South Summit have been on a quick rise to stardom in Australia over the past few years, becoming one of Western Australia’s most hyped bands in the process.
The J Award-nominated band have also become well-known for their high-energy live shows, performing at festivals like Groovin in the Moo and Falls Festival and travelling on the road with COTERIE and more.
Last year saw South Summit release their Tales of the Yeti EP, which featured breezy standout track “Just Like You”, named a ‘Song You Need to Know’ by Rolling Stone AU/NZ.
And the WA outfit have kept the momentum going in 2024 in impressive fashion.
Their first single of the year, “Givin’ It Up”, was followed by “Ottoway”, a soaring, sun-kissed anthem that explored themes of acceptance and pride.
“’Ottoway’ is essentially a ‘utopia’. Looking from the outside in you see the foundations of a city, but the closer you get, the more you realise how imperfect it is and the flaws become clearer. In saying this, it is a place we call home and no one can change that,” they said about the single.
They also embarked on a national Australian tour in May, which included the career milestone of a performance at the iconic Sydney Opera House.
South Summit are also a proud Indigenous band, whose songs including “River Days” haven’t shied away from touching on important issues in Indigenous communities.
“We want to be those role models that if you want to do music and the arts – anything really – you should be able to do what you want,” the indie rock band previously told triple j. “We want to do more work in Indigenous communities as a band. We’ve got a good platform here… pushing that out in the music and sharing a broader positive message.”
To mark NAIDOC Week 2024, whose theme this year is “Keep the fire burning! Blak, loud and proud,” we asked South Summit to discuss some of their favourite Indigenous Australian artists right now.
South Summit’s “Ottoway” is out now.
Jem Cassar-Daley
Jem Cassar-Daley has an absolutely beautiful voice and we’re huge fans of her songwriting. Among her many brilliant tracks, “King of Disappointment” stands out as our favorite. We’re close friends with her brother Clay from Murri radio, although we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her yet. A collab with Jem in the future would be awesome.
Beddy Rays
Beddy Rays are killing it right now in the Aussie music scene. Had the privilege of touring Australia with the lads last year, was a great run of shows. We love their most recent track “Hold On”, it’s a great tune that gets us pumped up! Love the boys, keen for more shows together in the future.
3%
We love the guys at 3%. We’ve been good mate with Nooky for years, and both Trindall and Nooky hail from Nowra. Their unique blend of culture with music resonates with us. Our current favourite track of theirs is “Won’t Stop” with Jessica Mauboy – a groovy number. Would love to do a collab with these mob in the future!
Budjerah
I (Fynn) started listening to Budjerah when he followed us on insta the same day we got our song on triple j for the first time. I was bopping around uni to “Higher” on that adrenaline high, and i just got hooked on his R&B/Soulful sound and crazy good voice. I’ve been listening and keeping up with his releases ever since. My personal favourites from him are “Talk” (ft. MAY-A), “‘Ready for the Sky”, and “Higher” of course. I definitely highly suggest you give him a listen.
King Stingray
We’ve had the privilege of sharing the stage with the lads a few times at a few festivals. Great vibes and great people. Hailing from the Northern Territory, their songs tell a story and take you on a journey. As a Pilbara boy myself (Nemo), it resonates with me. A few of my favourite songs are “Get Me Out”, “Camp Dog”, “Through the Trees”, and their latest release “Best Bits”. Highly recommend giving the lads a listen.
