With the availability of music today, its a wonder than artists are able to maintain stable fan-bases at all. The rise of the internet has led to shorter attention spans, and with the even bigger rise of electronic music in the past few years, fans can find something new to listen to every day. However, Derek Vincent Smith’s music has permeated all of this. Enter the Pretty Lights Family: a collection of like-minded individuals, who support Derek Vincent Smith in all of his endeavors. These are hardcore fans, and while they have plenty of other musical tastes, they all bond on the fact that Pretty Lights is more to them than just music. They are a family who all love and support each other, make life-long friendships, and have had their lives altered by Derek Vincent Smith. We asked various members what Pretty Lights’ effect on their lives have been. These are their responses.

1. Adam Merrit – North Carolina

“I first saw pretty lights on my 21st birthday in Raliegh, NC on April 19, 2011. Pretty lights is easily part of my everyday life! Thanks to my ringtone, I usually don’t go 30 minutes without an amazing jam exploding from a speaker. My last show was New Years Eve bringing me to a total of 19 different sets/shows I’ve been lucky to catch! Derek’s music has gotten me through college, helped me find my love (Ashlee Keller), and has given me countless friendships, PLF and friends back home. Sometimes I think back to shows I have been to before Pretty Lights came into my life as well as just my quality of life, and it has drastically improved since. There are only a handful of artists in the world that can touch a group. No matter what emotion I’m feeling, Pretty Lights seems to be my go to music. I really look forward to the future knowing ill be seeing those pretty lights again. To sum up what Pretty Lights means to me: its as necessary to life as water, air, and green.”

2. Anonymous

“Ask anybody what their favorite PL song is and they will tell you it is humanly impossible to choose one clearly above the rest, seeing as how every single one of Derek’s songs emanates pure musical bliss in astronomical levels. I, on the other hand, can easily answer that question; MAKE YOU FEEL. I fell in love with this song above and like none other because more than just being a masterpiece in itself, it truly captivates the abstract feeling of how Derek’s music affects me on a personal level. The most outstanding thing about his music is that it embodies and epitomizes every single possible feeling and emotion known in the human spectrum. Ranging from euphoric frenzies down to the most serene daze, broken hearts and misfortunes, there is always a Pretty Lights song that you can relate to, keep you company and understand you. No matter the situation, PL’s music has achieved something that all music aspires to do but rarely does; it makes you feel. And whatever that feeling is, it always changes your consciousness for the better. That’s why I love his music, and that song overall.

And up until last NYE, he had never played it live. I took it upon myself to change that. I designed a Colorado PL flag with a huge Make You Feel on it and got it custom made. I then traveled halfway across the country to New York City with my best friend in hopes of finally hearing this song live. I got to the venue hours early and stood in line in the December cold to make sure I got a spot front and center for the show. When Derek finally came onstage the first day, I repped that flag like none other to catch his attention. And it was during the Chicago Bulls Remix that he finally did, he had a surprised ‘no way!’ look on his face as he pointed at my flag and smiled. So he goes back to his computer right away to change the set and fucking PLAYS MY SONG!! Holy. shit. It’s hard to describe what happened next, but I can assure that I’ve never been happier in my whole life. I was hoping to finally meet him after the show on NYE, even made it back stage but some douchebag security guard kicked me out when I was literally down the hall from him. Getting that flag signed is the only way that whole experience could have been any better. But now I get to finally meet him at SnowBall so that shall more than make up for that!”

Tweet this: Happy @PrettyLights Appreciation Day – #ThanksPL via @raverrafting & #PLF

3. Joe Webb – New York

“What does Pretty Lights mean to me? I don’t think I can describe in words. Pretty Lights isn’t music to me, it’s emotion. It’s old, it’s new, it’s hip, it’s funk, it’s groovy, it’s chillin, it’s upbeat, it’s downtempo, it’s that put it on when you’re low, it’s that put it on when your hIgh, it’s that put a smile on your face, it’s that mood eraser. To me, PL is MIND BENDINGLY AMAZING..It’s that all around make you feel better, make you feel comfort, make you feel at ease type of collection of sounds. Only saw him live a handful +1 times….but the first was a standout for me: Bonnaroo 2011, that tent was LIT UP! Also both nights of NYE NYC, that was huge. Being from NYC where D doesn’t play on the reg….2 nights of that was life mending and nothing could have been better. Pretty lights to m, puts the pieces in their positions.”

4. Charlie Moore – Florida

“PLM has changed my life because it is the reason I got into live music. PL was my first live show and if it weren’t for his music I wouldn’t be living my life like I am currently or know many of the people I now consider close to me if it weren’t for Pretty Lights and the other musicians on his record label. When I say living my life like I am currently I mean traveling all over the southeast just to see music, and Derek( PL) is the reason I’m so in love with music at this point in life. I’m going out to Colorado this August to see him and most artists on PLM perform at Red Rocks! ”

5. Brook Lossman – South Carolina

“Hearing the words ‘Pretty Lights’ automatically puts a smile on my face. I got to meet Derek for the first time this year at Bonnaroo and he is honestly the most humble person ever, as anyone will tell you. I’m standing there shaking in my shoes stuttering to get a word out to him and he’s staring right back at me with the biggest smile and you can feel that he respects how much the fans respect him. Its surreal being around your idol and seeing that he has the “face-time” for the people that support him.

