Cape Town alternative rock outfit Southern Wild have signed to Just Music ahead of the release of their long-awaited sophomore album, The Art Of Feeling Nothing, arriving on 30 October 2026. Since emerging in 2015, the band have carved out a sound that moves between alternative rock, post-rock, neo-soul and folk, with a focus on emotional honesty, expansive soundscapes and raw, human storytelling.
The road to the new album has been a long one. Southern Wild were midway through recording their second record when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the process, after which frontman Dave van Vuuren spent four years in Zambia for personal and financial reasons, putting the band’s momentum on hold. Six years later, the group returns with a renewed four-piece lineup, now featuring guitarist Conrad Birch, whose “expansive, galaxy-bending” approach to the instrument has helped shape the new record.
The album also marks a continuation of Southern Wild’s creative relationship with producer Theo Crous, who first worked with the band in 2016 on their debut track “Lead Role”. The Art Of Feeling Nothing was recorded at Bellville Studios, with Van Vuuren describing Crous as “the right place, with the right person” to make the record. Now, with Just Music joining the journey, Southern Wild are finally ready to put the album into the world. “This record has been a long time coming, and we’re incredibly proud of it,” says Van Vuuren. “We can’t wait for people to finally hear it.”
The Art Of Feeling Nothing is out everywhere on October 30. Listen to the first single, “Bad Vibration King,” here.
