Perth five-piece South Summit chart two years of growth and change on their genre-blending second album ‘Run It Back’
South Summit have spent the last two years in motion, and Run It Back is the sound of a band finally stopping to look at how far they have traveled. Released June 12 via GYRO, the second album from the West Australian five-piece dives deeply into distance, relationships, self-discovery, and the realities of constant movement, both physical and emotional. It is a record about a life lived on the road, and it doubles as a quiet reckoning with everything that kind of momentum leaves behind.
The album moves the way a good journey does, shifting scenery without ever losing the thread. From the reflective sonics of standout production “New World,” which finds beauty in uncertainty, to the warm, sultry instrumentals and groove-laden delivery of “On The Dash,” the emotions travel from intimate and poignant to anthemic and catchy. That range is the point. South Summit have always been a band that refuses to sit in one lane, and Run It Back showcases their ability to be diverse and cohesive at once.
A Band Built on Chemistry
That cohesion is not an accident. South Summit came together in Perth in 2020 after a chance meeting at a backyard party, five musicians bonding over wildly different tastes, and it reportedly took some convincing to get everyone on board. The gamble paid off. Fronted by Isaiah ‘Zaya’ Reuben, alongside Nehemiah Reuben, Nathan Osborne, Fynn Samorali, and Josh Trindall, the band folds indie rock, reggae, and hip-hop into a genre-defying blend that mirrors its members’ backgrounds, a mix of Kamilaroi/Yuin, Torres Strait Islander, and Maori heritage. That cultural breadth has always been part of the story, a living argument that music can unite people no matter where they come from.
Run It Back arrives underpinned by a poignant narrative that traces the band’s evolution over the past two years. Themes of growth, perspective, and learning to embrace change bubble up with equal parts excitement and quiet introspection, each track nudging the listener forward into new, undiscovered parts of themselves. Built around the band’s signature melodic yet groove-driven indie rock, the album plays like a travelogue of the soul, immersive and unhurried.
From Perth Favourites to National Contenders
The stakes here are real, because South Summit are no longer just a promising local act. Since forming, they have grown rapidly from Perth favourites into one of Australia’s most compelling live bands, earning early championing from triple j and a triple j Unearthed Artist of the Year nomination back in 2023. Their 2024 debut The Bliss made the leap tangible, debuting at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart and cracking the top 10 on the vinyl charts, a genuine breakout for an independent-minded group.
Run It Back builds on that foundation without simply repeating it. Where The Bliss introduced their coastal, boundary-pushing sound, this record deepens it, trading some of the debut’s sunny experimentation for something more reflective and road-worn. It marks a significant step forward, the sound of a band that has toured relentlessly and let the miles reshape the music.
There is something fitting about the title. To “run it back” is to replay, to return, to try again with everything you have learned, and that is exactly what the album does with the band’s own history. It gathers up two years of growth and change and presses play. For a group whose entire identity was built on chemistry, movement, and an electrifying live show, Run It Back is both a summary and a statement of intent. South Summit have covered a lot of ground. On this evidence, they are only just getting started.
