Formed at
Haverstock School in
Chalk Farm,
London in 1998, South were originally conceived as an
electronic act. The band were mentored by ex-
Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown. The band later worked under the tutelage of
UNKLE's
James Lavelle, who signed the band to his personal
record label. After a promo album,
Overused released in the U.S., South released their first official studio album entitled
From Here on In. They also played "Paint the Silence" which was featured in the OC as well as the third season of Roswell. Next came their second album
With the Tides in 2003 which included "Colours in Waves" and "Loosen Your Hold", before the band had a couple of years break. "A Place in Displacement", the first single from their third album, was released early in 2006, followed by the album
Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars, which came out on 3 April 2006. A UK release followed on 9 October that year. Their fourth album,
You Are Here was released in April 2008. On Jamie McDonald's MySpace page, it was announced that the band were taking a hiatus, and that there were no future plans to get back together and record or play live again. Macdonald formed a new band called The Hug with Joel Cadbury on bass. Brett Shaw is currently a producer with his own studio in London and has been working with
Florence and the Machine (Island),
Rufus Wainwright (Decca), Paul Banks (Interpol), Daughter (4D), Still Corners (sub pop),
Eliza Doolittle (EMI), Hawk House (Virgin EMI), Swim Deep (Chess Club), Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne (Atlantic). Macdonald has since released two solo EPs entitled
The Head on Collider EP and
The Shelf Life EP, both in 2010. Their fifth album, From Here on Out was released on 26 March 2021. It was a compilation of tracks from the "From Here on In" era. ==Discography==