If you’re just now learning of emerging Perth indie pop band Birdland, it was likely a matter of time before your social media algorithm or school-aged children filled you in.
Comprising 17-year-old triplets Francis Cvitan (lead vocals and guitar), Oscar (backing vocals and bass), and Conrad (drums), the Mt Lawley Senior High School (MLSHS) Year 12 students form one of the most exciting and commercially viable prospects to come out of Western Australia in some time.
Fuelled by a devoted community of teen superfans and listeners across the world, Birdland have already amassed upwards of 1.2 million streams, half a million combined followers on social media, and multiple national plays on Triple J.
The band continued their noticeable rise in 2025 by supporting established acts in Ocean Alley and The Rions this year — performing to heaving crowds at all-ages events such as HyperFest and Prodigy Fest.
Next month they’ll embark on their greatest journey yet — a maiden national tour performing hits Maybe Lately and Middle Ground from their debut EP, He Was Me, and becoming “the first triplets to tour Australia”.
Behind the EP
With so much buzz around the Cvitan brothers, they invited The West Australian into their home to discuss how a shared battle with identity, a love of performing, and journey through their teenage years shaped their EP.
“Our song Middle Ground, I love seeing comments from people who say, ‘This song helped me through my breakup’ or ‘This song helped me through my exams’, and to be able to deliver to people who felt that in real life and have that reach is so meaningful,” Francis said.
“Songs written in bedrooms, by ourselves, some we didn’t expect to bring to the band — now suddenly we’re going to hear people sing them back to us.”
Balancing School and Stardom
Kids on the cusp of music stardom could be forgiven for slacking off in class, but they say their studies and exams remain a genuine focus.
While a US and Europe tour will surely come knocking if it isn’t in the works, the students’ Aussie jaunt allows them not to miss a day of school as they’ve aligned it perfectly with the winter term break.
“All three of us do ATAR at school, so we have to balance doing schoolwork, homework assignments, and also music, but I think we’re doing a pretty good job at it,” Oscar said.
Beyond classes and friendships groups, which they share to various degrees, school has always been a pivotal place in Birdland’s journey.
The brothers joke “most” teachers can comfortably tell them apart, and with their rising fame, occasionally hear chants of “Birdland Birdland” when they pass kids in lower years.
Their mother Michelle is the head of performing arts at MLSHS and a cellist who encouraged her kids to pick up instruments at an early age. Their father Justin, a lawyer, is proud of their achievements and their No.1 fan who publicly displays his custom Birdland merch.
Early Beginnings
Year Five was the first time the brothers came together as a band under encouragement from Francis. And despite him taking a natural lead as primary vocalist, his brothers are quick to remind him “there is no frontman to this band.”
As they built confidence performing through their early teen years, the brothers began entering Battle of the Bands competitions — winning on their second attempt — and motivating them to pursue music further.
Soon they were crafting viral covers of global artists like Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You, or Prince’s Purple Rain, recording them within the world-class acoustics of their family bathroom.
They credit experienced recording engineer Troy Nababan for helping them to hone their band craft as far back as 2018, with many songs perfected in their band room at home.
Often recognised as the “Rocker on the Roof” of Optus Stadium who plays guitar at Dockers home games, Nababan is the triplets’ tutor and mentor who’s produced some of their original tracks.
He believes the brothers’ ability to tell authentic stories through music, and not simply jump on trends or capitalise on their ‘triplet’ appeal, is why they’ve continued to grow as a band.
“They’re great songwriters, they’re great players, they’ve got their head screwed on. So I think it’s really up to them as to what they do next,” he said.
Nababan feels Birdland’s rise has spurred from each individual member “wanting to be good”, along with a work ethic such a career requires.
Sibling Dynamics
Their music process is often derailed by a “stubbornness” inherent in sibling relationships, but it rarely persists.
“If someone has an idea, if we don’t like the idea, we’re not gonna say, ‘Yeah it’s okay’ and develop a song that none of us like,” Conrad said.
“We’re not going to sugarcoat it and then be upset. I mean sometimes I’m upset when my ideas are told they’re bad, but because we’re brothers, I’m like, ‘Okay, they’re being truthful, if I hate them now I’m not going to hate them in an hour because we’re just brothers’,” Francis added.
The title track He Was Me, written when they were in Year 10, explores the mutual feeling of wanting to shake the triplet tag and find their own individual voice.
“There’s a lyric and it’s saying ‘cut my hair, change my style, make sure he’s unrecognisable’. That’s how I wanted to be completely different from us,” Francis revealed.
“I started going to op shops and I pierced my ear – as you see I’m the only one with pierced ears.”
Oscar put those thoughts to paper even earlier, but admits all three have matured past them.
“I was reading through my Year 7, 8 and a bit of 9 diary the other night, just reflective, and read passages that were like, ’I hate being a triplet, I wish I could just be my own person’,” he said.
“And I think back now, I can’t believe I would think that but I can see why I thought that because it was a part of finding who I am, going through the stage where I thought I wanted something different until I realised that I actually like what I have.”
Inspirations and Future Dreams
Twin musical siblings who might relate include Good Charlotte’s Benji and Joel Madden, Robin and Maurice Gibb of The Bee Gees, and The Veronicas’ Jessica and Lisa Origliasso.
The band say they take inspiration from local exports Coterie — a band of four brothers — as well as Grammy-winning talent Kevin Parker of Tame Impala, and rising indie rock and reggae outfit South Summit.
With their 18th birthday just days away on June 21, the birds of a feather are dreaming far bigger than the all-ages Perth venues they’ve grown accustomed to playing. That is, once they conquer Sydney and Melbourne.
“Once we’re 18, a whole world of new gigs is going to be opened up to us,” Francis said.
“My dream would be reaching summer time and just going on a festival run, doing all of the Laneway shows and Spilt Milk, and I think it’s cool seeing Australian bands headline Australian festivals,” Conrad declared.
“I don’t want to sound too generic, but I would love to headline Coachella,” Oscar added.
Birdland will perform at Fremantle’s Wyola on July 5, before shows in Sydney, Melbourne, and a final performance at Perth’s The Y HQ on July 18.
