MOD SUN says he’s deliberate since eighth grade to reinvent himself each decade, going from a hardcore drummer to a blog-favorite rapper to a pop-punk main man. Nonetheless, even with sharp foresight, it’s laborious to think about he noticed all of this coming. Since releasing 2021’s Web Killed the Rockstar, the 36-year-old musician born Derek Smith has skilled essentially the most sustained success of his profession.
“Folks don’t simply get this lengthy of a profession, so I’m up onstage proper now, taking a look at everybody and being tremendous grateful that they’re even there,” Smith says over Zoom from the inexperienced room of a Kansas venue.
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He began 2023 by releasing God Save the Teen, his fifth studio report and second since returning to his emo and different roots, however one which revels in a type of heat and affirmation that makes it really feel meaningfully completely different. Impressed by his journey to sobriety, his shut relationship along with his mom, and his engagement to Avril Lavigne, which ended unexpectedly a number of days earlier than our dialog, it’s an album that breaks from the bitterness usually related to emo music. It additionally sees Smith adopting the position as a type of elder statesman for different music, extra a steward than a gatekeeper, providing warnings from his personal life and the style’s turbulent historical past to a brand new technology of followers. GSTT’s “Courtney Fucked Kurt” encapsulates that hard-driving feeling wherein MOD SUN implores followers to “cease romanticizing loss of life.”
“I romanticized the Van Gogh syndrome, ‘You’ve gotta be tortured to be an important artist,’” he says. “So the entire concept of ‘Courtney Fucked Kurt’ is being like, ‘Don’t simply sing the phrases. Study what the phrases imply. Look into them and watch out about which aspect that you simply actually additional give attention to: the artwork aspect or the chaos.’”
In a video from a latest present shared by TMZ, a grateful MOD SUN advised his supporters that they “fucking saved my goddamn life” within the aftermath of his high-profile breakup. That stage of earnestness and vulnerability is vital to MOD SUN’s attraction, and at a packed live performance in New York, the connection he shares along with his followers was on full show. He serenaded a single mother within the crowd along with his maternal tribute “Single Moms,” switched the title of GSTT’s “Avril’s Music” to “New York’s Music,” and seemed overwhelmed by each heartache and gratitude when he performed “Flames,” arguably the most important report of his solo profession, with the gang belting passionately all through the dramatic duet.
AltPress chatted with MOD SUN earlier this 12 months about being referred to as corny, his many musical evolutions, and the way directing his first characteristic movie seeped into his songwriting.
How’s the tour been?
I’m not gonna lie, I used to be slightly — frightened isn’t the phrase, burdened isn’t the phrase — simply ultra-focused on the success of this tour as a result of these are the most important headline rooms that I’ve performed. That is my improve tour. I’ve been doing this for therefore rattling lengthy, however that is the primary time I’ve been upgraded to the larger rooms. So, there’s an additional accountability that felt prefer it got here with it. Dude, it’s turned out insane. I’m up onstage with a unique perspective proper now as a result of I do know that I’ve been doing this for 15 years as MOD SUN, 5 years earlier than that enjoying drums in bands. Folks don’t simply get this lengthy of a profession, so I’m up onstage proper now, taking a look at everybody and being tremendous grateful that they’re even there.
Web Killed the Rockstar was your first massive pivot again to different music and pop punk, and though that is musically related, it’s fairly completely different. You’ll be able to hear within the lyrics that there’s a mentality shift, and it’s extra life-affirming. Typically in rock and punk areas, extra constructive music will be perceived as corny, and I’m curious when you frightened in regards to the reception to the album and the reception to the tour due to that?
I feel that may have been a priority if this was my second report in music. However I made constructive rap music for 10 years. You know the way many occasions I’ve had the phrase “corny” thrown at me? It doesn’t break the pores and skin for me. I’ve at all times been a polarizing artist, so I’m grateful for that. I take critiques and compliments in the identical method as a result of I’ve actually gone by way of the ropes of at all times having an unimaginable opposing place to what I do. It’s toughened me up. That’s why I’m in a position to be extremely trustworthy and truly discuss my actual life. I’m not within the studio going, “Man, are these individuals gonna suppose I’m corny?” I’m actually like, “What’s my story to inform?”
The dichotomy of music is that everybody desires relatability, they usually suppose that to be relatable you must discuss issues that everybody can join with. It’s the overall reverse with music. You discover that, whenever you do it, the extra particular you might be to your story, by some means, that relates extra to most people. I don’t underestimate my viewers. I consider that I make music for the people who find themselves meant to listen to it. I felt prefer it was such an obligation of mine to make an album that mirrored the place my life was at, at that second, with a love report, with a report about love and development.
