South Summit have arrived and intend to stay.
A year on from the release of The Bliss, South Summit are moving onwards and upwards. The Perth five-piece have spent the past twelve months on the road, in the studio, and quietly shaping the foundations of what’s clearly their next era. one defined by bolder production, even tighter live sets, and a deeper understanding of who they are as a band.
Recent singles ‘TOP OF THE HILL’ and ‘WE ARE’ mark two sides of that evolution. Where ‘TOP OF THE HILL’ leans into warmth, self-acceptance and emotional openness, ‘WE ARE’ arrives with grit and intent, a production-heavy, beat-driven track that channels unity, self-belief, and collective strength. Together, they reflect a band unafraid to experiment while staying grounded in the values that brought them together in the first place.
We caught up with South Summit to reflect on the past year, the lessons learned on the road, and what lies ahead.
Photo Credit: BRENDAN CECICH
TEMPER: It’s been a year since The Bliss was release and it has been an incredibly busy 2025, tell us a little about how the band has grown since we caught up last?
South Summit: Coming off a huge tour early this year for The Bliss, we’ve been recording some new music. Our latest singles TOP OF THE HILL & WE ARE have been getting heaps of love, we’re just keen to show the people what else we’ve been working on.
T: ‘TOP OF THE HILL’ has already smashed streaming records. What inspired this track?
S: Sitting around at home with a few acoustics, the idea of self acceptance and being loved for who you are was a topic Zaya thought was suitable for this track. Everything came about pretty quickly after that where we then later took this idea and worked on it with Marlon from Six60.
T: How has your approach to writing and recording evolved over the past year?
S: Our approach to writing and recording music hasn’t changed much, we’re still writing when on the road and recording when at home. Being on tour a lot we definitely learn new things and experience new things so that helps a lot when writing new music. We’re just keen to show everyone what we’ve been doing.
T: Your live shows are legendary. Melbourne crowds in particular have a reputation for a lack of dancing and singing. How did you find the reception from fans at your recent Melbourne and Sydney headline shows?
S: We’ve been so grateful to see that the energy the people give back to us at our shows, has just been getting higher and higher. For these last couple headline shows especially, we hunkered down in the studio over a few days, just to build a standout show for the people coming down to see us. And it was so validating to see that energy reciprocated, and also the effort appreciated. Already keen to come back.
T: Are there any on-stage moments from the past year that really stuck with you?Playing at the Enmore Theatre for the first time was definitely a moment that’s stuck with us. It’s always been a dream venue for us to play, and we’ve been lucky enough to play it twice this year. It was a massive show and a special moment.
T: How has working together as a five-piece changed since last year?
S: It hasn’t really changed too much! What we do and how we work together hasn’t really changed since we started the band, we still like to keep it pretty relaxed, trying not to take life too seriously. In saying that, we have been touring a lot this year so that’s made us more used to the touring lifestyle and how fast paced the industry is. We absolutely love being on the road, but it’s important to have some time off after!
T: What lessons from the past 12 months have influenced your music or performances?
S: Lessons that have influenced us are definitely choosing what songs will work best for our live sets. We’ve got so many songs in the catalog since releasing our debut album The Bliss and we can only fit a handful of songs in the set list. It’s a good headache to have and we've definitely found the right formula. The influence comes from watching other artists live and seeing how they put their sets together
T: Looking ahead to 2026, what’s next for South Summit, new music, collaborations, or other projects?
S: 2026 is gonna be a big year for us. We’ve recently just finished our second album, with new music around the corner and starting the year off with supporting Tash sultana in Europe. Super keen to get into it and very keen to show you guys what we’ve been cooking!