South Arcade are an up-and-coming band that we love here at AltCorner. We wanted to find out more about the band so asked them to take on our A-Z challenge to tell us more!
A song that made you want to make music?
So Good from Bratz Rock Angelz (I’m sure the boys agree)
Best rider you’ve had?
On tour there became a running joke of getting 1 more hummus pot than the previous night so probably the end of tour rider when we had flatbreads and 12 pots of hummus (SO rock n roll)
Craziest moment you’ve had in the band?
I was in the stock cupboard at work and then our song started playing on Radio 1 – it was all very surreal and I wasn’t sure what to do with myself
Deepest lyric one of your songs features?
If this is the sound of an empty room
It’s just me, me and you
Everything else is just background noise
Easiest song you wrote?
Probably Silverlight – I think that was basically written in an afternoon (don’t worry, producing and mixing it took about a year)
Favourite song in your set?
Nepo Baby at the moment, I think because of the way it comes in it’s basically just vocal on the first line so it means everyone screams it at us and it’s a really cool moment
Guest you’d most like to feature on your record?
Would love to have someone from the new scene like Anna from Dead Pony or Devin from Honey Revenge, would make a banging anthem for the girlz
Hardest thing about being in a band?
Not being a control freak over every tiny detail that most people aren’t going to care about/notice anyway
Interesting fact about one of your members?
Ollie has hands so small he’d be better suited to playing a ukulele rather than a bass
Jokes you have in the band?
We go through phases of in-jokes, but currently it’s when you haven’t done something you were supposed to and someone asks whether you’ve done it, you just reply with the loudest *gulp* noise possible
Key to writing a song?
For me, to be able to make a convincing song that really has a life of its own, is that it needs a real concept behind it, or an experience to link it to in anyway – this makes it so much easier to write and produce as you know you are just searching for things that make you feel that same way the initial experience did. It’s also consistency – we have to write about 10 before we have 1 we’re happy with
Longest distance you’ve travelled to play a show?
We’ve done Glasgow to Oxford a couple of times, but once we did Aberdeen to Manchester, then back to Oxford which was HELL – would not recommend
Most inspiring musician you’ve experienced?
Bring Me The Horizon at the O2 was an unreal show – the songs, the visuals, the moshpits and just everything about it was sick
New band you’d recommend?
Jaxn – he opened for us on our last tour and he’s got such a strong aesthetic, great songs and a really cool band/live set
Opening for this band would be ideal?
For us shows are all about letting go and having a good time with everyone and I think other bands that give this same energy are Paramore, Don Broco or The Home Team.
Place you’d most like to tour?
We’d love to go over and play Ireland soon as we have a few fans out there we haven’t had the chance to meet yet. Touring the rest of Europe is very high on the list too!
Quote you’d like to pass on to our readers?
One of our favourite quotes is one by David Bowie that says “Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting”
Reason for the title of your recent/forthcoming release?
Riptide is a metaphor for the dark place someone is in mentally, and so offering to run into the riptide to save them is trying to help your friend get out of that headspace
See us live at?
Burn It Down Festival over the summer, and we have some plans for a big Oxford show soon as we’ve never headlined our hometown properly and know it’ll be a great night
The old days of music were better than the current, do you agree?
I think it depends how you define better, but I don’t think I agree. There’s pros and cons in both ways but there’s never been a cheaper and more accessible time to be in a band and make music
Unusual merchandise?
We were once contacted by a condom manufacturer to ask if we wanted some South Arcade ones as merch which was definitely one of the more unpredictable emails I’ve opened
Variations you’d like to do on any of your songs?
We once did an acoustic version of Sound of an Empty Room and New Fever live on the radio (terrifying) so maybe it would be nice to acoustic-ify a song of ours
What do your fans mean to you?
They are SO important to us. We essentially owe them everything which is why we try so hard to show how grateful we are with free stickers/necklaces etc
X-rays or any treatments needed for band related injuries?
Not for us but we once played a small show and someone threw an inflatable ball onstage which Ollie thought would be ideal to kick into the crowd. Sadly the ball flew straight back at the person and hit them in the face
You’re late for a show, whose fault is it?
Harmony (we have to lie and say we need to leave 30 mins before we actually need to just so we stand a chance of getting there on time)
Zoo animal that best describes the personality of your band?
Probably those 4 penguins from Madagascar? Always planning and scheming some music/shows x
Find out more about South Arcade by clicking here.
South Arcade‘s latest single Riptide is out now: