This week Meet The Band travels to Sweden, as we spotlight Set Before Us. The metalcore band’s debut full-length album is Vitae. Vocalist Erik Tropp introduces us to his band.
Chad Bowar: Give us a brief history of Set Before Us.
Erik Tropp: Set Before Us was created in 2012. We wrote a few songs and would eventually release our first single, “Wildfire”, in 2014. We went on and produced a first EP named Voyagers which was released later the same year. In 2015 we released our single “Highborn” which was followed by another EP, Enigmas, in 2016. Now, in 2018, we’ve recently released three singles for our upcoming record. “Ignite,” “Identity” and “Avalanche” are the names of the singles, and the full-length record Vitae is due to be released August 31. During our time together we’ve toured in Sweden, United Kingdom, Germany, Ukraine, Estonia, Russia, Poland, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Describe the songwriting and recording process for Vitae.
Usually, but not always, our songs start out with an idea that Jesper, our lead guitarist, has produced. Although, some fundamental ideas for certain songs on Vitae were created by us together. When Jesper had the ideas for the songs he presented them to us, whereupon we all had a say in what we thought about it. After that we made changes where we deemed necessary until we came up with the final products.
How has your sound evolved from your EPs?
We’ve definitely strode more towards the melodic elements which has always been present in our music, however this time we emphasize it more. We are still heavy when it suits the songs, but we all agreed that a good harmony is crucial for a song to be pleasant to listen to.
What lyrical topics do you cover?
Vitae is, as the Latin name suggests, about life, and such the lyrics are about various dilemmas and situations which life gives to most of us.
How did you come to sign with Eclipse Records?
We were approached by Eclipse Records with an offer of a collaboration which we are very thankful for. Chris of Eclipse Records has been a valued partner in the creation and upcoming release of Vitae.
What are your goals and expectations for the album?
Our goal is, and has always been to give music to as many people as we possibly can. As such, we expect the album to catapult our music to people all around the world, and hopefully it will be so.
What has been your most memorable Set Before Us live show?
We have many shows that we are very grateful for, but one that sticks out is our gig in St. Petersburgh, Russia in 2017. That gig was our first ever live show in Russia, and the number of people who came out and went absolutely crazy was awe-inspiring to say the least. We didn’t expect that kind of welcome in a new country, and with the show being one of the first of the tour, it really sparked an energy which we carried with us for the rest of the shows throughout the country and beyond.
What are your upcoming show/tour plans?
We are planning another tour of Germany this fall, which we look forward to a lot. We’ve had a great time there every single time we’ve been there. We’re also looking at options for going back to the United Kingdom for another round of shows there. Things are in the making for sure!
How did you get started in music?
We came together as a band in the year of 2012. We all went to the Swedish equivalent of high school together, and started out playing a few covers for fun in the basement of one of the member’s house. This quickly changed to us wanting to write own material, and so we started the band which was to be named Set Before Us shortly after.
Who were your early influences and inspirations?
Early influences has always been a bit spread out, with us listening to pretty much every genre there is. Early material though, we definitely took much inspiration from big names in various hardcore and metal genres like Parkway Drive, A Day To Remember, August Burns Red, Breakdown of Sanity and many more.
What was the first metal concert you attended?
I’m sure many of us has seen big names earlier in life, but the first concert we went to together all of us was an Avenged Sevenfold concert in 2010 I believe.
What’s currently in your heavy musical rotation?
I know some of the other guys listen a lot to Architects when it comes to heavy music these days. Parkway Drive, August Burns Red and Texas in July also come to mind. I think most of us don’t just listen to a few bands, but our songs lists consists of good songs from several groups!
Anything else you’d like to mention or promote?
We’d be honored if you take your time and listen to the album. Start out with the three singles released via Spotify or Apple Music, and check YouTube for the music videos that came with them! We really hope you enjoy them! And stay tuned on our social media pages for news of shows and tours coming up! Thank you.
(interview published September 1, 2018)
