Meet the band forging their own path

From live recording to starting their own festival, Perth band Free Aviary are doing things their own way.

The indie rock band took inspiration from the music of yesteryear when it came to recording their latest single Hold My Mind, flying to Sydney's Hercules Street Studios to record live-tracked instruments onto two-inch tape, sans metronome.

‘A lot of older recordings weren’t actually played to a click track, so the tempo could naturally speed up and slow down throughout a song. This imperfection makes it feel human and almost like a song is breathing,' the band said in a recent video.

‘Bands would often record live together in the same room with no overdubs and no fixing every little mistake. You can actually hear the musicians reacting to each other in older songs,' they said.

‘I honestly think this is why older music has become so popular again. With AI and technology making music more perfect than ever, maybe we are just yearning for that authenticity.’

In addition to authenticity, the band are also full of ambition, with plans for a full-scale music festival in the works.

Following the announcement that Laneway Festival won't be visiting Perth next year, the band decided to take matters into their own hands, conceptualising an alternative event showcasing the best of WA music.

‘Big festivals have stopped coming to Perth,’ the band said. 'We're doing this to celebrate WA music, bring people together, and just show Australia how good the WA music scene is.'

WA music fans rallied behind the idea, with more than 1500 people pledging to buy tickets.

The inaugural Liftoff Festival is now scheduled to take place at the The Ice Cream Factory on February 20, 2027.

Follow the festival's Instagram account for updates.