“Courtney Fucked Kurt” is a very fascinating one as a result of it feels such as you’re dispelling a number of the misconceptions within the rock and different worlds. Do you’re feeling accountable, as somebody who now has a youthful fanbase, to say, “These are the information of our music’s historical past, and these are the issues about it you need to be cautious about romanticizing”?
I do and I don’t as a result of I don’t prefer to play the position of somebody attempting to be a task mannequin. I prefer to be the one that is extremely trustworthy with my story. I’m about to hit 4 years sober. If I used to be to take a seat right here and say, “Don’t do medicine, medicine are dangerous. Don’t drink, don’t get fucked up. That’s dangerous” — if I have been to do this, that may be counterintuitive to the honesty of my story. I went by way of all of that. I can’t attempt to come into this area and say “I’m a task mannequin. I’m telling you this.”
In terms of “Courtney Fucked Kurt,” I’ve the 27 Membership tattooed on the highest of my arm. I obtained that tattoo once I was like 18. Jim Morrison was one in every of my largest heroes in life. He died being like, “I need to be often called a poet. I don’t need to be often called this chaotic rock star.” However I shifted loads of my focus to the chaotic rock star facet of it, so my complete concept is being like, “I ultra-zoomed in on the chaos and romanticized the chaos of it.” I romanticized the Van Gogh syndrome, “You’ve gotta be tortured to be an important artist.” So the entire concept of “Courtney Fucked Kurt” is being like, “Don’t simply sing the phrases. Study what the phrases imply. Look into them and watch out about which aspect that you simply actually additional give attention to: the artwork aspect or the chaos.” In loads of methods, I turned utterly hooked on chaos, and that tune is only a warning about that.
On Web Killed the Rockstar, you’ve obtained the tune “Smith” as a tribute to your father, after which on this one, you’ve obtained the “Single Moms” tune. You’ve talked loads about your dad and mom within the context of those albums, however I’m curious when you see any deeper reference to this report to your expertise along with your mother and the final report to your expertise along with your father?
It goes with the honesty of my story. My father handed away just about precisely three years in the past. I dedicate that tune to him after his loss of life. The aim with this one was to be sure that I devoted a tune to my mother earlier than her loss of life. I realized one thing from that final one. I’ve by no means heard a tune for single moms.I felt an obligation not solely to my mother however to all single dad and mom on the planet. However my story, particularly, in regards to the power of a single mom. So, I do really feel loads nearer to this one simply because my mother is ready to textual content me and name me about it. I hear from her as soon as each two days, “God, this tune is so particular to me,” and [she’s] crying and all that. My father didn’t get that. He didn’t get to expertise it like that.
When you have been making this album, you additionally directed your first characteristic movie, Good Mourning. Did being in a filmmaker mindset coloration your method to the album in any respect?
Once I take into consideration movies, it’s about tips on how to make one thing that feels just like the final scene of Combat Membership. Folks holding fingers as they watch your entire world crumble. That scene, particularly, is one thing that’s what I would like my artwork to really feel like. That’s what this album looks like looking back: watching the entire world collapse and holding somebody’s hand. This album is precisely a month outdated, and there’s a proud second of the honesty that I inform within the album as a result of life adjustments fast. [Laughs.] This album does really feel just like the world falling aside in loads of methods and nonetheless holding the hand of the particular person you’re keen on, you recognize?
There’s a line on the final verse of “Delusional Confidence” the place you type of are rapping once more: “We should undergo shallowness earlier than we will be deep.” I believed it tackled the very up to date difficulty of mistaking surface-level issues for depth, but additionally that you simply’ve obtained to get previous this to get to that. I feel that’s the most densely packed verse [on the album] and harks slightly bit again to whenever you have been rapping. There’s loads of these inner rhymes. I used to be curious in regards to the writing of that and the way it got here collectively?
It will be the very last item I wrote for this album. When [the song] was made, it was not made to be the outro. It discovered its option to being the outro of the album. Dropping an album with no singles, first off, was an enormous turning level within the creation of this album as a result of as soon as I mentioned, “Strip away the 4 songs that individuals have heard,” I needed to then make 4 others. I had different songs, however I mentioned, “I can see the album now. Let me actually piece this collectively and make it a narrative.”
