Dead Set On Living offers a strong focus on the bilateral relationship of dark and light, destruction and construction, life and death. The title track, for example, refers to a close friend of the band who ended up in the hospital in serious condition; only to have the experience cement his will to survive. "Road Sick," as the title may imply, finds Cormier struggling with the hardships that come with a career spent on the road. "Our lives are all about touring, but that song is more universal," Cormier reveals. "It's really for anyone away from their loved ones, dealing with that situation." Still, whereas 2010's Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones had a much darker tinge, DSOL strikes a tighter balance between the opposing forces and brings listeners closer to the light at the end of the tunnel by encouraging them to push through peril. "We all reach these dark places where we feel angry or alone," says the singer, "but that gives us a reason to pick ourselves up and strive to make something better."
