APRA Song Of The Year Focus 2016: Birds Of Tokyo

Answered by: Glenn Sarangapany

Song title: Anchor

What's the song about? Anchor is an apology for the times that we weren't there for the people closest to us. 

What was inspiring you during the song's writing and recording? We spent two years living in the USA away from our families and friends. It was sweet fun, but the disconnection sometimes took its toll and found its way into the music.

Was this song something that came together easily, or did you have to work on it? Over time (quite a long time, heh), as lyrics were being written, the the song revealed itself and we had to totally abandon our comfort zones to create a sonic world that serviced the story. 

What came first in this instance - the lyrics or the music? And is that how you write generally? We usually write music and lyrics at the same time. In this case, once we had our chorus lyrics, we were able to go back and re-write the rest of the track.  

Has the song changed by playing it live, or do you still perform it pretty much the way it was originally written? It's pretty much the same except that drummer Adam [Weston] plays something that sounds like the Guns N' Roses Paradise City beat at the start. Love it!

If not you, who would you like to see win the Song Of The Year award and why? Tame Impala for Let It Happen. Because it's a fucking sick tune. 

Website link for more info: www.birdsoftokyo.com