Set It Off is a Pop Punk band that was formed in 2008 in Florida. In their earlier days, their music style consisted solely of pop-punk, but later on, they started introducing elements from other genres, such as pop-rock.
Their current lineup of members includes:
- Cody Carson — lead vocals, guitar, piano/keyboards
- Zach DeWall — guitar, bass (2015 onwards), backing vocals
- Maxx Danziger — drums
Notable former members include Austin Kerr, who was on bass until 2015, and Dan Clermont, who was on backing vocals, piano/keyboards, and guitar until 2019.
They were formerly signed to Equal Vision Records, but later signed to Fearless Records in 2018, then announced they would be going independent in 2023.
Discography:
Studio albums:
- Cinematics (2012)
- Duality (2014)
- Upside Down (2016)
- Midnight (2018)
- Elsewhere (2022)
EPs:
- Baby, You Don't Tripajaharda (2008)
- Calm Before the Storm (2009)
- Horrible Kids (2011)
- Duality: Stories Unplugged (2015)
- After Midnight (2020)
Set It Off provides examples of:
- Album Closure: At the end of Cinematics is "The Grand Finale", a song about the end of the world.
- Anti-Christmas Song: "This Christmas (I'll Burn It To The Ground)" is about the narrator planning to ruin Christmas for all of his snobby neighbors, by stealing their gifts and trees and setting them all on fire.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" is about the singer calling out a person who's manipulating others while posing as a nice person.
- Call-Back: "Miss Mysterious" references multiple other songs from Duality in its outro.
- Changing Chorus: The final chorus in "Partners in Crime" is sung in past tense because the protagonists are shot dead.
- Death by Music Video:
- In "Partners in Crime", Cody, Ash Costello, Maxx, and Dan are all shot dead in a police standoff.
- In "Lonely Dance", Zach, Dan, and Maxx are killed off one by one by Cody, who got attacked by an alien and subsequently infected.
- The End of the World as We Know It: "The Grand Finale" shows two different perspectives on what people would do if the world was about to end: one accepts his fate and waits for it to be over, and one tries to figure out how to stop it, but gives up.While finding shelter for the end
they begin reflecting on everything
I mean everything
Of the life they spent till then
As rock and ash fall from the sky
So surreal, they hold onto anything
I mean anything
Hoping life won't pass them by - Follow Your Heart:
- "Dream Catcher" is about encouraging the listener to follow their dreams and not let skeptics and cynics slow them down.
- "Tomorrow" is a Sequel Song to Dream Catcher, and encourages the listener to do what they want in life without letting people stop them.
- Grief Song: "Dad's Song" was written as a tribute to Cody's dad, who died of cancer. Most of the lyrics are direct references to him, such as memories Cody remembers sharing with him.
- The Insomniac: The narrator of "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" is unable to sleep and is slowly going insane because of it.Cause I'm stuck self-torturing
My meds are failing me
Internal clock in smithereens
Can't fix this, I'm hopeless
My eyes are stapled open wide
As I lay down on my side
I am bouncing off these walls - Last Note Nightmare:
- "Plastic Promises" ends with creepy nursery music and an echoing baby laugh, completely out of nowhere.
- "Skeleton" ends with a mostly calm instrumental that suddenly starts to build up and get louder before the song abruptly ends.
- Miniscule Rocking: "Thoughts That Breathe", the intro track for Cinematics, is only 28 seconds long.
- Outlaw Couple: "Partners in Crime" is about a couple that lives a life of crime on the run, with the chorus making references to them being inseparable. They both get shot dead near the end.
- Performance Video: The music video for "The Haunting" is mostly the band performing on a stage, including scenes of the audience members singing parts of the song.
- Sequel Song:
- "Tomorrow" is a sequel to "Dream Catcher", with them both having the same message of following your dreams.
- "Midnight Thoughts" is a softer version of "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead", since they both cover the topic of insomnia, but the former is less harsh than the latter.
- Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: There are times when Cody starts dishing out literary-level words, historical references, and poetic language to the point where things will start bordering on Shakespearean for several stanzas or at least until he starts shouting swear words again. A notable example can be found in "I'd Rather Drown":I'm the master of construction
Because I'm building walls like it's my occupation
If you portray a liar,
I'll shut you out without hesitation
It's an art form of consummate skill
O, how she plays them like the pawn!
Making boys drool at her will
Like Pavlov to the dogs! - Siamese Twin Songs: The end of "Plastic Promises" leads directly into "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead".
- Singer Namedrop: "Hypnotized" has a line that directly references Cody's name:Oh, me? Cody died, and it's no more nice guy season
- Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace: "N.M.E", which is about the narrator trying to convince someone to leave a controlling partner, references this in the bridge, with a priest asking who still objects to the couple being married. The narrator immediately speaks up."If anyone should object to this marriage
Please speak now or forever hold your peace"
Yeah, I got something to say - Studio Chatter: "Happy All the Time" ends with a post-recording voice memo of Cody saying to the backing choir's lead vocalist, "I had to let you get that last one in, I'll never do that shit", with them laughing at the end of it.
- Title Track: Horrible Kids, Duality, and Upside Down all have songs named after them.
- Unplugged Version:
- Duality: Stories Unplugged mostly consists of acoustic versions of songs from Duality, with the exception of one new song.
- Cinematics (Expanded Edition) features an acoustic version of "Dream Catcher".
- Fearless Records' Punk Goes Acoustic Vol. 3 includes an acoustic version of "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing".
- Would Rather Suffer: "I'd Rather Drown", which is about a girl who treats her partners, including the narrator, like objects, says that the narrator would rather drown than interact with the girl again.
