The West Coast Eagles took another significant step forward in its brand evolution by today releasing a re-worked version of the club song.
After launching a new logo and reverting back to traditional club colours in late 2017, moving into a new playing base at Optus Stadium in 2018 and then relocating to its new training and administration base at Mineral Resources Park last year, the revamped song is another key piece of the club’s identity.
Based on feedback from its loyal member and fan base, the club has reviewed the club song and invited gifted WA musicians Ian Kenny and Ian Berney to apply their significant talents to the task under the direction of experienced brand and strategy consultant Stephen Wells.
West Coast Eagles Chief Executive Officer Trevor Nisbett said it was the appropriate time to review the club song.
“The song has been with us for 33 years and there has been a couple of iterations, but it’s just the right time,” he said. “We’ve moved to a new stadium, we have moved to new premises and we just thought it was important to get the song looked at.
“The player feedback has been very strong to try something different. As much as it’s a bit of the same, it is a different feel and it’s quite creative and we’re really pleased with it.”
The club’s reworked song is written, composed and produced by Ian Berney, with Ian Kenny, lead singer from popular Australian bands Birds of Tokyo and Karnivool, delivering the lyrics.
Ian Berney is best known as the bass player of multi-platinum and ARIA award winning Australian band Birds of Tokyo. Born and raised in Perth, he has been an Eagles fan from childhood. This project has combined two of his biggest passions.
With one of the most recognisable voices in Australian music, Ian Kenny fronts both Birds of Tokyo and Karnivool. Kenny has written and sung on 12 platinum-selling singles and four platinum- selling records. After years abroad, Kenny now resides in his home city of Perth and is honoured to be singing his team's theme song.
The musical composition features a captivating didgeridoo and clapsticks intro designed to recognise the club’s proud indigenous heritage and build deep indigenous meaning to our brand.
The use of the didgeridoo and clapsticks is a first for any AFL club. The didgeridoo instrumental recording of the song was performed by highly-regarded indigenous musician Matthew Doyle.
The re-worked version of the song will debut at the club’s historic AFLW game against Collingwood at Victoria Park when the women’s team steps out for the first time on Sunday, February 9.
Key points - club song
- Emanating from a review of our brand in 2017 (including the launch of the new logo and colours), playing at a new home venue in 2018 and then re-locating to our new home at Mineral Resources Park in 2019: the time was right to review the club song.
- A large number of members and fans have indicated in surveys that they felt the club should review the song, asking for something more “catchy” to which they can sing along.
- The lyrics of the current chorus - which are well known, much loved and respected as part of our history - have not changed.
- The club approached highly successful local musicians Ian Kenny and Ian Berney, passionate supporters of the club, to re-work the song to better tell the story of the essence of the West Coast Eagles.
- The club’s reworked song is written, composed and produced by Ian Berney, with Ian Kenny, lead singer from popular Australian bands Birds of Tokyo and Karnivool, delivering the vocals.
- Ian Berney is best known as the bass player of multi-platinum and ARIA award winning Australian band Birds of Tokyo. Born and raised in Perth, he has a strong connection to the West Coast way of life, in which sport plays an intrinsic part. An Eagles fan from childhood, the song brings together two of his biggest passions to create this new body of work has been a once-in-a-lifetime project.
- The West Coast Eagles players embraced stage one of this process with the introduction of the chant leading into the club song performed after winning games in 2019. That will continue through 2020 and beyond.
- The song will be played as the team enters the field during the 2020 season and after each victory.
- Its first match day exposure will come when the club’s AFLW team makes its debut against Collingwood at Victoria Park on February 9.
