I don’t listen to the radio. Instead, I find music the way nature intended: by accident in public places, like a MSS discovering a long lost Beanie Baby at a thrift store. Another couple ways are through whatever Apple Music stations manage to infiltrate my brain and whatever YouTube playlists attack me with when I’m awake at 1:00 a.m. (This time, YouTube won.) That’s how I found South Arcade: an Oxford-based, Y2K loving, genre defying four piece band who blend pop-punk energy with nu-metal weight and a current sound of glitchy pop.
They’ve released two EPs to date: 2005 (2024) and PLAY! (2025), and have been pretty candid about the fact that their “proper” debut full-length is still slowly and carefully being made while they continue to build their universe.
The three tracks that really stood out to me as an indication of why South Arcade is just really good at their job are “2005,” “Riptide,” and “How to Get Away with Murder.”
Little Bit of History
South Arcade was formed out of the pandemic and the university days of its members in Guildford. They’ve talked about their early days as having a fierce energy: “We’re gonna do this properly, no plan B,” and living together and creating music non stop before eventually relocating to Oxford to be able to stay at the singer’s family home and continue their band life experiment.
The name of the band is not a metaphor. It’s literally from a sign in Westgate Oxford. It’s that unglamorous and specific to be glamorous by association. And yes, there is a North Arcade.
Their success story is very 2020s and feels very now: from videos made in a practice room to social media chaos and the transition from people watching their video to people buying tickets and attending their show.
As to their releases, their first EP 2005 was on December 13, 2024, and their second EP PLAY! was on November 28, 2025.
Their line-up consists of Harmony Cavelle on vocals, Harry Winks on guitar and production, Ollie Green on bass, and Cody Jones on drums.
In terms of their genre, the only way to accurately describe South Arcade is to say they have a mix of pop-punk adrenaline, a bit of the crunch of the 2000s’ nu-metal, a bit of pop, and a bit of internet-brained sound design.
One thing to note about South Arcade is that they are not chasing the nostalgia of the 2000s like it is a museum piece. Instead, they chase it like a White Sox fan chasing a foul ball in the bleachers loud, chaotic, and absolutely not worried about spilling their beer.
The three songs I loved and why my brain keeps replaying them
2005
This song is, in a way, a mission statement for the band’s work: welcome to our universe, wear your tiny sunglasses, and get ready for the emotional rollercoaster ride ahead! They have, after all, clearly stated that the EP is a reflection of the universe they are building, and “2005” is the culmination that makes the nostalgic feel of it all intentional, not coincidental.
The music video is like a time machine that’s been stocked with a plethora of references to the early 2000s, especially to bands like Paramore, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, and The Strokes.
But it’s more than just a nostalgic “remember when” feel-good vibe, though. It’s a reminder of a time when the world was still so colorful, carefree, and boisterous—an emotional snack that I, too, want from my music when the world around me is just so much.
Why I like it (myself, in my little den): it scratches a very specific itch. It’s light enough to move me forward, but there’s a certain wistfulness to it that’s just enough to prompt me to draft a message to my friends saying, “Ugh, miss being 15,” before deleting it and deciding it’s time for a wellness check.
How to Get Away with Murder
This is the chaos gremlin anthem, and I’m into it for those reasons.
The vocalist said it was inspired by binge watching the TV show Dexter, soaking in all the dark material from the show while still wanting the song to feel like an absolute blast to listen to.
Since they were fully leaning into the concept, they pushed it even further by layering in sound effects throughout the track. You can hear key beeps, wheels rolling, chainsaws, and even a faint splash of water if you listen closely.
The video is just as important as the song. The band wanted the visuals to feel animated in the spirit of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, letting them explore the cartoon side of the story so the violence feels stylized instead of disturbing.
They are also big Gorillaz fans, so the whole cartoons can do anything idea fits perfectly with the overall vibe of the track.
Why I’m into it: The hook is ridiculously awesome, the concept is delightfully insane, and the execution is spot on. It is the kind of song that makes you grin while you are headbanging, which honestly should probably be illegal but thankfully is not.
