Cody Carson of Set It Off (USA) talks about new album Duality and his journey as a musician

For their follow-up to 2012’s Cinematics, Florida’s Set It Off have unleashed Duality, a record that’s been well-received by fans. From working his ass off in his clarinet performance major, to singing on stage with one of his favourite bands and to now being in a band of his own, it’s musicians like Cody Carson which make me realise how important it is to give it your best shot while you can because in the words of Coldplay, “if you never try, you’ll never know, just what you’re worth.”

First of all, I just want to congratulate you on the release of Duality this week. What have the responses been so far on your new album?

“Oh, thank you so much first of all, and the responses have been completely overwhelming. I’ve never seen so many 5/5 interviews or 9/10 reviews, it’s completely surreal. It really feels good to have friends in the industry who have tweeted us and texted us on the release and tell us that they like it. We worked so hard on this. We wanted to create the best product possible and it’s really reassuring. I’m really, really happy.”

I’ve found that the lyrics of this album are quite honest, no bullshit [insert Cody laughing here] and lies. Could you tell me more about the intended concept of the album and how this came about?

“I mean one thing that has always really pissed me off about my life is really, people who hide behind who they really are and I feel like I was a victim of that and I was really afraid to be real to everybody and just be who I am because I feared of being judged. It really put a weight on my shoulders and created a burden to my chest so I really wanted to ‘let free’ in this album. I wanted there to be nothing out there that I could not say. Anything that bothered me, anyone that pissed me off, anything that I wanted to talk about that I haven’t talked about before, I got out, at least some of it. There’s still more to come on the next record for sure [laughs]. I felt like it was really important and that was the lesson I wanted to teach with the record. It’s okay to have flaws, it’s okay to vent, to have anger, to have sadness, to be happy, to have a whole spectrum of emotions and with that, I wanted to portay all of that in the songs.”

On the record, which track do you feel most at home with and why?

“Honestly, I want to say “Bleak December” is most at home for me because it’s such a marriage of 90s pop with anger and rock. It feels really comfortable but also “The Haunting” feels close to home too because it has that creepy side that we’re so known for. The chorus is straight, aggressive pop rock. If I could compare it to anything, it reminds me of the Foo Fighters. So I guess those two are ones which I feel close to home with.”

Working with Jason Lancaster (ex-vocalist of Go Radio and Mayday Parade) and William Beckett (ex-vocalist of The Academy Is…) must’ve been fun. What was it like working with them and what contributions have they made towards the new album?

“I met William Beckett in the We Are The In Crowd tour and we just got along so well. I don’t know what it was, I didn’t really know him that well but I think that’s why we connected so well. We would just hang out everyday and have a few drinks before we went on and we always bonded. He showed me a song of his where he sang with an angry tone in his voice and I was like “You don’t do that enough, that’s so enticing.” So when it came to the recording of “Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing”, since it’s such an angry song, I knew everyone in the music industry could relate to this topic. It’s about people who have really fucked us over in the industry before so I told him, “Yo, dude. I really need you in the second verse”, and I told him it was a really angry song and he was like, “Yes, I’m so in” and he absolutely tore up the studio.

“And then Jason, this was a unique situation because I’ve always loved Jason and his writing ability and everything. He just has a unique and powerful, big voice. So the song “Tomorrow” was actually a track where we basically had a song from a while ago and a song we were currently writing and what we did was mix all the best parts from both songs together. The bridge of this song was actually written in 2009 and I was so in love with it and I didn’t want to give it up but it made no sense to release it on the record [Horrible Kids] that we were about to put out. So we made the decision to put it on hold just incase we were going to use it later. Finally, after how many years later, we were finally able to use it. I really fell in love with that part, and I didn’t really want to give it up.

“Even in 2009, I was like “Jason needs to be the one that sings this.” I could only hear him on this part and I didn’t know him at all at the time. As our careers developed, I met him at SXSW, I had a great talk with him and then I reached out to Jason and said, “Listen, man. I really want you on this part, if you’re okay with that” and he just agreed to do it. It’s rare as an artist that the way you want something to come together comes exactly like the way you imagined it to be. It was an emotional experience for me and my mum just absolutely loves it and that was really nice.”

You guys just recently released your music video for ‘Why Worry’. Who came up with the choreography for the music video and what was the meaning behind it being in a church setting?

“Well, first of all the church setting because it’s such a gospel song, I couldn’t see it anywhere else as far as setting goes. I wanted it to be like the notion of Duality as a religion so that’s where the thought process of the two sides came from; the people dressed in white that were so uppity and happy and the people dressed in black that were just hard to convince, the people trying to bring you down. So we had this idea a while ago. I didn’t choreograph the dancers behind the video but I knew that I wanted choreographed dancers so I told that to our music director. We saw them all choreographing and I just wanted to make sure that the dancing was hip-hop style, I didn’t want classical dancing. I love classical dancing but it didn’t fit to that [the song] especially cause it had such an RnB vibe to it too. Adding the Duality diamond hand symbol at the beginning and in the end was last minute entirely. There were just so many moments that were just pure inspiration and I think that’s why it turned out the way it did and I’m really proud of it.”

Back in 2008, you sent a YouTube video to Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low and requested that you sing on stage with him to their song “Coffee Shop Soundtrack”. Could you tell me more about this experience and how this came about?

