With the recent release of their new album entitled Duality, Set It Off has broadened their fan base since their formation in 2008. Playing at many venues all over the country and in Europe, the band has developed and changed to please their new audiences.
Cody Carson, the band’s lead singer, and Dan Clermont, guitarist and backup singer, met in high school while in the marching band. Around the same time, Zach Dewall, guitarist, and Austin Kerr, bass player, were in a band prior to the formation of Set It Off. Carson met these two at local shows that he was in at the time.
After the four met, Carson ended up leaving for Ohio to attend the Oberlin Conservatory of Music where he studied as a classical clarinet student. Soon, however, Carson dropped out of school to pursue the dream of a rock band. Using money that would have been for college, Carson formed a band with Dewall, Kerr, and Clermont. These four though, needed a drummer, which was a battle in itself.
The original drummer was a man named James but that did not work out, and he ended up leaving. Replacing him was Benji Panic, but once again the band had to part ways with their dummer due to differences in where they were in life. Benji went on to pursue his GED and started pursuing photography. Third time seems to be the charm for this band because the third drummer, Maxx Danzigger has been around since 2010.
Finding the perfect combination of men took two years, but when they finally figured it out, they were an up-and-coming force to be reckoned with. Two EPs were released before Danzigger, came around in 2010. The first EP was released on October 31, 2008, and was entitled Baby, You Don’t Tripajaharda, which included songs like “Heart Breaker 101” and “Break it Up.” The band’s second EP was released on May 16, 2009, and was entitled Calm Before the Storm, which featured songs like “Pages & Paragraphs” and “I Promise.”
These EPs led to a signing with Equal Visions Records and a new album in 2011. On July 19, 2011, the band announced their signing and then on August 30, 2011, the band released their newest album Horrible Kids which included songs like “End in Tragedy” and “@Reply.”
In correlation with the release of Horrible Kids, Carson stated, “Our main inspiration in writing this album was derived from personal experiences growing up. I loved being able to turn to songs that I could personally relate to. I want to provide that same kind of coping source for people. I want people to be able to turn on Horrible Kids and pick a song that pinpoints exactly what they’re going through and allows them to vent through it.”
After the album was released, it made its debut on the Top 100 Alternative Albums on the iTunes charts.
The most recent album was released on October 14, 2014, and is entitled Duality. This new album allowed for a whole new side of the band to be heard and it gave fans a symbol to associate with the band. The new symbol is a diamond shape with a line through it to symbolize the split sides to their lives. Not everything is always as it seems.
Carson said, “I’ve always been borderline obsessed with the notion of duality. Something about the juxtaposition of two polar opposites seems so vulnerable and blatantly human to me. Everyone has two sides, the side they let people see and the side they hide.”
Primarily a touring band, Set it Off has been on a total of 19 tours across America and even in Europe. The band has toured with many different bands and artists including Black Veil Brides and Falling in Reverse on the most current tour entitled Black Mass. Prior to this they have traveled with Warped Tour in 2014 along with various others.
From having fans run through the venue to do a meet and greet to crowd surfing when it isn’t even allowed to making every single fan feel special, still doesn’t begin to describe how amazing this band is. They are dreamers, and they encourage everyone they meet to be the same. The vibe you get from this band is stunningly beautiful, and if you have ever heard the speech that Carson will give before performing the hit “Dream Catcher,” you can completely understand this. Their message for the world is simple and yet complicated: “Be yourself, reach for your dreams even if someone thinks they are stupid, and don’t be afraid to show the side of you that no one else has ever seen before.” These five men along with any producers or helpful friends come together to form a truly inspirational work of art.