Hailing from Scottsdale, Arizona The Summer Set is an American pop rock band that formed in 2007. The band consists of lead vocalists Brian Dales, guitarists Josh Montgomery and John Gomez, and percussionist (girl drummer, ftw) Jess Bowmen.

The band formed because Jess Bowmen and brothers Stephen and John Gomez had their own band The Maine  and released their own album before disbanding in 2008. Jess and John joined Brian and Josh in 2008, forming what is now The Summer Set. They signed The Militia Group in 2008 and released their debut album, Love Like This on October 13, 2009.

They played the entire Warped Tour in 2010 and followed this with joining the Dirty Work  Tour with other big names in pop rock All Time Low, Yellowcard, and Hey Monday.

Fun Fact: The Summer Set’s song “Chelsea” was written for actress Chelsea Kane by Brian Logan Dales, who she dated in 2011.Click To Tweet This

In 2011, The Summer Set released their second full-length studio album entitled Everything’s Fine.

In 2012, the band rented a house and wrote and recorded songs in, making up much of their third studio album, Lengendary. Much of the fun-loving energy that makes up the musicality &lyrical content of the album is inspired by the communal living experience they had while working on this album and living in that house.

Lengendary  was released via Fearless Records, and gained the attention of IHeartRadio, where the Summer Set won their rising star competition, and appeared in their music festival and Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in November 2013 where they performed their song, “Lightening in a Bottle.”

Following the release of the album on April 1, the band was set to perform at a Wisconsin Bernie Sanders rally on April 4, 2016.

Song by Song Review

“Figure Me Out:” Definitely a great opening to the record especially with the line, “I’m too pop for the punk kids, and too punk for the pop kids.” It talks about identifying who you are outside of the limelight after tasting what it means to be famous and how people tend to try to place you in a box, especially in today’s society. It features the signature sound The Summer Set had on their Lengendary album.

“The Night is Young” Sounding like the pop rock version of Nicki Minaj’s The Night is Still Young but with musicality that could be equally compared to Fun!, the song is motivating for the youth of today because when things happen, you tend to want to give up but the world isn’t over but instead this song motivates one to “don’t give up when you’re down.” This is one of my favorite songs off the album.

“Missin’ You”: This track reminds me of Hot Chelle Rae’s “Honestly” but The Summer Set’s own kickass version.

“Jean Jacket”: A song reminiscing a summer of being 19 and young and in love, without a care in the world.

“All My Friends”: A feel-good song that talks about how one’s friends always tend to have something to say about the person you choose to date. Musically, this is one of my favorite songs on the album.

The musicality of this track reminds me of an 80’s rock song, almost like The Simple Minds and the Breakfast Club.

“All Downhill From Here”: They say once you reach a certain age that it’s all downhill but it’s a positive spin on what the experts or the ominous “THEY” say.

“All In”: An anthem you can play for a night out with friends, it’s about being “All In” to wherever life takes you. This song is another one of my favorites off the album because of the musicality and care-free attitude the song promotes.

“Wonder Years”: A slower-tempo and more serious lyrical content talking about never forgetting who you were during the infamous “wonder years.” Musically, it reminds me once again of The Simple Mind’s, “Don’t Forget About Me,” but a slower tempo but similar theme.

“When The Party Ends”: A solid feel-good keep the party going even at 4 a.m. rock and roll style anthem that you will have on repeat from the first listen. This is my favorite song on Stories From Monday!

“Wasted”: This track should be coined as the anthem of millennials everywhere; a solid party anthem and great end to a rock and roll masterpiece, Stories For Monday.

Whether you are heading to work or heading to a rager that will be talked about on every social media app for months to come, Stories For Monday is definitely the soundtrack to a life well-lived no matter where you live. The Summer Set is set to head out on a U.S. & U.K. tour in promotion of this album.