Photo by: Andrew Briggs
The trajectory of success and profile Perth’s South Summit have been enjoying over the past two years has made them one of Australia’s most exciting new bands.
Their fusion of indie and rock sounds, woven together with a culturally rich and diverse bed of influences, has forged a naturally dynamic set of performers out of the five-piece. Three successful EP releases to their name – first with Merlin’s in 2021, followed by Creatures and Tales Of The Yeti in 2023 – are testament to South Summit’s consistency as songwriters and musicians. Moreover, they demonstrate the band’s hunger to be chasing new horizons, pushing themselves to elevate with each record released.
For right now though, South Summit chose to drop something a little different on their fans and community: a documentary that provides further insight into their life and behind the scenes craziness, Climbing The Summit. Building on the strong love for music and connection to community that South Summit established early in their journey, Climbing The Summit captures the band at a particular creative career peak, inviting fans to take a look at life at the center of the chaos.
Filmed between Sydney and Melbourne during a period of down time South Summit had while on tour with Beddy Rays, Climbing The Summit was directed by Elliott Brown, and produced by Vincent Trease. The documentary serves as a perfect time capsule of South Summit: a young band doing what they do best, and rightfully reaping the rewards of their hard work.
“The band were a pleasure to work with. It’s been such a great experience creatively and we got to witness South Summit at a pivotal time in their career as musicians. In such a time of division the message of unity that runs through this doco is in my eyes a great example of reconciliation.”
VINCENT TREASE, PRODUCER
“I wanted to capture the way that music brings people together, and show that it doesn’t matter where you come from or what you believe in, it’s all about just playing some tunes and having a good time. …I firmly believe that South Summit will one day stand among the greatest Australian artists. I aimed to capture their beginnings, a moment I hope people will look back on in the future.”
ELLIOTT BROWN, DIRECTOR
For South Summit, completing the Climbing The Summit project has put a nice cap on what has been a life-changing chapter of their lives as individuals and as a group of friends embarking on this wild ride together.
With a tour of Australia and New Zealand in support of Tales Of The Yeti still to come this summer, Climbing The Summit is a reminder of the power in their messages, and the fun that comes with a South Summit live experience.
“This documentary gives us an opportunity to tell our stories, share our messages, and showcase what we do behind the scenes on this crazy journey. We feel like this documentary lets people understand our journey with music, and what we want to be known for. We represent proud cultures throughout the band, but this is not the reason why we are here today. We are here for the love of music. The process was made super cruisy for us by the two guys who made it all happen. Big shoutout to Vince and Elliott for having the vision for the doco and all their hard work to make it happen!”
NATHAN OSBOURNE, SOUTH SUMMIT
To date, South Summit have accrued over 2 million streams across platforms, as well as widespread industry acclaim for their steadily growing body of work. Named as “ones to watch” by triple j in 2022, as well as “indie role models for reconciliation”, South Summit were quick to cement their reputation as a formidable champion of Australian rock music, off the back of multiple sold out shows on the West Coast, and an impressive entry to the East Coast and national festival circuit, performing at the likes of Falls Festival, BIGSOUND, NYE on the Hill, Springtime Festival and more.
Along with music, South Summit remain dedicated to the empowerment of First Nations peoples and communities, dedicating efforts to community outreach, including visits to schools, prisons and youth detention centres during NAIDOC Week; their music and activism work remaining intertwined in a natural way.
SOUTH SUMMIT ‘RUNNING FROM THE YETI’ TOUR
Thurs Nov 2nd La La La’s Wollongong, NSW
Fri Nov 3rd The Lansdowne Sydney, NSW
Sat Nov 4th Howler Melbourne, VIC
Fri, Nov 10th The Brightside Brisbane, QLD
Sat Nov 11th The Northern Byron Bay, NSW
Fri Nov 17th Whammy Bar Auckland, NZ
Sat Nov 18th The Loons Christchurch, NZ
Sun Nov 19th Meow Wellington, NZ
Fri Nov 24th The Rosemount Perth, WA
SXSW SYDNEY
Oct 15th – 22nd SXSW Sydney, NSW
PRAISE FOR SOUTH SUMMIT
“They could be Perth’s next breakout band, but South Summit are just as interested in becoming role models and giving back to the community as crafting heartfelt indie rock anthems. South Summit only have a handful of tunes to their name but nearly all of them pop with the confidence of a band much further into their career.
Triple j
“The band mixes timeless psych influences with a dusty mysticism, like each electric lick is a chance to escape being young and big for your boots in isolated WA. It’s still early days for South Summit but there’s so much promise of what’s to come with this band. Imagine a dark and brooding Ocean Alley cut and you’ve got the vibe of their new one ‘River Days’. It’s dreamy, soaring coastal indie with big guitars and swelling vocals”
Triple J Unearthed
“They’ve become ingrained within live music spaces in such a short time that it feels like they’ve always been there; their heartfelt indie-rock being an easy fit into the growing next generation emerging from Western Australia.”
Pilerats
“The chorus for Tired of Waiting just soars! A huge moment for South Summit”
Triple J, Nick Findlay
“Epic track right here – it’s got a little bit of everything! Gentle folk harmonies, yearning blues and then a swirling dubby climax. These competing parts of South Summit could seemingly overpower the track but this band nail the mix.”
Triple J, Dave Ruby Howe
“There is something special about this up and coming five-piece. With infectious energy, huge melodies, and an enigmatic frontman showcasing beautiful, honest storytelling, you might think it would be easy to get lost in the South Summit mix – but it’s the way the band manage to masterfully balance every element, constructing a sound that is both familiar and uniquely their own, that showcases the band’s true promise.”
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