S., we have every intention of hitting the road over there.
SN: I actually heard about you guys because I am a huge fan of Kenny’s other band Karnivool. (I love both bands now) Was it hard for Kenny balancing the record release for BOT while he was touring over here with Karnivool?
Adam: Not really as we have a pretty solid team working around the band, making sure every nail is bashed into the wood with the appropriate hammer.
SN: Are any of the other band members in other bands?
Adam: Yes. All of the other guys have some sort of other thing going around birds. Two of them are in one band and one of them is in another! Everyone except me that is. I guess I’m the princess locked in the Birds tower! Maybe I’ll let down my hair for some handsome prince to take me away..haha.
SN: What is your favourite venue to perform in and why?
Adam: I don’t really have a favorite. I think like anything with playing in a band it totally depends on the vibe of the crowd. We have played some massive venues which suck and some tiny shitholes that just kick ass because of the crowd’s energy.
SN: What has been your biggest achievement so far (it can be personal or career related)?
Adam: One of my biggest highlights would have to be working on strings and orchestra with a lady named Audrey Riley in London for the last Birds record. It was a bit of a dream come true working with the same lady who had done orchestral work for Muse, Smashing Pumpkins, The Cure etc. An amazing time!
SN: I noticed everyone calls Ian by his last name, do any of the other band members have nicknames for each other?
Adam: Yeah it tends to be the same kind of vibe. Everyone in Australia I guess has this tendency to call people by some sort of variation of their last name. We are no exception, except our keys guru whose name is Glenn. We call him Diffy, go figure?!
SN: I love what I have heard of the Broken Stings album, is there any plans for another stings tour? What about an acoustic tour?
Adam: Yeah, we would love to. It’s just a matter of finding the right time and leaving some space between the last one so it feels special again. It was a really challenging and rewarding idea for us, so we don't want to sully it by cheapening it and overplaying I guess.
SN: What has been the craziest thing a fan has done for the band?
Adam: There has been some pretty weird and very detailed drawings handed to us. Also some sort of weird voodoo Kenny doll I think once. There has been tattoos and some sort of really fucking weird napkin homage or something like that...haha weird.
SN: Do any of you have a cause you are fighting for?
Adam: I think just surviving is a cause enough for some of us!
SN: What is the most embarrassing moment you have endured on stage?
Adam: I once fell face-first into the front row of a crowd in a small club in our home town a few years ago. I was wearing ninja slippers and like a horribly un-graceful swan I put my foot up on the wedge and slipped right into some people’s heads. It was fucking horrible! haha
SN: Who is your hero?
Adam: Brian Wilson.
SN: What can American fans do to help spread the word over here about BOT?
Adam: Spread the word! It’s funny because we don't really know WHERE we fit in the music world. We have never really known and hence, have always run our own race. Get blogging!
SN: Do you have any exciting plans for the Holidays? What do you hope Santa brings you?
Adam: I want a BBQ! I have a cool new place which has a great terrace and it is lacking a BBQ for the summer, so that's Number 1 on the list. I’m just going to fly home and spend a week with my family before Birds fires up again on January 2nd.
SN: Does the band have any Christmas songs they like to perform?
Adam: You know, we have never tried any, probably too drunk and full of seafood to even entertain an idea like that!
SN: I am planning on visiting your lovely country next year, are there any places that you think a tourist must go/see?
Adam: I think its worth spending as much time as you can at the beach. There really is some amazing coast over here. We love it. I’m not much of a tourist kinda guy, but this is some killer geography here...so that's my 2 cents! Byron Bay is really beautiful as well as Northern Queensland. Just don’t get eaten by a shark or hit by a sting ray! haha
SN: Any plans for the next single?
Adam: Yeah, we have just released a song called “Wild At Heart,” bit of a rocker!
SN: Any last words you would like to add?
Adam: Just feel free to spread the word until we mobilize a release over in the U.S. Just spread that shit around! And let us know who you are folks, it gives us incentive to get our touring asses into gear and come and say hello!
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