WATCH: Set It Off Debuts Emotional Acoustic Version of “Happy All the Time”
WATCH: Set It Off Debuts Emotional Acoustic Version of “Happy All the Time”
The pop-punk trio joins forces with a children’s choir for a gorgeous new track
by Jack Humphrey
For over a decade now, Florida’s Set It Off has been one of pop-punk’s loudest voices. Having built an expansive career with five LPs, countless headlining tours and festivals, all backed by a devoted fanbase — Set It Off has gone from a scrappy product of the scene subculture, to a permanent resident within the pop-punk community. The release of their deluxe edition to their 2019 monumental fifth studio album, Midnight, sees Set It Off pulling out all the stops as they close out this era in the band’s ongoing saga.
A triumphant end to the career defining album, the band dropped a reimagined acoustic version of their optimistic single “Happy All the Time” — this time joining forces with the all-female choir, the Compton Kidz Club. Also featuring Issues’ bassist, Skyler Acord, the reimagined version of “Happy All the Time” is a lively jamboree bringing together some uniquely talented musicians from a variety of walks of life to celebrate the simple concept of being alive. The impassioned tune assures the listener that of course life is not easy, but taking the time to appreciate every emotion and every experience that the journey brings is part of what makes it all worthwhile. To that point, Set It Off frontman Cody Carson remarked,
“I am so damn proud of this song and the people involved with it. The message is important to me because we all feel so much pressure to be 100 percent all of the time and it’s SO important to remember that it’s okay to be sad. It also doesn’t hurt that my mom told me that even she puts this song on when she feels down.”
The video puts the raw, rootsy, musicianship of the stripped-back track on full display. What starts with the three members of the band seated together jamming out acoustically soon becomes an ecstatically powerful musical moment, with the Compton Kidz Club belting out the anthemic chorus with lively gospel-esk energy and Skyler Acord even serving up some tasty vocal runs himself. Even with such sparse instrumentation, the new version of “Happy All the Time” brings as much charisma and spirit as any full-band production Set It Off has released in their illustrious career.
With the release of Midnight: the Final Chapter, Set It Off continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible and what they’re capable of as a band, from folksy acoustic arrangements like “Happy All the Time” to such hyper dance-infused tracks like “Go To Bed Angry.” Between the new tunes and the band’s upcoming world tour, their Dreamcatchers fans certainly has plenty to be excited about. Midnight: the Final Chapter is available now on Fearless Records.
