Minneapolis based musician Derek Smith, better known “Mod Sun,” lives a lifestyle that many people may not be too familiar with. Smith began his “Your Favorite Movie” tour in his home town of Minneapolis, in front of friends and family, and is set to play at the Cavalier in downtown La Crosse on March 6, 2020.       

“Whether I am on tour or not I try to have a hometown show each year on my birthday, which I have done for the past five years. My birthday being March 10, it didn’t work out this time, but it’s not typical to see an artist begin a tour in such a large market,” said Smith.

Smith called Bloomington, Minnesota home and he lived close enough to Minneapolis to where his house served both as an area for artist growth and a hostel. “As a teenager living near Minneapolis, I was going to shows five times a week. In those days, there was a big hardcore, thrash metal scene going on, and whenever bands toured through Minneapolis I would invite them to stay in my house, which happened almost every weekend,” said Smith.

Smith’s interest in music began with the band “Blink-182.” Smith said, “Drums were my first instrument. Truthfully, it all stems from my fascination with Travis Barker. I wanted to be a tattooed, skateboarding drummer, so I picked up some drums sticks and learn every one of their songs.”

This eventually introduced him to the Blink-182 cover band scene, which he credits as an important stage in his early career as a performer. Smith’s interest in the world of pop-drumming led him in becoming the drummer for the Minneapolis post-hardcore band Four Letter Lie, spending four years as an active member before transitioning into a position with Scary Kids Scaring Kids (SKSK).

“When I was playing in these rock bands, it felt more welcoming and easier to perform in Minneapolis. It was when I transitioned over to rap when I became a sort of outcast, so shows in Minneapolis for a while were hard to come by,” said Smith. Most of Smith’s earliest shows were openers for SKSK.

“As far as a Midwest sound, I’m not sure there is one; but my bio for the rest of my life will say ‘from Bloomington, Minnesota.’ I represent the Midwest because of all the things I’ve learned here, all the values that have brought me to where I am today.” He mentions an idol of his, Bob Dylan, whose sound represents what he deems to be the only Midwestern style he would like to be equated with. “If my music could ever be compared to someone like him [Dylan], it would be an absolute honor.”  

Smith also will be touring with a special guest, Dylan’s grandson Pablo. “He’s a must-see performer, it’s really cool to see him play with a full band; make sure to get there early and check him out,” said Smith. From a young age, Smith and Pablo have been friends, both committing to tour together one day. “I’ve always wanted to take him on tour, and whenever I tell someone I want them to perform with me I try my best to make it happen.”  

Smith explained he embraced the ‘outcast’ lifestyle as a teenager. “As far as grades, I was no good. But socially, I grew up as a sports start in Bloomington, and so those relationships made me fall in with the ‘cool kids,’” said Smith. “Instead of becoming an outcast of sorts, I had these relationships with both groups of kids: those I grew up playing sports with and the skater, artistic kids. So I kind of floated all across the board.” 

During his final year in high school, Smith found the lifestyle he had been looking for in Long Beach, California, where he was sent to live with his father. “It’s real laid back out there, it seriously is just meet up with your homies, jam out in a garage and find the nearest taco spot later on,” said Smith.  

While living in Long Beach, Smith had the opportunity to live next door to ‘Sublime’s’ original drummer Bud Gaugh. “At this point, I was really into this pop-punk era in my career, but the lifestyle I learned from him and the area really brought Mod Sun to life, that Sublime lifestyle really hit me,” said Smith.

Smith’s stage name “Mod Sun” or “Movement-of-Dreams, Stand-Under-None” is a mantra Smith lives his life off of, an underlying influence to some of the tattoos he bares on his chest that read “Happy to Be Here” and “I’m Alright” along with various doodles and markings that he feels directly represents him. Smith said, “The hippie-hop movement is based around bettering yourself, being positive, celebrating today. This will never change with me; it just is what it is, an everyday thing.” 

“The top of the world can only be seen from the bottom of the sea” is a quote that comes to mind for Smith, another mantra he’s expressed in his books “Did I Ever Wake Up?,” “Happy to Be Here,”  and “So Long Los Angeles.” He mentions his time in Long Beach, the struggles he faced as a homeless teenager and how this experience put things in perspective for him.

“I saw many walks of life, I found appreciation for the people who had nothing and lived life in a way that was completely separated from the material,” Smith said, whose outlook on life he says offered many points that helped him save lives through art. “The struggles I’ve been through will help me create beauty, and that’s what’s going to end up keeping me alive.”   

