Birds of Tokyo began in 2003 when guitarist Adam Spark approached vocalist Ian Kenny to sing on some demos he’d written.
∙ Even as Birds of Tokyo enjoyed widespread success, Kenny continued to front Karnivool, a band he formed while in high school.
∙ The group’s name was inspired by a magazine article describing the absence of birds in Tokyo because of the city’s high pollution levels.
∙ Birds of Tokyo has been nominated for 17 ARIA Music Awards in their native Australia, winning Best Rock Album honors in 2010.
∙ They twice topped the Australian album charts—with 2013’s March Fires and 2020’s Human Design.
∙ In 2020, the Australian Football League’s West Coast Eagles presented a revamped club song written and produced by Birds of Tokyo bassist Ian Berney and sung by Ian Kenny.