Riptide
This is a great moment because beneath the humor there is real heart.
The band has said their song Riptide is about standing by someone you care about while they are going through a dark time. It captures how confusing and exhausting that experience can be while still making it clear that you are not walking away from them.
That emotional space is something a lot of people recognize and it can be pretty brutal. Somehow the band turns that weight into a song you can shout sing along to, which feels a little outrageous in the best possible way.
The sound is a sharp and polished version of their style. It carries a strong Y2K pop rock energy that feels updated for today, with the band’s guitarist also handling the production.
To me it strikes a perfect balance. It is the kind of track you want blasting through your car speakers, but it is also the kind that sneaks into your chest and rearranges your emotions a little.
What I love about the song is how empathetic it feels without ever becoming preachy. It is intense without tipping into melodrama. It feels like quietly handing someone a bottle of water at a crowded party and staying next to them because you know they should not have to deal with everything alone.
Why they’re kick ass, who inspired them, and the Paramore comparison you demanded
South Arcade are kick ass because they are doing something that is actually harder than it looks. They make music that is fun while still hitting hard. The band has talked about wanting to bring fun back into music and give people something that feels exciting without the whole arms crossed music snob energy that sometimes creeps into rock.
At the same time they clearly care about the craft. The hooks stick in your brain, the guitar riffs punch through the mix, and the production choices build a whole aesthetic rather than just a random collection of songs.
Influence wise they feel like a band that grabbed the best parts of the era when rock and pop were allowed to be loud and unapologetic. In interviews they have mentioned 2000s inspirations that jump across pop punk and nu metal including Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Limp Bizkit, and Linkin Park. They have also talked about how every song can pull from a different favorite genre from that period.
You can also hear echoes of bands like No Doubt and Korn in the mix, which makes sense since the group has said they love music from the late 90s through the mid 2000s when genre lines were a lot more chaotic and interesting.
And then there is the Paramore connection.
Musically: both bands run on that same pop punk engine. You get driving rhythm sections, bright melodies sitting on top of crunchy guitars, and choruses that feel designed for an entire crowd to scream together. South Arcade have even been described in festival coverage as having elements of Paramore, and their video for the song 2005 openly nods toward that era of pop punk iconography.
Vocally: the comparison is not that they sound identical but more that the band has that lift off vocal energy. The kind of voice that can deliver attitude and vulnerability in the same breath. Some coverage has even pointed out the soaring vocals, which is a big part of why early Paramore connected with people so strongly.
Lyrically: the connection shows up in how direct the writing can be. Paramore built a lot of their early impact on emotionally specific songs about heartbreak and frustration. South Arcade hit a similar nerve but through their own lens. Riptide deals with the emotional weight of standing by someone who is struggling. How to Get Away with Murder takes a dark concept and turns it into something weirdly cathartic. And 2005 leans into nostalgia as an escape hatch rather than just longing for the past.
Where South Arcade feel most modern is in the production. The sound has a glossy, current edge with little textures and effects popping up throughout the songs. It feels like the energy of early 2000s rock filtered through the internet era.
So yeah, you can absolutely hear the Paramore DNA in there. But South Arcade are not copying anyone. They are building their own world out of the chaos that inspired them.
Finding a band you like through YouTube feels a lot like discovering a random food truck. You were not looking for it, you did not plan for it, but suddenly you cannot stop thinking about it and now you are telling all your friends they need to try it like you are working there part time.
If you loved the three tracks I did, the easiest next step is to just play the EPs straight through. The 2005 EP includes “MOTH KIDS”, “Stone Cold Summer”, and “Nepo Baby” along with the three songs I am already obsessed with.
After that jump over to PLAY! for the newer batch of songs. That one includes “Supermodels”, “Fear of Heights”, “Bleed Out”, and “Blood Run Warm”. The band has said a lot of these were written while they were out on the road, and you can feel that live energy baked into the songs.
And if you are the kind of person who likes a little lore with your guitar riffs, pay attention to the whole North Arcade saga because the band clearly enjoys keeping that running joke alive.