“I was a Clarinet perfomance major at Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio. My life was set to be totally involved with classical music and audition for symphony orchestras. There were people in my school that were nice and everything but I didn’t really have a connection with anybody. I kinda felt out of place. Here I am, this kid that loves pop punk and rock and pop music. I would find myself in my room a lot and I would borrow my neighbour’s guitar and write songs all day and learn covers. I was really into All Time Low that time because I always thought they were very real, and they are and I’m really happy to be able to say that. They’re just goofy, fun people having the time of their lives, pursuing their dreams and not letting anyone stop them and that was inspirational and I connected with that and respected that. So I saw some covers of their song, “Remembering Sunday” and not to be harsh or anything but some were really bad and I decided I wanted to put one out there and see if people would dig it. So, I did that and it got crazy response from their fanbase and it blew my mind. I didn’t expect anything at all.

“And to further prove that, my YouTube name is rockmaniac89 which is not a professional username at all [laughs]. So anyways, long story short, he [Alex Gaskarth] started seeing my videos and responded back and forth and I just asked him, “Hey, I know exactly how you do it [“Coffee Shop Soundtrack”] live.” I thought in my head, I want to ask him in a way that I’d like to be asked, giving him the respect that he needed to make this decision and from there on, he said “Yes” and I bought my ticket already, went there and they brought me in and I got on stage. I have never felt so at home and in that moment, it definitely set in that there was a voice that said “Cody, this is what you gotta do.” I honestly felt in that moment that I spent eleven years of my life practising clarinet, going to high school for clarinet, going into all-state programs and doing all this just to get on stage with All Time Low, and realising that it was my destiny to do this. I could not believe it took that many years of my life of clarinet just to lead me there. My dad was initially hesitant to let me go for this but he saw me on that stage. My dad used to tour too, so did my mum and I think they saw myself in them. They called me and told to leave school so I did and I started forming Set it Off right away.”

I know when it comes to lyrics, you use poetry as your inspiration to improve on your songwriting. In this regard, how has poetry shaped your music and which poets have been your biggest influences so far?

“Honestly, Edgar Allan Poe is my favourite. He was so ahead of his time and he just had such brutal honesty and also the morbid images that he would just create [in his poems]. And I actually wanted to pay a tribute to him [in the new record]. He actually used the words ‘Bleak December’ for the title [song off Duality] and I wanted to find imagery based around that line from The Raven, ‘Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December / And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.’ ‘Bleak December’ just stood out for me and I don’t know why but hey, it’s fun to say. You know that mundane, terrible, rigid winter, I could compare that to a relationship. It’s kind of really sad that he didn’t get any recognition until his passing. I love him and I think his poems are really cool.”

Not only is poetry a big factor when it comes to your lyrics, but they also come from personal experiences. Do you personally think that a song can save a life?

“I think people need to give themselves more credit. I think what songs can do is provide a very positive outlet and provide a very positive distraction. Like when I went through rough times in my life, I would immediately stay up late and you know, play video games and listen to music and it helped me through the whole time. It’s really flattering to hear people say, “You’ve saved my life” or “Your song saved my life” and I don’t think it’s a negative thing at all but I always turn around and say, “Look in the mirror and give yourself some credit, you’re the one that made the decision”, you know. So, I think it has the potential to motivate you, to make the correct decisions but I don’t think it holds all the power of actually saving someone’s life.”

For a band that is constantly touring to increase their fan base, this is obviously important to you guys. What has touring brought to the band?

“Level-headedness, communication skills, survival skills and honestly, a bond that I can’t describe. We were off tour for two months and when we got back together [the band], we literally went “Oh my god, I love tour and this tour and that tour. I’m so glad we’re on tour.” It’s because we have this home on wheels with five best friends where we just laugh our asses off non-stop into each other’s company and we call each other out on things. Like it’s such a good connection but that’s just a personal thing. As far as being on the road and seeing everybody and actually being on stage, witnessing people in different area codes, cities and states, seeing fans singing along to our songs, every time we were out there and seeing them [fanbase] grow, it lets you know you’re doing something right. Like right now, it kind of makes us feel like a rolling stone. I know we’re not picking up that much money at the moment but it just makes us feel like, holy shit, things are going well and we’re doing it right. It’s amazing.”

Looking back at your experience in the band, do you believe that it has contributed a lot to the person you are now?

“I think everything in this band has everything to do with who I am now. In 2008, there was a distinct moment in my life where I’ll never forget whilst we were on tour; I was kind of a stubborn asshole. I wanted things to be my way and if they weren’t, I’d get upset and when this happened, I would start distancing myself from everybody else from the group. So one day I just straight up asked, “What do I do that pisses you off? And they [the rest of the band] were like, “Are you sure you want to hear this?” So they told me and they were harsh things that I needed to hear. As an adult and as a growing human being, that was something that really helped me out to be more conscious about the people around me and on communication and just making sure everyone is happy at the same time and I think moments like that in the band are what makes us so strong. This band has a lot to do with who I am today. Mainly because our past shapes us for who we are, it depends on how you take it really. If you have a negative experience in your life and you take that as “Oh, life hates me”, obviously it doesn’t help if you’re wallowing in self-pity but if you have a negative experience in your life and you’re like “Okay, there’s a lesson in this”, you find that lesson and you grow from it then everything in life will become a learning experience. This band is my life so based on that notion, I’ve learnt a lot.

Cody adds, “You go through a lot. We’re in the music industry you know, it’s not a thriving industry right now by any means. No one buys records anymore. The actual goal of supporting a family and raising kids becomes smaller every time but we’re too in love with it you know. Whether people buy records or not, we’re going to still keep fighting. We want to find ways to put a roof over our heads and our kids heads in the future someday and say we did it because we put in all the hard work to this impossible industry. If we can do that in this day and age, then we have done something incredible.”

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Set It Off‘s Duality is out now via Equal Vision/Unified.

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