The rise of West Australian indie outfit South Summit has been difficult to ignore over the last few years. Bursting onto the scene in 2021, The group’s emergence out of the West Coast breathed fresh air into the Australian indie circuit.
Offering unique perspectives and observations on life, South Summit represents an exciting shift in Australian songwriting. In 2024, the band have arrived at an important juncture with the arrival of their debut album ‘The Bliss’; 12 tracks of Reggae-infused indie rock that perfectly encapsulates the band’s wide-ranging influences and air-tight song writing abilities.
With ‘The Bliss’ being South Summit’s first studio record, the impact of this album as being a statement of intent from the group was not lost on the band. From album opener ‘Take Me Down’, to the pop-flecked standout ‘Catacombs’ and decadent moments of pure jamming in ’Holy Cascade’ & ‘We Are Lions’, this is an album that is unafraid to level up and take South Summit outside their comfort zone.
The focus track for the album ‘Exceptional’ is one of many standouts on the album – blending genres perfectly as the band continue to expand their sonic palette.
“A massive inspiration for this chorus was Outkast, the little twang they use. They were a massive inspiration for this song and when we went into the studio, we had that in mind; experimenting with different things. They experimented so much with a lot of their tunes too, so we took that when we went into this. Josh and I made the first recording, the demo; it was cool to dive into different inspirations and then different characters for this song. It was cool.” SOUTH SUMMIT
The intricacies found in their lyricism chart their journey as a young group in Perth, experiencing a whirlwind career rise over the course of three years. It has taken South Summit on multiple laps of Australia, as well as to New Zealand for the first time; yet their core ethos and messaging has never changed. Stories that come from the heart, that aren’t afraid to show vulnerability, ‘The Bliss’ is the perfect culmination of the ride to date.
“Being our first album and putting everything on the table, the meaning behind The Bliss…it’s the diamond in the rough, It’s a story narrating how far we have come; we’re trying to bring that to the table and show everyone our musicianship, while having fun with it.”
NEMO REUBEN, SOUTH SUMMIT
The album was recorded at Perth’s Blackbird Sound Studio, with producer Dave Parkin (Spacey Jane) and mastering engineer Brian Lucey (Post Malone, The Black Keys). Unsurprisingly, the production on the album is incredibly slick – capturing the dynamic energy and musical synergy of the band flawlessly.
“We’ve been collaborating with Dave since the early days of our careers, starting all the way back with River days (2021), and consider him the 6th member of the band. His input starts early on from the demo stages, through to the final product, helping shape and evolve our sound to what you hear on the album” JOSH TRINDALL, SOUTH SUMMIT
South Summit have become a mainstay on the Australian live circuit in recent years; completing their triple j-backed debut national tour at the tail-end of 2023; establishing themselves as festival favourites with appearances at Falls Festival, Groovin The Moo, Party In The Paddock, SXSW Sydney and Out Of the Woods Festival; and hitting the road on tour with the likes of Coterie, Beddy Rays, and recently tour with the Cat Empire across Europe.
The engaging nature of South Summit’s music has earned them industry, media and radio acclaim, with triple j and Triple J Unearthed coming on as early champions of the group, nominating South Summit as Unearthed Artist Of The Year at the 2023 J Awards.The band have since hit rotation on the national youth broadcaster on multiple occasions, with an add for ‘Sidelines’ in 2023, as well as ‘The Bliss’ singles ‘Givin’ It Up‘ & ‘Ottoway’.
To celebrate the release of ‘The Bliss’, the band have an Australian and New Zealand headline tour set for February; hitting stages in Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth
“We’re super excited for our AUS/NZ Album Tour next February/March! These are by far the biggest headline shows we’ve ever played, and we can’t wait to get out there and see everyone again. These shows feel a little extra special though, it’s been a while since we’ve toured the whole country, and showcasing our debut album is something we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. We’ve got a brand new live show for you guys, and plenty more treats for ya! See you guys on the road.” SOUTH SUMMIT’
SOUTH SUMMIT TOUR DATES
Friday 14th February San Fran Wellington, NZ
Saturday 15th February Double Whammy Auckland, NZ
Sunday 16th February Loons Christchurch, NZ
Friday 21st February Brightside Brisbane, QLD
Saturday 22nd February Oxford Art Factory Sydney, NSW
Sunday 23rd February Over The Ditch Festival Newcastle, NSW
Friday 28th February Corner Hotel Richmond, VIC
Saturday 1st March Jive Bar Adelaide, SA
Saturday 8th March The Rechabite Perth, WA