Bindi Mutiara used to sit in her bedroom listening to FBi Radio, dreaming of having a place in Sydney’s alternative music scene. Then a push from a friend gave her the courage to sign up for a free presenter training course at the station – she’s been on air ever since.
“I remember being in this existential period of my life in high school, not knowing what the heck I wanted to do. So I applied. I remember sitting in that interview space, and it felt so surreal to be part of this community that I had admired for so long,” Mutiara says.
For countless creatives in Sydney their journey is identical. There is life before FBi, and life after.
The independent Redfern radio station – which Mutiara calls “a beautiful community of nerds” – has become an incubator for countless musicians, DJs, presenters and journalists who have gone on to shape Australia’s media and entertainment landscape since the station went live in 2003.