If being in a band is like a video game, South Arcade are already speeding through the boss levels. Their 2025 has been an energy drink-fueled blur of headline shows, main stage upgrades, and a brand new EP that feels like a high-score screen made out of loud guitars, Y2K-era chaos, and just enough emotional devastation to keep things grounded.

That EP is ‘PLAY!’, out now via BKM Artists and LAB Records. Written almost entirely while on tour, it captures a band who barely stop moving long enough to take a breath. “It’s a super fun EP that shows us trying out more genres within the Y2K sphere,” the band explain. “The tracks were inspired by what we think the crowds will like live and what we think people will want to hear in our future sets.” It’s fast, unfiltered and deeply connected to the crowds that helped shape it, written in hotel rooms and tour vans, tested in soundchecks and sweaty headline sets.

The name came from the reality of life on the road. “It came from the idea of playing all these shows back to back and keeping the energy up, while also toying with the idea of pressing play on a movie or video game – which is what life has kind of felt like for all of us lately.” That mix of exhaustion and excitement runs through all five tracks. It’s music made in motion, with just enough time to hit record before the next stage call.

‘PLAY!’ pulls together recent singles ‘FEAR OF HEIGHTS’ and ‘Supermodels’ with three brand new tracks. ‘Drive Myself Home’ leans into the late-night melancholy. ‘Bleed Out’ throws everything into the fire, building to an explosive finish and rooted in a genuinely bizarre source of inspiration. “That one was inspired by memes that kept popping up on our phones,” they say. “Different pictures of knights in armour in snowy settings with the caption ‘The urge to slowly bleed out here’. We thought, let’s make a fun song to go with this picture – something funny but also kind of dark and pretty.” Naturally.

Then there’s ‘Blood Run Warm’. Premiered as a Hottest Record on Radio 1, it’s a curveball. Vulnerable, stripped back and haunted by something just out of reach, it reveals a different side to the band. Where the rest of the EP goes full throttle, this one sinks in quietly. It’s proof that there’s more going on here than fast tempos and viral moments.

South Arcade are no strangers to either. The band – Harmony, Ollie, Harry and Cody – first met at uni and built their world from the ground up. Harry plays guitar and handles production, Ollie’s on bass, Cody drums, and Harmony leads the charge on vocals. Between them, they’ve created a sound that’s both online and nostalgic. It’s music that pulls from game soundtracks and emo throwbacks, built for summer festivals and side quests in equal measure.

They write like a group who know exactly who they are. “We love writing to a concept – something that’s inspired us, like a movie we’d love to turn into ‘song form’ that could almost act as a soundtrack. When it comes to emotional stuff, we want it to feel like whoever’s listening is the main character in a movie.” There’s joy in it, too. “A big thing for us is making people feel like everything’s going to be okay in the end and just giving everyone a good time. We try to fill our tracks with plenty of ‘not-so-serious’ moments too.”

That sense of fun extends to every part of what they do. When South Arcade played Reading & Leeds’ main stage over the summer, they went all in: spray-can graffiti cannons, outrageous set design - the works. “It was a bucket list moment,” they admit. “We dreamed up the mental idea of having graffiti cannons. It was a go-big-or-go-home kind of set.” And it paid off. It followed a sold-out run of UK and US dates, a riotous headline moment at Slam Dunk, and a breakout set at Radio 1’s Big Weekend. No pressure, then.

They’ve just wrapped their biggest UK tour to date, including a massive show at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town, and 2026 is already packed. A headline run across Europe is locked in, as well as a slot at TRNSMT Festival and a long-awaited appearance at Download, where they’ll be playing alongside Guns N’ Roses and Linkin Park.

When they do finally get a moment off stage, they’re still mates before anything else. Harmony is big into Pokémon and thrifting. Cody’s into cars and gaming. Harry’s the movie one. Ollie’s deep into Doctor Who and British sitcoms. They’ve even got a solid post-show McDonald’s order down to a science – a mix of Happy Meals, McFlurries, Big Macs and milkshakes, depending on who’s asking.

There’s plenty more to come. “We already want to start writing the next EP this January because we’ve got a few weeks off,” they tease. “We’d love to one day headline somewhere like Reading or play the O2 in London. Another bucket list goal is to do the theme tune for a series or get a song into one of our favourite games – like the new GTA 6.”

For now, the plan is simple: keep going. Keep making noise. Keep hitting play. South Arcade are ready for the next level – and there’s no reset button in sight.

South Arcade's EP 'PLAY!' is out now.