South Summit: "We Wanted the Album to Feel More Alive"

Following the runaway success of their debut album The Bliss, which landed at No.2 on the ARIA Albums Chart, Perth five-piece South Summit are back with their highly anticipated second record, Run It Back. Released alongside the expansive new focus track "New World," the album captures a band embracing change, drawing inspiration from life on the road and the chemistry that's made them one of Australia's most exciting live acts.

Written between relentless touring schedules and recorded with longtime collaborator Dave Parkin, Run It Back sees South Summit trading meticulous studio construction for something far more instinctive—capturing the energy of five musicians playing together in the room. The result is a warmer, more immediate collection of songs that explores growth, relationships and finding your place in an ever-changing world.

Ahead of the album's release and a major UK and European headline tour, we caught up with the band to discuss following up The Bliss, how touring reshaped their songwriting, and why Run It Back feels like the beginning of a bold new chapter.

Your debut album The Bliss arrived to huge success, debuting at #2 on the ARIA Albums Chart. When it came to making Run It Back, did you feel any pressure to follow that up, or were you able to approach the new record with a clean slate?

There was definitely some pressure knowing how well The Bliss was received, but we tried not to let that influence the way we made RUN IT BACK. We’ve always been focused on writing music that feels honest and pushes boundaries sonically. With RUN IT BACK, we wanted to approach it with a new mindset, experiment a little more and create something that felt like the next chapter rather than trying to recreate what we’d already done.

You’ve said touring had a major influence on the writing process for this album. How did spending time in different countries and playing to new audiences shape the themes and sound of Run It Back?

Touring definitely changed the way we approached making this album. Being able to experience different places, cultures and people opened our minds creatively and gave us a lot of new perspectives to draw from. The Bliss was the buildup of years of preparation, some of the songs on RUN IT BACK were too, but for the most part they represent where we were when we were writing them.

A key part of Run It Back was prioritising performance and capturing the feeling of playing together in a room. How did that approach differ from your debut album, and what did it bring out in the songs?

With The Bliss, we were really focused on finding our sound and building the foundation of who we are as a band. For Run It Back, we had a better understanding of ourselves and wanted to capture more of the energy and connection that comes from playing together live. A lot of the energy from our live shows comes from those moments where everyone is locked in together, and we wanted the album to carry that same feeling. It made the record feel more alive and true to who we are as a band.

The album explores themes of distance, relationships and life on the road. Looking back on the last few years, what have been the biggest personal and creative lessons you've learned from spending so much time away from home?

We have spent so much time on the road over the past few years! Being away from home has taught us a lot about ourselves, both individually and as a band. You learn to appreciate the people and places that mean the most to you. The biggest lesson has probably been learning to embrace the journey. The highs, the lows and everything in between all become part of the story and those experiences have shaped the music we’re making now.