Cape Town alternative rock outfit Southern Wild released their new album, The Art Of Feeling Nothing, on 30 October 2026, via Just Music.
After a six-year journey shaped by unexpected turns, distance, personal challenges and a renewed creative spirit, Cape Town’s Southern Wild finally unveil The Art Of Feeling Nothing, a deeply personal nine-track album that captures not only the evolution of the band, but the people they’ve become along the way.
Since emerging in 2015, Southern Wild have spent the past decade developing a distinctive sound at the intersection of alternative rock, post-rock, neo-soul and folk. Known for their emotionally charged performances and genre-crossing approach, the band has appeared on the main stages of festivals including Up The Creek, Rocking the Daisies, Smoking Dragon and Oppikoppi, and has had the opportunity to open for international heavyweights Incubus and The Cure during their South African tours.
Recording of The Art Of Feeling Nothing began in 2019 with producer Theo Crous. What was initially intended to be a straightforward album recording soon became a much longer journey. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic brought the process to a halt, while changing circumstances saw band members move in different directions. Frontman Dave spent four years in Zambia, and for extended periods the album remained unfinished.
But the songs never disappeared.
Buy and stream the album here: https://orcd.co/the_art_of_feeling_nothing
When the band eventually reunited, they returned to the material with fresh perspectives and a renewed sense of purpose. Interestingly, the album itself became a reflection of that journey. The first five tracks were written before life pulled the band apart, while the final four emerged after years of separation, capturing two distinctly different chapters in their lives.
“Some albums capture a moment. This one captured the people we became while trying to finish it,” explains the band.
The album’s title reflects the tension between holding on to the things that make us feel alive and the ways modern life can gradually teach us to suppress those feelings. Through routine, responsibility, information overload and the inevitable changes that come with growing older, The Art Of Feeling Nothing explores the moments when feeling less becomes a way of coping. Rather than providing definitive answers, the album leaves room for listeners to find their own meaning in the music.
The extended recording process also brought changes to the band’s sound and lineup. With the arrival of lead guitarist Conrad Birch, whose distinctive and expansive guitar work became an integral part of the album’s final sound, Southern Wild now return as a re-energised four-piece, embracing a new chapter while retaining the musical identity that has defined them from the beginning.
Raw, unfiltered and drenched in emotion, The Art Of Feeling Nothing is more than an album that took six years to complete. It is a document of friendship, change, resilience and the enduring connection between four musicians and the songs that brought them back together.
More info: https://www.facebook.com/southernwildband