When that occurred, it felt like I finished chasing one thing. I finished chasing this concept that every thing must be higher than the very last thing you probably did, that these numbers actually are so crucial to how your self-worth is. That was this level of actually eager to make that time clear that I used to be in a position to free myself from that, and I wished to inform all of my listeners on the finish that this world we’re dwelling in can have actually loopy long-term results as a result of we haven’t seen it but. We haven’t truly seen the long-term results, however we’re seeing them in loads of methods, and youngsters are feeling like their self-worth is related to a quantity subsequent to their identify. That’s one thing that’s been giving us a warning of that for the reason that guide 1984. I feel we’re seeing it firsthand, and I feel proper now it goes two methods. We’re both a part of the rebuilding or a part of the destruction of loads of issues.
It connects to the glamorization of sure detrimental issues. You want somebody who has skilled life in a unique type of option to say, “Issues don’t should be this fashion endlessly.” As a result of when you’re 16, it’s very completely different from individuals your age the place the web was a part of your adolescence, nevertheless it wasn’t current way back to you’ll be able to bear in mind in the way in which it’s now.
Having used it professionally and personally for fucking 12 years now, I’m on the level the place I’m in a position to see — you understand how you see your dad and mom be like, “I don’t want social media,” and we’re like, “You’re loopy. That is every thing proper now.” However I see that aspect now, the place the significance has actually dwindled for me, and that’s a subject that I simply share overtly, whether or not or not individuals are gonna relate to that. Discuss corny, I can assure you that fifty% of the world would hear that outro on “Delusional Confidence” and be like, “Fucking corny,” however I’m completely snug with that as a result of I don’t suppose I’m corny, and that’s what that complete final rant is speaking about — how do you really feel about your self?
It’s fascinating that you simply carry out a medley of a few of your older rap songs halfway by way of your concert events. It’d be straightforward to simply put that stuff within the closet, however embracing it reveals a way of maturity and poise.
Right here’s the factor: I’m not carrying a fancy dress. I’m not like, “Hey, have a look at me. I’m a fucking punk rocker now! I’m alt! I’m pop punk, I’m emo!” I’ve recognized since I used to be in eighth grade that I used to be going to remodel myself each 10 years. I used to be going to reinvent myself as an artist. I’ve lived by the [rule] that each one nice artists reinvent themselves each 10 years. That’s the way you create longevity; that’s the way you do that your whole life. I’ve recognized that the primary 10 years of my music profession, I’m going to play drums, the second 10 years of my musical profession, I’m rapping, the third 10 years of my musical profession, I’m singing with a band and guitars and enjoying drums on my songs. I do know what my subsequent 10 years can be, so I’m proud. Shit, I’d be completely happy with enjoying Scary Children Scaring Children and 4 Letter Lie songs. I’m not embarrassed by something I’ve finished. I’m solely happy with it.
I get what you imply whenever you say “I’m not carrying a fancy dress.” You didn’t make this pivot since you noticed the greenback indicators that have been on the market to make this type of music.
No, bro. Large spherical of applause to Neck Deep, State Champs, somebody like New Discovered Glory who by no means stopped, however it could be silly to say that we weren’t part of the pivot. I didn’t see some shift occur and be like, “Let me leap in.” We helped usher it again in. It didn’t appear like it was gonna occur once I dropped “Karma.” Once I launched “Karma,” it wasn’t like KROQ [was] enjoying pop punk. It wasn’t the large resurgence occurring but. I additionally owe loads to somebody like John Feldmann who by no means stopped making this type of music, producing this type of music. He didn’t preserve doing it for the greenback indicators. He stored doing it as a result of it’s what he loves doing. After we met up, that’s what Web Killed the Rockstar was.
Is there anything about having the report out, the tour, that we didn’t contact on that you simply’d need to point out?
I feel the No. 1 actually proud transfer with this album [is] not solely the songs and the expansion in my sound however particularly the fearlessness. For each artist on the market, you don’t have to stay to some script. Try to be proud to interrupt the foundations and launch an album that has no singles. That’s taboo on this period. I’m seeing it work utterly in my favor that individuals are falling in love with each tune on this album, not simply those that have been pushed as the massive ones.
Bob Dylan is my favourite artist. I dunno if he’s ever outsold his first two albums, however he’s dropped gospel albums, nation albums. He’s finished all of it. That’s who I look as much as for fearlessness — do that for what you’re keen on. You don’t want to do that to try to be in competitors with your self on a regular basis.
