Set It Off have just released their electrifying new album Midnight. This is the American bands fourth studio album and delivers plenty of pop gems with an edgy sound. To celebrate the release of the album we caught up with vocalist and songwriter Cody Carson to learn more about the new album Midnight.
SCENEzine
What’s the feeling like before you release the new album Midnight waiting for the world to hear it?
Cody Carson
It’s weird when you first write the song and get the first demo back your excitement is through the roof. Then you sit with it for a while and naturally nature takes it course. You try to escape it for a while so that you can keep it fresh. So much time has past since we first got these songs back but now I’m a very excitable person I’m excited about life and board games you name it. For me we have just started releasing teasers on our instagram of all the songs that haven’t been released and I’m reading comments from people responding to what they think of the snippets. It finally sunk in oh my god it’s happening, tonight we are going to our album release party. There’s so many events now that are making it clear because it kind of sneaks up on you. Now the excitement is very real and I’m excited to go full throttle into this album release.
SCENEzine
What’s it like being in 2019 releasing an album where the big focus these days is on streaming?
Cody Carson
Yeah we started in 2008 and it was the beginning of the real decline of CD sales. We are really seeing it now where it’s a all time low of that nature. You have to adapt and digital is the focus these days. Luckily Spotify has been extremely loving and supportive of us. They put us on new music Friday four times as well as various other playlists. We are getting that exposure that’s helping us in that world. It’s a new challenge but bring it on.
SCENEzine
What’s it like being part of the Fearless records family?
Cody Carson
It’s really cool man they have really accepted us with open arms. What’s great is we all live in Los Angeles now and that’s where they are based out of. So anytime we can just go in with them and have a meeting and talk about our ideas or create new ideas. It’s been an amazing experience working with them and seeing how much they truly care and how hard they work and how much they treat it like a family.
SCENEzine
I’m guessing the making of the video for “Lonely Dance” was a fun experience?
Cody Carson
Oh absolutely. I’ve never been able to be an alien or be in a space ship on set before. So that was a completely fresh experience for me. It was a blast in itself because we were doing something new and completely ridiculous. We worked with a really professional team, they kept everything running smoothly. It was fantastic.
SCENEzine
When you look at the album is there one track in particular you really gravitate towards or are stoked to play live?
Cody Carson
As far as gravitate towards I think it would be a different answer from playing live. The one I gravitate towards the most is the song “Happy All The Time”. That one first of all emotionally the lyrics really connect with me because I was at a really low place when I was writing that. It helped pick me back up and remind me that it’s ok to not be happy all the time. It also helped me check off one of my bucket list things which was to feature a gospel choir on a song. I had them come into the studio and I got to sing with them, that was some of the most fun I’ve had ever in the studio. As far as live goes we wrote the song “Criminal Minds” with the intention of making sure it would be an awesome live song. Even down to the tempo, it’s a steady beat that I could see the crowd jumping to the whole song. The melody is right on the jumps so it’s easy to sing and fun to sing. We are going to play it on the next tour and I’m really excited to see the reaction to it.
SCENEzine
“Dancing With The Devil” is one of our favourites from the album. Did that song come together fairly quickly?
Cody Carson
We co-wrote that with the Gomez brothers who used to be in The Summer Set. It started off very pop it was still great it had all the guts from the one right now as far as chord progression and lyrics. It didn’t have a bridge yet. So we brought it to Mike to try and fit the soundscape of what the album is now which is rock meets pop in a even way. A while ago I was a very big believer in this quote that I heard which was write drunk edit sober. I was going through a tough time so I wrote about what I was going through at the time. I wrote this rap out because I’ve always been influenced by hip hop as I was growing up. The rap I wrote was inspired by a Meek Mill song called “Lord Knows”. So after I wrote that I then decided to sing it over the bridge and we ended up loving it. It’s probably one of the most challenging things I’m going to have to perform live but I’m pumped for it.
SCENEzine
Is there a story behind the cover art for the album?
Cody Carson
There’s a song on the album called “Midnight Thoughts” and it’s about laying awake with all these thoughts. All the things that can take place within this time whether it be thoughts of doubt or a sense of delirium. It signifies change because as soon as midnight happens yesterday is gone you’re never getting it back. It’s such a significant time and this album is such a significant time in our lives. As far the art goes we wanted to portray an hour glass to be our new symbol for portraying the time and also for portraying midnight . We also did a video a while back on youtube where we wrote a song with fans called hour glass love. So this is our way of also nodding to them saying we wished we could of used that song on the record. But because it was written by tons of people all across the world legally it was a nightmare to figure out. If you look closely at the hands on the cover you’ll see there’s six fingers on each hand representing twelve for midnight. Also the twelve is imprinted on the wrist so it really encapsulates the vibe of the record as far as the colour scheme and the landscapes. The digital clock print is on the back to match what’s on the wrist in the front. A lot of attention to detail went into this record ever before we started writing everything .
SCENEzine
You guys are known for you’re brilliant stripped back versions of songs. Do you think most of these could be done acoustically?
Cody Carson
I appreciate you saying that. I think they all could be acoustic and the reason why is we are firm believers in the acoustic guitar test. Which basically means when you are writing a song you shouldn’t have to rely on the production effects to make it good. It should be able to be amazing with just the melody and the chords on a acoustic guitar. We don’t want to ever produce something unless we feel like it can do that. So because we feel like it has that capability I could see a lot of these songs doing well as acoustics as well.
SCENEzine
Were there many tracks that didn’t make it onto the album?
Cody Carson
Oh we came up with sixty ideas. We had to narrow them down like crazy. We knew that fifteen was a good number to keep it at. Maybe we can still use a few of the ones that didn’t make it someday.
SCENEzine
What was it like getting to play Warped Tour?
Cody Carson
It’s always amazing. Kevin has been so great to us to allow us the opportunity to be on that tour. When we first did it we only got two weeks on a stage that kind of didn’t exist. We didn’t have credentials so we couldn’t get catering, we weren’t entitled to water, we had to survive. Basically every CD we sold was fifty cents to ourselves. So if you wanted to eat that night you had to sell CD’s that’s literally how it worked for us. That’s how we got our start on Warped and Kevin noticed that and eventually chose us to be on the Kevin says stage. We took pride in our hopeful ability as people were walking by to stop them in their tracks and come by. But this time for the last Warped tour coast to coast we were able to play three dates of it at some of our favourite markets in Unites States. We were on the main stage and it was a really incredible moment we will never forget.
SCENEzine
With Valentines day around the corner do you have a favourite valentines day memory?
Cody Carson
I unfortunately don’t (laughs). I can’t really think of anything exciting for Valentines day other than I either had a date or I just stayed at home eating icecream and watching TV (laughs).
SCENEzine
Do you have any advice for guys out there when it comes to Valentines day?
Cody Carson
If they have a girlfriend just don’t forget that it’s coming up, plan something. If you don’t have a girlfriend enjoy you’re night at home not having to spend any extra money (laughs).
SCENEzine
Lastly do you have a message for your Aussie fans?
Cody Carson
First of all thank you for all of your patience we want to go there just as bad as you want us to go there believe me. We’ve already been talking to our international team doing everything in our power to make this happen. So the moment we get an opportunity we are taking it and we will be there.
(interview by Christian Ross)