A Conversation About Redefining Rock Stardom With Mod Sun

“Light a match and put it to my name.” —from “Flames” by Mod Sun featuring Avril Lavigne.

This week we spoke with singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist Mod Sun for the Hardcore Humanism Podcast. Mod has a new solo album out called Internet Killed The Rockstar, which can be preordered now and is set to release Feb. 12, 2021.

Source: Mod Sun, used with permission

As a child of the '80s, when I heard about Mod’s album I immediately harkened back to my youth and watching the first video ever to appear on MTV—The Buggles' song “Video Killed The Radio Star.” What was so compelling about that song was that it signaled to the world that there was a new era of how we think about and relate to music and our rock stars. Specifically, through the use of visual imagery and story-telling, musicians were now able to think of and present themselves in a more complex, multi-dimensional way. In essence, the very concept of what it could mean to be a “rock star” changed instantaneously. And this was another step in the ongoing evolution of how artists related to the world.

And it was that same revolutionary spirit that drove the conversation Mod and I had, where he talked about how his own artistic path involves deconstructing and reconfiguring the definition of what it means to be a rock star. Specifically, Mod explained how the predominant definition of what it means to be a true “artist” was to push oneself—physically, emotionally—to the very edge in order to explore the outer limits of one’s creativity. As Mod points out, this lifestyle would often be done at the expense of one’s health and well-being, including drug use and working for days on end with little sleep. But Mod then went on to described expanding the concept of what it means to be a “rock star” to one where health and creativity are not at odds but are rather synergistic in building a sustainable and productive artistic career. In essence, he’s rejecting the “sex, drugs, and rock and roll” model in which one has to choose between burning out and fading away.

Now at Hardcore Humanism, we try to apply the principles of humanistic psychology to help people find their purpose and work hard to achieve it. And one way of understanding Mod’s path is to consider it in the context of a theory of one of the founders of humanistic psychology—Albert Maslow. Maslow’s motivational theory called the “hierarchy of needs” often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid. From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are: physiological (food and clothing), safety (job security), love and belonging needs (friendship), esteem, and self-actualization. Needs lower down in the hierarchy must be satisfied before individuals can attend to needs higher up. And oftentimes, artists will bypass “safety” needs such as health and well-being in the pursuit of what might at first blush be considered self-actualization in the form of creativity. And consistent with Maslow’s theory, what Mod is saying is that for him, true self-actualization cannot be attained without first taking care of his safety needs. And he describes how he now attends to these safety needs with sobriety, sleep, and exercise, as he simultaneously pursues his creative path.

And even if we don’t consider ourselves “rock stars,” one of the meta-messages we can take away from the conversation with Mod is how easily we can put ourselves or others in conceptual boxes where we set limits on who we can be and what we can do. When we consider our lives, it is crucial that in order for us to actualize and live our most authentic lives, we must consider the full range of needs that we have as we pursue our dreams. And just as there are many ways to be a rock star, there are many ways to be a spouse, parent, friend, family member, artist, entrepreneur, athlete, or worker. Whatever your authentic path is, don’t let the expectations of others or the limits you may put on yourself dictate who you can be. So, get at it Hardcore Humans. Let’s listen to what Mod has to say.