SOUTHERN WILD – first new single in five years

Photo: Laura McCullagh

Cape Town rock band Southern Wild have announced their long-awaited return with Bad Vibration King, their first new single in five years, taken from an upcoming album currently in the works.

Hailing from Cape Town’s vibrant music scene, Southern Wild have spent the past decade carving out a sound that sits at the intersection of alternative rock, post-rock, neo-soul and folk. Since forming in 2015, the band has appeared on the main stages of major South African festivals including Up The Creek, Rocking the Daisies, Smoking Dragon and Oppikoppi, and have supported international acts Incubus and The Cure on their South African tours.

Momentum slowed midway through recording their sophomore album when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. During this period, frontman Dave spent four years living in Zambia, stepping away from the band for personal and financial reasons.

Now reunited and re-energised, Southern Wild return as a four-piece, with Conrad Birch joining on lead guitar — a shift that has helped shape the band’s current chapter both sonically and creatively.

Buy / Stream Bad Vibration King

Speaking about the inspiration behind “Bad Vibration King”, the band explains:

“It’s about facing the harshness of reality while still trying to be something for someone who means everything to you. It’s about searching for reason and meaning in the midst of everything we’re all trying to overcome.”

The track itself has been years in the making.

“We’d been working on this song for years, but it always felt like something was missing,” the band says. “When Conrad joined the band, the energy and inspiration he brought reignited our desire to finish it. This also marked the first lyrical collaboration between Dave and Conrad.”

Describing “Bad Vibration King” in just five words, Southern Wild sum it up simply:

“Where love exists, hope persists.”

The release of the single marks the beginning of Southern Wild’s next chapter — one shaped by time, distance, and renewed creative connection. More music from the forthcoming album is expected later this year.

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