With sultry vocals and smooth guitars, South – though she’s very humble and laidback about the idea – undoubtedly has positive reception for her new material coming her way. “It’s hard to gauge but we’ve been getting some great reviews,” South says. “The shows have been really good – we’ve been touring in cities for the first time and have been well received. It’s quite different to the first EP, a lot more rock‘n’roll, more cohesive.”
Cohesive indeed, South’s is the kind of music which on hearing it, you’d be pressed to describe it as otherwise. Throwback rockabilly in style, with a nuance of early ‘60s pop influence, South’s music also carries a quirky 21st-century edge that’s hard to put your finger on. “It’s hard for me to describe the style or genre of my music – I tried consciously to write songs that were just songs, the classic verse, chorus, verse, chorus – easily digestible with a classic story.
“However the music itself, it’s rock’n’roll but not solid rock‘n’roll. As far as the 21st-century edge, it’s maybe the content. One of my influences is Patsy Kline, and all her songs were sad and about the men that left her and I was like, ‘Well, that’s not my life,’ so I guess I was more the protagonist in my songwriting.”
South has compiled her material into a body of captivating and original work. Soulful, old school rhythm and blues jam, track Old Flame, in particular, carries a beautiful narrative that allows an emotive response within a very womanly perspective. “These stories, I feel I don’t write songs from my own experiences – it could be one emotive idea that starts the songwriting process. Old Flame was a build on those two words.”
While South’s syrup-rich voice compliments her chosen style of music performance fantastically, her natural talents aren’t what captures her attention. With a love for the music of Patsy Cline and Elvis Presley, South was made for this music. “I love the simplicity of that ‘60s pop songwriting,” she says, “I also started out playing guitar before I started singing, I wanted to be a rock‘n’roll guitarist, that’s what I wanted to do when I first started music. I feel this style of music allows me to do that a bit more, I can rock out on the guitar more than just sing, and this style of music really lends itself well to that kind of rhythm guitar.”
If rocking out is something that you, like South, have always enjoyed, then you’d be wise to get yourself on down to Live N Local Festival, where in just a few weeks, South is happy to be performing for the first time at the Starward Distillery. “I can’t wait,” she says. The excited singer will be bringing a full band and backing singers to her performance, with a 12” vinyl of the new EP available. It’s an exciting opportunity and as South agrees, it will be filled with more fun than easy access to whiskey alone will offer. “It’s exciting to be part of an event that Beat is curating, so thank you for having me.
“I haven’t seen La Bastard play before so that will be exciting, as well as Sid [O’Neil] from The Vasco Era, very excited to see him on the lineup. Festivals like this, especially local music festivals involving the local community, it’s great there’s still stuff like this happening on the south side of the city. I’m just thrilled to be a part of it, especially the opening night.”