I have been a fan of Derek’s music since 2010 but just recently became a little more dedicated to the scene. The Pretty Lights Family has brought immense joy to my life. Whenever I have a bad day or I’m just not feelin’ it, I not only have those bangin’ PL beats to bring me back but there’s an entire family of support behind me if I needed them. It’s pretty cool being a part of something like that, knowing that so many other people are there for you and depending on you to be there for them. Being able to go to shows and traveling with your best friends from home is a blast but with Pretty Lights you have all your best friends from the whole country meeting you there just for those one or two epic nights and to me that is one of the best feelings in the world. Thinking you’re about to have what could potentially be the best night of your life surrounded by the nicest, most caring individuals, who absolutely love everything you love, it’s like meeting new best friends every show. I am so thankful for the people I have met through Pretty Lights and the experiences I have shared with them. I have never felt more passion for something that I do for Derek and his music. From Derek and Krystle themselves, to the actual production of a Pretty Lights show and everything in between, it all gets me going. Thinking about the next show I get so excited and start reminiscing on the previous shows and there’s honestly not a moment for doubt, sadness, or worry. Everything is perfect, everything’s just fine.”

6. Vig Sampath – Colorado

“So…for me…its like this….I grew up in Fort Collins…I’ve seen Pretty Lights probably over 40 times. To me this is an inspiration….but that isn’t just it….the music connects on a deeper level. Its makes your emotions heighten. It reminds you that life is an ironic series of (for lack of better terminology) stuff that happens to you. Which, in reality, is an idea thats pretty easy to conceptualize. But the thing is PL music really embodies the human condition; from happiness, to sadness, to frustration, to love and heatbreak, its all there.”

7. Collin Kallery – Colorado

“Pretty Lights is so much more than music. For me, pretty lights means FAMILY. I remember the first time I ever heard Pretty Lights, I was in my sisters car years ago and she played Finally Moving, and from that point on I couldn’t stop listening. Pretty Lights is what brought me and my sister to become so close, we are completely inseparable now – the most important person in my life. Each and every PL show I go to, I have her by my side. Each song has a different meaning to me and each have their own way of helping me get through my day. Pretty Lights defines me. Without Derek’s musical goodness, I would be nothing and I wouldn’t be as thankful for my family as I am today. Family that rages together, STAYS together! Pretty Lights has made my life into something I had never dreamed it would be, and I couldn’t be more happy.”

8. Brett Shredmunds – Utah

“Dude, PL at Red Rocks was by far the most magical insane musical moment of my life. When the rain started coming down during Finally Moving, I cannot explain what it was like. The storm built with the track, it just barely started coming down like 30 sec before he started the jam, and by the time it was in full swing, you know, when all 10,000 of us were dancing and singing the chorus in unison, the skies were releasing like a monsoon. Completely soaked & drenched in about 2 minutes. The raindrops falling thru the lights & lasers!!! OH MY GOD. It was like being completely surrounded by interactive green sparkle burst’s wherever you looked, interactive because as you saw all of the millions of sparkles, your face & body was being hit at the same time, so it was almost like you could FEEL the lasers… It was completely insane. You should have seen the look on Derek’s face for a few moments, haha he was giddy as hell, I can only imagine what he was feeling. All the people there together enjoying the moment as one in a gigantic swirling pool of wet & wild emotions contained within the rocks, I CANNOT EXPLAIN IT… The feelings we all shared during that moment was unexplainable and I am pretty much forever hooked when it comes to Pretty Lights live shows, and I think I’m going to be following this shit around for A LONG TIME HOMIE!!!!”

9. TJ Waldron – Colorado

“A few years back I was chilling at my friends house, kicking it with a few homies and we had the Gramatik station on and then Pretty Lights came on. I stopped nodding my head and said to myself, “wtf is this?” in a great way. The hip hop and electronics mix blew me away, and I instantly wrote down PL in my phone for when I got home. Got home and downloaded everything on the website and I’ve been obsessed ever since. Few months later my homie told me to join the PLF, so I did. I thought it was amazing to see people who share the same love for the music as i did. Time moved on and I start traveling to attend shows and met all these amazing people whom some are my best friends now. Derek and Michal have changed my life in an EXPLODING way. I now live in colorado cause of it.”

More Pretty Lights:

• Pretty Lights Produces “All These Lights” by The Grouch & Eligh (Music Video)
• Pretty Lights – A Color Map of the Sun (Full Album Review)
• 21 Rare Pretty Lights Tracks

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