Stu Turner and Nick Drabble are in love with what they do and it shows. And that's what the music industry is all about, isn't it? Being passionate about the art you are creating and forcing your audience to feel that emotion contained in the chords with you, something this rising Australian pair is forced to do as they are first and foremost DJs, a job where no lyrics are involved. Named after their iconic set of mustaches, Set Mo is the up and coming electronic Music dynamic duo you've been on the edge of your seats waiting for, even if you didn't realize you needed them.
Their debut album "Surrender" dropped this past Friday, February first, and already reached 100,000 streams the first day alone. Stu explained to me that, "The title track has this Brian Eno sample in it where he talked about surrendering to art and how one of the issues we have in society is trying to control every aspect of everything, and how that can get in the way of true enjoyment. The best experiences and the best moments in your life are when you just surrender entirely to whatever you're doing or whatever you're listening to or experiencing, just go with the flow, essentially. So Nick found that little sample and we were lucky enough to get it cleared by Brian which is insane, just before putting out the album, and we just felt it really tied in with our approach to it."
Set Mo
This duo began releasing songs off of this album one at a time, once per month starting back in February of 2018, leaving five new unheard songs to be released on the 16 song album. This includes 10 with vocals and 6 without, breaking some serious album norms. Each song with lyrics includes a different artist that brings something unique to the table. They always write with that particular artist in the room to really include the essence of what they have to offer and make sure everyone's vibes are authentic and line up flawlessly with the music. Not only is Set Mo redefining how to make music, but they are also redefining how to release it.
Set Mo has really unleashed the beast when it comes to the power and possibilities of the music industry, discovering they can do more than they ever thought possible, especially without any vocalists. "Neither of us sing, so it forced us to sample, create emotion through instruments and melodies, rather than a voice, which is really cool, and I think that pushed us as songwriters and producers. We realized that you can do so much more than we thought we could without a vocal. It opened up all these doors, we can write slow stuff and club-y stuff and really moody things, or upbeat feel-good music. We walked away with these 13 tracks that were completely different from one another and completely different from any of the singles we put out prior."
Set Mo
Although music takes up the majority of their time, selfless acts of services are also on the agenda for Nick and Stu. Nick contributes to Meals on Wheels, delivering food to people who have a mental or physical disability, are too old to cook for themselves, or anyone who needs access to food. He's been doing this for several years now.
As for Stu, he works for a nonprofit organization that works with local artists to create music workshops for remote and indigenous communities. They go around into juvies and remote communities to make predominantly hip hop tracks, show them how to make a beat on a computer or write lyrics, record it all, and give it to them in a CD at the end of the session. The value that these guys place on music is unmatchable.
Set Mo
And as for fun, both are huge fans of finding the best food, coffee, and wine the world has to offer. They are also massively into sneakers, this probably explains how they are running to the top of the charts so quickly.
Now that they've moved into this format, they are eager and excited to make another album already. Free to move and experiment however they like and always writing, Set Mo will definitely be a band you'll be hearing more from.
Set Mo
Check out their new album "Surrender" on Spotify here and check out their website here. Keep your eyes peeled for an amazing tour starting this summer that's set to including Australia, New Zealand, and some of the States! You aren't going to want to miss out on a live show by Set Mo, the best dance party you'll ever have coming near to you soon!
