Starset

Alternative rock band Starset formed in Columbus, Ohio in 2013. Founded by singer, songwriter, and keyboardist Dustin Bates, the group became his main musical output when his previous band, Downplay, went on hiatus. Inspired by his interested in astronomy, Bates gave Starset a fictional backstory that became part of the band’s music and multimedia presentations. The band’s line-up also includes Brock Richards (guitar), Adam Gilbert (drums), and Ron DeChant (bass / keyboards). Their debut album, Transmissions, was released in 2014 and reached Number 49 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. It also appeared on Billboard’s Alternative, Digital, Hard Rock, and Rock charts as well. Their sophomore album, Vessels, was an even bigger success, climbing to Number 11 on the Billboard 200 and charting in Australia, Germany, Canada, and Austria. Starset released the album Divisions in 2019 and while it didn’t chart as well as Vessels, it was still a significant hit and entered the Top 100 in Scotland. In 2021, the group released their fourth album, Horizons, which failed to make the Billboard 200. In August 2022, Starset collaborated with hard rockers Breaking Benjamin on the single “Waiting on the Sky to Change,” which was originally recorded by Bates’s previous band Downplay.