Derek Ryan Smith was born on March 10, 1987, in Bloomington, Minnesota. Later his father left for California and his parents divorced, after which Smith spent some time living with his father in Long Beach, California. From age five to ten, he moved frequently due to his mother having to relocate for various jobs. He spent much of his time growing up on a farm in Corcoran, Minnesota.
In his teen, Smith began attending concerts in his local pop punk scene. He became an increasingly prominent figure in the scene through his mother encouraging him to attend concerts and ask the touring band members whether they wanted to stay the night at their house. In the follow years, Smith and other local bands and musicians in the scene became increasingly interested in fashion and influence by New Jersey and Drive-Thru Records emo bands, leading them becoming members of the scene subculture.
