the Active Set

The Active Set was formed by Los Angeles native Matthew Stolarz, fighting the dissatisfaction of continually playing in other people’s bands. Inspired by the energy and intelligence of post-punk, new wave, Britpop and emo, Stolarz had written an abundance of material that needed a proper home. Collaborating in the studio with producer Jason LaRocca, the first self-titled EP was created.

The band became regulars in the L.A. indie music scene. After a successful bout of touring the west coast, they began work on their first album “11”. It was released to fantastic reviews including a feature in the L.A. Times, celebrating the album’s energy and eclecticism. The album also spawned three music videos, including the visceral “Famous For Dying”. They continued to support the album, traveling to SXSW and eventually touring with Neon Trees and AWOL Nation.

Back in L.A. the band started writing new material and continued playing up and down California, including Sunset Strip Music Festival where they were voted one of the “Top 5 bands at SSMF”. All focus went on finishing the EP "Lights". The single “Shut ’’Em Down” spent several months playing on KROQ Locals Only. The band continued touring regionally and played two sold-out shows with Bloc Party prior to their appearance at FYF Fest.

With a new perspective, the band opted to scrap all their earlier demos and wrote a new EP from scratch, teaming up once again with producer Jason LaRocca. The EP "Everything Changes” (with the boisterous “Let’s Go Out Tonight” and emotional “Say Goodbye”) brought in a more diverse audience for the band. With the decision not to tour the EP, the band began work on a new full-length.