About Destroy the Runner

Based out of San Diego, California, Destroy the Runner became an official part of the Solid State family in June 2006 with the release of their debut album Saints on September 12, 2006.  Up to the point the band was called Die Like Me.

What you will notice when you listen to the band; a down-to-earth band that’s got the chops to incorporate memorable melodies and undeniable hooks, all the while maintaining their metal/hardcore roots. Additionally, the band steers clear of the “usual subjects” of anger and rage, instead choosing to lace their music with notes of hope, positivity, and light. Saints, their Solid State Records debut, is thinking man’s metal, and it’s aimed toward the youth of today.

“So many metal bands are all about death, destruction and depression, and it might seem like there is no hope, but we’re saying that there is,” says 20-year-old frontman Kyle Setter. “I always write about my personal convictions and experiences.” The wealth provided by personal experience not only influences the lyrics on Saints, but also the concept behind the album title. “People think they are too good to help others,” Sutter muses. “People go through so much in life to get where they are, and it’s worth the trials and the struggles. It’s like all the thing saints go thru to get canonized. When I wrote most of my lyrics, I talked about struggles, and how I’ve grown as a person, through experiencing losses of friends and personal relationships. In this day and age, people look down on you, like they’ve never gone through these things, but we all have and there’s no shame in that.” Such a statement shows the universal quality of the swirling, quiet-loud Saints, and why it’ll appeal to all facets of metal fans, from the moshers wearing hoodies to the headbangers looking for a something uplifting.

Destroy The Runner writes songs that are well-constructed, catchier-than-a-cold songs. As for the driving power of the music, Setter contends that playing this music is like having a whole other life force, and that Destroy The Runner, as individuals and as a collective, have dedicated themselves to making this band work. “We want to be around for a long time,” the singer says with candor. “We love playing music and we love going into the studio. We love seeing kids in the crowd and meeting them. Without the kids, we couldn’t go anywhere, so we love them and hope they will enjoy the record.” Thanks to the tight, moshable songs on Saints, Destroy The Runner should have no problem appealing to the kids.

The bands latest release, I, Lucifer (2008) has a more progressive sound, with less screaming than their previous album. It charted in the U.S. on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart at #27 and on the Top Heatseekers chart at #25.

Destroy The Runner is just getting started, and one reason that the kids will gravitate towards their music is the passion that pumps through the albums’ veins. “It’s so much fun to play, and it feels alive when we play it,” the singer says. “You can feel our hearts in the music and in the lyrics. It’s a personal record. It’s weird for me to see these words that I’ve written go out to the world, because it’s my heart going out there. It’s about me saying, ‘There are personal battles that we all go thru, and you can get through this.’” And isn’t that what music is for most people? A place and a source of comfort and order in a chaotic world.