South Arcade Rocks Oxfordshire as BBC's Top Act of the Year!

South Arcade, a pop punk band from Oxford, has had a remarkable year, being named the BBC Introducing in Oxfordshire Act of the Year. The group consists of four members: Harmony Cavelle, the lead singer with blonde hair, Cody Jones, the drummer with spiky green hair, Ollie Green, the bassist with a brown mullet and red glasses, and Harry Winks, the guitarist with a brown punk hairstyle. Their journey began when childhood friends Harmony and Harry teamed up with their university friends Cody and Ollie. They decided to live together and started writing a lot of songs, which helped them build a strong bond as a band.

In 2025, South Arcade played over 100 shows, including performances on the main stage at the famous Reading and Leeds Festivals. Their energetic live shows helped them gain a lot of fans, and their music has been streamed more than 50 million times on Spotify. The band also signed a record deal with Atlantic Records, which is a big step for any new group. Harmony described the year as one of the most fulfilling ever, saying that even though it was hard to believe how much had happened, they were happy to have achieved so many of their dreams.

South Arcade’s music is inspired by artists like Linkin Park, Hard-Fi, Avril Lavigne, and No Doubt. Their style is popular with people who enjoy 90s and early 2000s music, and they have released two EPs, including one called PLAY! in November. The band’s popularity grew even more after their 22-date headline tour in the United States, where they were surprised to find so many fans who knew all the words to their songs. The band members have now left their day jobs to focus on music full time. They are excited about working on new material and are looking forward to making their first album, but they want to make sure it is just right before releasing it.