With almost 300 days of sober living, Smith feels overwhelmed with celebrating his new lifestyle. “Whether it hurts or if it’s difficult, it’s for the best. I’m not trying to self-will every miracle in my life. I just know if I focus hard enough there is no way I won’t get what I truly desire.” He says, thanking the opportunity for his sister to tag along with him as his tour manager and member of his merchandise team, which has helped him stay true to his goals.  

Smith has had a ten-year career as an artist, spanning three albums, three EP’s, six mixtapes, and more than 100 songs. Having had the opportunity to work with his hero, Travis Barker, allowed Smith to “check it off the bucket list,” which he feels grateful for. “With my mantras, I always try to ‘inspire inspiration’ for others. It shows that you really can get in the same room as your idols,” said Smith.

With a song like “I Remember Way Too Much,” he questioned very little and kept with the music that felt natural to him. “At this point in my life I go with whatever the beat tells me what to do, I try not to questions anything,” said Smith. “The greatness from me comes from my authenticity, letting it be free form, a truly complete piece of art.” 

Not only does he channel free form through music, but also through his writing. Like his hero Jack Kerouac, typewriting grounds him, while also allowing him space away from “Mod Sun.” Smith said, “Typewriting is a form of therapy for me. I write when I feel like I have something great to say; for the purpose of writing; for the love of it; for people to feel attached to my words.”

Similar to his music, Smith sees his skin is also a place for his story to bleed truth, as it’s not so much the storytelling, but the documentarian in him that drives Smith to the page and to the tattoo parlor. With “over 100 tattoos,” Smith says that he is nowhere close to being done. “I want my body to essentially be like pages of a book, it’s me embodying myself on my skin.” 

Smith shared that he is a fan of history, with his favorite place to tour being Washington D.C. “One of my favorite places to tour is Washington D.C. From 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., running around D.C. checking out every single monument is a tradition of mine,” said Smith. “One of the things I love about history is how it allows me to express the things that allow me to be who I am to the subcultures of people who are unfamiliar with these icons. People come to shows and give me Bukowski and Kerouac books, and it’s great to see the people I idolize begin to rub off on a younger generation.”  

Smith labels Mod Sun as an “old soul,” who lives in his own, dated world. “I drive around in old cars, I listen to Miles Davis and Coltrane on vinyl in my bedroom, I love to dress in old clothes; just anything that can allow me to pretend that I’m living in a time that isn’t 2020,” said Smith.

Jazz is a fascination for Smith, the only music he says is too beautiful for anyone to dare throw vocals over it. “There’s this magical and mystical overtone about jazz. Davis is someone who I revere, one of the most interesting people in the world in my opinion; this is someone who changed up his style constantly, evolving into different versions of himself within each period of his musical career. I’ve used that idea in my own work, as it’s the easiest way to find out what you are capable of and how you can involve yourself with new artistic elements,” said Smith.

Smith is currently learning the saxophone. “I won’t allow myself to not know everything about music. I want to know every genre; I want to study my heroes out of respect. Whatever genre I’ve amerced myself into is for the purpose to learn how I can leave behind a legacy,” said Smith. “What I leave behind I want to make sure was truly me.”    

The 1980s punk-art movement, which encompassed the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, served as another guiding light for his fascination for his historical aesthetic. The posters for his tour resemble Warhol’s Campbell’s Tomato Soup paintings. “I have a team of people who help me do exactly what I want, but conceptually I wanted it to blend; I wanted myself to be designed to look like a Basquiat-like superhero attacking Warhol’s soup can. I like to think it represents my journey in beating my demons,” said Smith.

Smith is set to play three shows in Wisconsin, which he says is unusual, but an important market that he thinks deserves more credit. Having a few old roots in La Crosse, Smith is looking forward to his performance at the Cavalier theater and lounge, a venue he says will be a bit easier to move his equipment in and out of compared to the Warehouse, where he would perform with Four Letter Lie, stating how relieved he’ll be to avoid another steep entrance. “I used to have to lug my drums up and down those stairs, it was crazy hard. But as soon as I had the opportunity to go back to La Crosse I just had to.”  

Smith said he is excited to be able to tap into his now college-aged fan base. “It’s a crowd I haven’t really connected with as much. I’ve done all age shows my entire career, but over the years my fans have grown. I think that the music I am making recently is much more college driven.”

Mod Sun will be performing at the Cavalier on Friday, March 6 at 8 p.m. “Anyone out there if there’s any way you can make it to the show, I’ll be playing the classics and new music. It’s a show like no other, please come check it out!” Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by following this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mod-sun-at-cavalier-theater-tickets-90189105041?aff=aff0bandsintown&appId=wf_zbqfhazhfvp.pbz&comeFrom=242&artist_event_id=101987409