The first time I heard Set It Off was in the seventh grade when my friend introduced me to their song “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” from their Duality album. Since then, I’ve been listening to a variety of their songs, from “N.M.E.” to “Kill the Lights” to “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.” Maybe I wouldn’t be considered a hardcore fan (whatever you choose that to mean), but that didn’t stop me from ascending to the heavens upon hearing they’d be in Ottawa on August 31 for their Elsewhere tour.
Pop-punk band Set It Off consists of singer/lyricist Cody Carson, guitarist Zach DeWall, and drummer Maxx Danziger. While their debut album Cinematics adopted their moodier rock side, they’ve since developed an upbeat pop twist that culminated in a darker mix of those styles in Midnight, their 2019 album. Their newest album, Elsewhere, is transitional and progressive, sharing the stories of how each member surmounted their demons and resurrected as happier and livelier.
Now, the band is about to launch their Welcome to Elsewhere North American tour, where they’ll be performing from August to October 2022. In fact, their tickets are on sale now! You can watch this trio perform here in Ottawa at the Brass Monkey on August 31.
“Projector.” Photo provided by Fiona Bloom.
Even though I referred to them as a pop-punk band, the trio is more versatile than that. They aren’t your standard emo band or pop-punk group. Having been inspired by a myriad of influences, such as Anderson Paak and Michael Jackson, they’ve developed a signature style that brings alternative to its knees. This band has converted audiences into full-time fans on tours with All Time Low, Simple Plan, Sleeping With Sirens, and more. Since their 2008 debut in Florida, Set It Off has conquered milestone after milestone: from releasing four highly-acclaimed albums, to receiving awards from press like Billboard and Alternative Press Magazine, to gathering a loyal following, and racking in 528 million plays for their Top 10 Spotify tracks alone. Kind of a big deal, ya know?
Despite his busy schedule of rehearsing, vocalist Cody Carson managed to take some time to answer my questions for him. (Totally not freaking out or anything.)
This interview has been edited lightly for length and clarity.
I’ve actually listened to some of your band’s songs from your older albums, and I’ve noticed changes within your music style over the years. What would you say differentiates the songs in Elsewhere from the songs in your previous albums?
Cody Carson: Honestly, just growing into our sound. When we started, my scope of what I wanted us to sound like was quite narrow even though my musical inspirations were much more all over the place. I just didn’t know how to incorporate them until I worked with other writers and producers. [With] each album, we want to grow and expand, and I truly feel like that’s what has helped us age well and continue to have success. We never want to just stay in one place. That’s boring lol.
What are you hoping for people to receive from Elsewhere?
I want them to feel every emotion available to them. My favourite movies are the ones that take me through the full scope of life. Anger, happiness, depression, and even a chance to laugh. I want everyone who hears this to feel like they’re having a firm heart-to-heart with their friend because that’s how I see our connection. I know how it feels to be on the other end of the speaker just craving for someone to tell me it’s going to be ok. We want to provide that for people.
Now for the dreaded COVID question: how has the pandemic affected your music-making?
It actually improved our music making. Set It Off does their best when a challenge is presented. We have a permanent chip on our shoulders. If someone or something tells us we can’t do something, we rally and try to deliver better than anyone expected. I had to learn to do writing sessions via Zoom. Which may, in theory, sound simple, [but] it is NOT lol. You lose so much energy and connection through that but we made it work, and I’m extremely proud of us for coming out on the other side of this with great songs.
With your tour allowing you to put yourself out there again, what are you most excited about regarding performing in front of so many people?
The ability to make someone’s day. There’s nothing like seeing someone visibly going through a lot turn their entire mood around mid-show. When I witness that, I consider that a job well done. The band and the audience need an outlet; shows are the perfect vehicle for that expression. We just want to heal together.
Come see Set It Off perform in Ottawa at the Brass Monkey (250 Greenbank Rd) on August 31. If you want to get tickets (I know you want to), you can get them at www.setitoffband.com.
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