How did you come up with your name?
It was one of those things we never thought would become a proper thing but it was back when we were first hanging out and both rocking pretty dirty moustaches, i.e. a set mo.
What is your biggest release to date? Tell us about it?
White Dress would be our biggest tune to date. We wrote it a couple of years ago in London after a week in Ibiza and were feeling pretty inspired by seeing some amazing DJs in different settings and lapping up the Spanish sunshine.
You have just released ‘I belong here’ to some great critical acclaim, what the song about?
I Belong Here is a song about reflecting on where you’re at in life and then being able to realise when you’re in a good place and you’re exactly where you belong. It’s got a feel good undertone to it – it’s a positive thing when you know you’re on the right path.
Tell me about the vocalist Woodes? What makes her special?
Woodes is not only an amazing vocalist but also an amazing musician. We’d been fans of her music before we had the chance to meet us and then when we got in the studio together we all clicked and wrote that song together basically in a day.
Can you describe each other personalities and say why you work well together?
To be honest we have pretty similar personalities and love a lot of the same things; music, burgers, sneakers, travel, beers etc. That is definitely one of the things that makes us work so well together. In terms of music taste we are both into a lot of similar stuff however it’s probably our slightly differing tastes that really make Set Mo work musically as we’re always showing each other new things that the other may not have heard.
What is unique about the Australian scene at the moment, is there a good spread of genres? Is there one dominant sound?
The current music scene in Australia is super strong in our opinion. There’s a very wide spread of music, and people seem more open to new styles and sounds than ever before. Of course there are some genres that are more popular than others, but there’s such strong talent pool coming out of Australia that seems to be resonating with people globally that it’s really exciting at the moment.
Who are the break out acts for you in Australia? DJ and producers, you respect? Why are they doing so well?
There’s honestly so many but a few that jump to mind like Motez, Cosmo’s Midnight, Crooked Colours, Running Touch, Nyxen, Dom Dolla, Kucka, The Kite String Tangle. All are very different but also pushing the boundaries in terms of writing unique music. It’s crucial that if you want to stand out you need to create your own sound and style and not just copy what is out there – and all of these artists certainly do that.
You have enjoyed big success especially on Spotify with 20 million combined plays – how much of a part has streaming played in your international presence?
Streaming is so powerful now! We’ve seen a real shift over the past couple of years in particular in how our audience consumes our music and we have people all over the world listening to our music through streaming platforms. It’s been a crucial aspect in spreading our music and gaining fans in new places.
Why is it important to break into the UK and US markets for you? Where do you see yourself playing?
Both the UK and US are obviously huge markets and we definitely look forward to coming over and playing in both. There’s such a wide variety of potential shows too. We love playing everything from daytime outdoor parties and festivals right through to dark smoky nightclubs in the early hours of the morning. Coming over and playing different parties is a great way to share our music with fans but also to people who potentially haven’t heard us before.
Can you describe how your sound and production is unique?
We’re influenced and inspired by both underground music and also more classic song based tracks and feel you can hear that in our sound. We’d like to think our music can be enjoyed by the pool with a cocktail in hand or in a nightclub at 3am.
Europe has Ibiza as the mecca of dance music? Is there an Australian equivalent?
We wouldn’t say we have an equivalent of Ibiza, however our summers are pretty long and hot which lends itself to a lot of great outdoor day parties and festivals that capitalise on the great weather.
What have you got coming up?
We’re currently on a Stamina Session tour in Australia where we travel around and play 4 hour sets. So far we’ve played the first two shows which were sold out, and have Melbourne’s this weekend which is also sold out. We’ve got a pretty tasty remix package for I Belong Here coming out in a few weeks. In a months time we’re going to Bali to play our first gig and then we’re actually heading to Europe for a month to do some writing and catch up with some people!
