Mod Sun

Bloomington, Minnesota's Derek Ryan Smith is known professionally as Mod Sun, an acronym standing for "movement on dreams stand under none." Mod Sun has collaborated with Avril Lavigne on his newest single “Flames” from his forthcoming album fourth album, INTERNET KILLED THE ROCKSTAR" out on February 12th on Big Noise. “Avril Lavigne has one of my favorite voices in music," said Mod Sun. "It’s so strong and confident, yet filled with emotion and one-of-a-kind inflections that only her voice can do. This song holds a lot more weight than meets the eye. There’s a very deep message within it.”

Lavigne said, "Mod and I had an immediate connection from the first day in the studio. He's an incredible artist and producer. This is the first of many. Proud of what we made with Flames."

In the fiery video for “Flames,” Mod Sun can be seen dealing with turmoil in his life while contemplating how he got to where he is now. Throughout the video, both Mod Sun and Lavigne show off their multifaceted musicianship. 

Mod Sun explains, “The direction of my new music is the 16 and 33 year-old me finally becoming friends; we live in the same world now. It took awhile for me to figure out how to grow up while staying young, but I finally did. I think every great artist has recreated themselves every 10 years and this new me is potentially the first time the world is really hearing MOD SUN. I want my music to take you back to moments in your life, then pull you back in by using those memories to build who you are today. It’s trading love for solitude, longing for conversation, and legacy through life & death. There’s an underlying tone in every song of moving on from a life full of addiction and toxicity but there’s also a happy ending. It’s my movie.”

His use of deeply personal lyrics tells relatable stories about love, loss, addiction and rebirth. Mod Sun has been immersed in the L.A. scene working with Machine Gun Kelly, Blackbear, & G-Eazy while simultaneously collaborating with some of the biggest names in rap, like ScHoolboy Q and Nipsey Hussle. 

Mod Sun's first album was LOOK UP in 2015. He released two albums in 2017, entitled BB and MOVIE.

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