Slam Dunk Bites: Set It Off

Over the coming weeks, Already Heard will be highlighting a variety of bands set to play the Slam Dunk Festival later this month.

With their latest album, ‘Upside Down’, Tampa, Florida’s Set It Off pull from a variety of pop, hip-hop and R&B influences. The end result is a slick set of infectious songs that genre-hop effortlessly. Sure some may find their style far too produced, but you can’t fault the quartet as they’re good at what they do.

In a live setting, Set It Off know how to give a compelling show that thrives on audience participation. Two years ago, they made their Slam Dunk Festival debut, opening the main stage with success. Now they’re returning to the festival. Although they’re not on the main stage, they are higher up the bill on the Key Club stage sharing the stage with several bands they’ve played with in the past including Tonight Alive, With Confidence, and Waterparks.

Before they headed to the UK for the first time in over a year, we spoke to guitarist Zach DeWall.

AH: It’s been just two years since you made your Slam Dunk debut. Are you looking to returning to the festival?
Zach: I am honestly so excited! It’s such a great opportunity for us to not only play to a big festival audience, but also to see a lot of our touring friends we haven’t seen in a long time!

AH: What are your memories from playing on the main stage in 2015?
Zach:
It was incredible! We opened main stage and I remember setting up for day one of the festival. We hung our banner and I checked from the now empty crowd to see how it looked. I remember looking at it and being so proud to see my band on that stage! Also the free booze was pretty cool too!

AH: This will be your first time in the UK since releasing ‘Upside Down’. The album is rather versatile, taking influences from various genres. How have you incorporated that side of the bands sound into your live show?
Zach: Being versatile has always being super important to us as a band, and I absolutely feel like that shows with our music. We love to add anything and everything we can to a live show. On the last tour we had Dan (Clermont – guitarist) playing trumpet live on our song ‘Upside Down’ and that was so much fun to see the crowd react to! I also like to switch it up and grab the bass or an acoustic through our the set. We even go as far as Maxx (Danziger – drummer) and I switching guitar and drums for the last hits of the set.

AH: You’re sharing a stage with the likes of Tonight Alive, Waterparks, With Confidence and Seaway. They’re bands you’ve played with before. Are you looking forward to catching up with them?
Zach:
YES! Tonight Alive and Set It Off have been great friends for years now and it is always a treat when our paths cross. All those bands on our stage are friends and it’s honestly gonna be a party you don’t want to miss!

AH: With so many stages and music on offer, are there any bands you’re going to be making a special effort to go and see over the weekend?
Zach: Absolutely! I definitely want see to Don Broco, Beartooth, Tonight Alive, The Maine and just so many.

‘Upside Down’ by Set It Off is out now on Rude Records.

Set It Off will be playing at 8:20pm on the Key Club Stage at Slam Dunk Festival on all three dates.

May
23 Marble Factory, Bristol
24 Sound Control, Manchester
25 G2, Glasgow
31 02 Academy Islington, London

Set It Off links: Website|Facebook|Twitter