Just a few years ago, nearl everyone figured pop-punk band Sum 41 was through. After all, guitarist Dave Baksh had jumped ship and the band had parted ways with its longtime producer and manager. Most stories about the band focused on frontman Deryck Whibley and his marriage to fellow pop artist Avril Lavigne. Whibley even admits that for a while, he couldn't find a purpose for making another record.

Yet that's exactly what the band has done. After enduring a period of soul-searching, Sum 41 took a cue from older punk rock brethren such as Green Day (who've proven "maturity" and "punk rock" aren't necessarily clashing concepts) and got serious with the career-best album, Underclass Hero. As evidenced by the music, Whibley isn't content being just another face in the crowd of suburban snot-nosed pop-punk poseurs born with a silver spoon. And as evidenced by our conversation, digging deeper carries it's own rewards.

Risen Magazine: Describe your typical day.

Deryck Whibley: Well it kinda depends on what’s going on. I’m just taking it day by day, playing shows and doing interviews and stuff like that. The first half of the year that we had off from making the record, I was waking up every day and writing music. A typical day for me is a lot of work.

RM: You grew up in Canada. What was your childhood like?

DW: It was great. I guess I had kind of a weird childhood. I moved around a lot. I don’t remember living in one house for more than a year and a half. I have no brothers and sisters, so it’s just me and my mom. Growing up we were really, really close. I loved it and Canada was a cool place to grow up. I don’t live there now. It’s a little cold I guess.

RM: Sounds like you are very close to your mom. Was she always supportive of your musical ambitions?

DW: She was totally supportive. The one thing that was hard, though, was that she dropped out of school to have me when she was in tenth grade.

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