"I love walking through that door. I like getting the train to Redfern Station and strolling down to fbi and pushing that buzzer, which I have done thousands of times."
Stuart Coupe breathes music. His lungs broaden with his scope in musical knowledge and wisdom. Years of this musical breathwork has led to his career as a music journalist, radio presenter, author, publicist, manager, record label director, tour promoter and editor. Stuart exhales and his opinions and ideas and care for the so-called Australian music scene bloom. His support, over the course of close to 20 years, will never be unnoticed.
Without him laying the foreground, beginning in 2003 at fbi.radio’s inception, there wouldn't be a place for music and creativity to thrive. He is an exuberant force and an inquisitive soul whose interactions have only been met with warmth.
My first interaction with Stuart Coupe was one of my first few months at the reception desk at fbi.radio in 2022. I remember chatting with him about the music he played and him asking me about the music I listened to. When he wasn't aware of an artist I mentioned he asked me to share them with him. I was humbled and overjoyed at Stuart's curiosity. A brief moment that embalmed his character as someone that still cares for music, arts and culture. Ever-fluid in his curiosity and endlessly excited about what exists outside of the scope of his personal taste.
Without people like Stuart, fbi.radio would be desolate. There would be no 24/7 radio broadcasting. There would be no tastemaking and there would be no community. We need your support to keep this station a hive of independent artistic vibrancy.
In a conversation on a Monday morning, we sat down to chat to Stuart about his ever-growing relationship with fbi.radio. How he has shaped the station and how the station has shaped him, the music industry more broadly and what it means to support fbi.radio.
fbi.radio Incredibly blunt question but… who are you Stuart?
Stuart Coupe I’m a presenter of Wild Card on Tuesday’s at midday. I’ve been at fbi for 23 (yikes!) years now. I also work as an indie artist publicist and write books. My previous shows were Lyricism, and then I hosted Out Of The Box before presenting Tune Up for 12 years.
fbi.radio You’re a writer too! What did you just finish reading?
Stuart Coupe Ablutions by an author whose name is completely escaping me. But it's the best book I've ever read about alcoholism and bars and personal disintegration. I read all the time because I don't watch television unless the Sydney Swans are playing. Then I watch television.
fbi.radio So you were originally doing Lyricism and then Out Of The Box, Tune Up and now Wild Card. What keeps you coming back every week and how do you keep things feeling fresh?
Stuart Coupe I love walking through that door. I like getting the train to Redfern Station and strolling down to fbi and pushing that buzzer, which I have done thousands of times. I consider having a radio show an absolute privilege and I'm humbled to have the opportunity to come in every week, be part of the fbi community. But also, you know, it is an honour to have the opportunity to play music and chat with your listener.
What keeps it fresh? I mean, I listen to fbi.radio and I get turned on to a whole bunch of music that I would not have heard otherwise.
I listen constantly – to both new and older music. If you start losing your passion for music it’ll be obvious on air in the way you present your show so I hope that I’m still sounding like a crazily enthusiastic 14 year old – even though I’m just a little older than that now!
As I'm constantly saying to people, there are more great songs and records being released in 2026, and possibly at any other time in history. You know, it continues to be an incredibly exciting time to be a fan of music. And fundamentally, I guess that's what drives me through the streets of Redfern into fbi every week.
In one sentence or less… It’s just a complete love of music and sharing my love of music and my passion for music with other people. Plus, I like everyone at fbi.
fbi.radio How has our station changed in the past twenty three years?
Stuart Coupe Look, in some ways we haven't. Obviously, you know, different presenters, different voices. I think we've learned more about what we're doing and what our role is in Sydney and in Australian music. We've sort of refined that. We have a very different approach to play-listing and presenting. So that’s sort of some of the changes…
But in some ways it's maybe a little less anarchic and it's a little bit more structured and planned than it was way back in the midst of time in 2003. That's when we started a long time ago.
fbi.radio There’s a lot of talk about the music industry getting worse and harder over time. What’s the most positive change you’ve seen since you started your career in music journalism and management?
Stuart Coupe It is hard – but I think it always has been hard. And despite that, the quality of music both from Australia and overseas continues to be incredible. Good things? The digital world makes it so much easier for artists to get their music out globally as well as streaming or on-demand radio. I totally love that I hear from people around the world who are tuning into fbi. It’s the best!
fbi.radio Do you have any advice for sustaining a long career in music?
Make sure you totally love what you do and that it’s creatively and emotionally fulfilling for you. If that’s the case then anything else that happens is a bonus. Don’t be motivated by dreams of money and fame – that may happen, it may not – but if you personally feel satisfied that you’re expressing yourself then there’s no reason why you can’t keep doing that for a very long time!
fbi.radio Who or what in Australian music is inspiring for you?
Stuart Coupe Well, you need to listen to Wild Card every Tuesday because that's where I play all the jewels that I've been listening to that I really, really like. I hear new things every single day that blow my mind… but what do I like a lot? I mean, I'm really, um, excited by the ongoing number of incredible women songwriters and singers in this country. Grace Cummings, Courtney Barnett, Julia Jacklin, Carla Geneve, and I totally dig the instrumental grooves scene that’s largely coming out of Melbourne - The Seven Ups, Karate Boogaloo, Surprise Chef, Bananagum etc.
But you know, I'm constantly hearing things. If you ask me that question in five minutes time. And you can, if you want, I will come up with another bunch of names of things that I'm excited about.
Every Wild Card on fbi will feature 4/5 new Australian artists that maybe I didn’t know existed a week before and that I totally love!
fbi.radio What's one thing you don't think the listeners know about fbi’s contribution to the community?
Stuart Coupe I don't know if it's actually the answer to your question, but it's going to be really fantastic. One of the things that maybe people don't fully recognise is how passionately committed to music, particularly new music everyone who volunteers (and I use the word deliberately volunteers) at fbi is.
In this world that we exist in at the moment, where there are tens of thousands of songs literally released every day, the people that present shows at fbi spend an enormous amount of time when they're not on the air curating that music. They’re listening to music, working out what is what they want to share with the fbi listener, researching the music… start to absolute finish.
And that's something that quite often is not recognised. That there's a lot of behind the scenes work, and you'd only do that if you're a complete obsessive music nerd. And that's what pretty much everyone at fbi is. And that's why I love turning up every week. We talk about music and we share music.
fbi.radio Why should the listener support fbi.radio?
Stuart Coupe So that we can continue to be fbi.radio. If you love fbi.radio, if you listen to fbi.radio, you subscribe to a whole bunch of other things that require subscriptions, and the content is taken away from you if you don't subscribe. We don't do that at fbi. We keep broadcasting 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
And if you don't support us, well, we're not going to cut you off. But it ain't cheap. It costs money to keep fbi broadcasting every day. So any little contribution that you can make to our longevity, we're going to love you for it big time.
fbi.radio is the backbone of Sydney's underground culture. From music and art, fashion to politics. fbi.radio proudly promotes our local voice.
So, if you're glad you have a community to tap into at any time of the day... We're asking you to back the station that backs the scene, and support fbi.radio today.
Words by badbitchbenny and Louisa Christie