The Manchester indie-pop group have unveiled a sound that is as beguiling as the kind of love their latest single is about.

After seeking a change in dynamic and sound, Manchester indie-pop group South By Zero became a four-piece earlier this year with the addition of Emma Halpin on vocals and keys. Emma joined original band members and school friends Matt Bawtree (lead vocals/guitar) and George Burton (vocals/guitar/bass) who formed the band in 2020 before joining forces with drummer Tomas Farrington in 2021.

With their poignant pop sound and folk inflections, the indie-pop band have already carved a space for themselves on the Manchester music scene, having played well-established venues across the city and now released their latest single Open Arms.

On their new track, South By Zero explore the difficulty of navigating leftover feelings for an ex while seeing someone new through heartfelt and confessional lyrics that are charmingly sweet: “Why is it that you’re still in my head / All I want to do is love her instead / After you broke my heart my arms were never open.”

The song rises and falls with these doubts that are characteristic of adolescent relationships, enticing the listener into the song with a soft, soul-baring start and keeping them hooked with the spirited pop melodies that glisten throughout. The rich piano chords, yearning violin and warm guitar strums then combine perfectly to create an infectious folky sound that has a real innocence to it and which nicely mirrors the naivety that is at the centre of the song.

And as if it couldn’t get any better, Bawtree’s raspy vocals are far beyond his years and are so emotive that they guarantee that the beautifully written lyrics stand front and centre amongst the track’s squeaky-clean production and gorgeously layered instrumentation.

Open Arms is a genuinely beautiful song and is surely the start of something great for this pop four-piece.