STARSET Tickets

STARSET harness heavy guitar riffs, grand orchestral arrangements and sci-fi-inspired storytelling to create an immersive and cinematic take on the rock genre.

Formed in Columbus, Ohio, in 2013, STARSET occupy the cinematic rock genre; combining dynamic guitars and electronic soundscapes with emotionally raw vocals and thought-provoking lyrics courtesy of enigmatic frontman Dustin Bates (formerly of Downplay). A PhD candidate with a background in space research, Bates created a fictional backstory for the band that forms the thematic basis for their artistry, as well as providing a vehicle for social commentary. Sonically, the band cites a diverse range of influences, from Hanz Zimmer to Nine Inch Nails.

STARSET’s sci-fi-inspired debut album, Transmissions, arrived in 2014, introducing audiences to a fictional Starset Society whose aims were to humanity about ‘The Message’. Featuring the lead single ‘My Demons’, the track remains their most popular effort, sitting at almost 400 million streams to date on Spotify.

Along with the announcement that they would be supporting Breaking Benjamin on their upcoming 2016 European tour, STARSET teased their second album, promising to be more stylistically diverse than the previous, with nods to metal and pop. Taken from the album, the first single to be released was ‘Monster’. Blending symphonic and electronic influences, ‘Monster’ became STARSET’s most commercially successful track, peaking at No.2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. The full album, entitled Vessels, was subsequently released in 2017, debuting at No.11 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. In September 2017, the band published an accompanying novel, The Prox Transmissions, further detailing the lore of the Starset Society story which, to this day, is referenced by the band as real in interviews.

After signing to Fearless Records in 2018, STARSET released a deluxe version of their previous album, Vessels 2.0. Their dedication to storytelling and worldbuilding continued to grow as the band gained traction, with STARSET incorporating elements of augmented reality into their live performances. Dystopian themes such as societal control and surveillance are omnipresent in the 16-track third album, Divisions (2019). Released alongside an ambitious U.S. and European tour, Divisions retains the same cinematic sensibilities and polished production; layering anthemic choruses with driving guitars and Bates’ signature vocals. By 2020, STARSET had clocked up over 2 billion streams worldwide.

2021 saw STARSET try something different as they announced a two-month tour across America playing exclusively acoustic and intimate performances. Featuring riff-heavy fan-favourite tracks such as ‘The Breach’ and ‘Earthrise’, STARSET’s album Horizons arrived in October of the same year. In 2024, STARSET began teasing their fifth studio album with the release of singles ‘Brave New World’, ‘Degenerate’, ‘TokSik’ and ‘Dystopia’, promising to continue the band’s tradition of melding intricate storytelling with genre-spanning music.