DISCOVER JOSH THOMPSON
605 EDITION LOCAL THE TOP ALBUMS OF 2025
Browse our pick for 6 albums we couldn’t stop spinning ths year.
EXPERIENCE SIOUX FALLS
Get to know pro designer Joshua Thompson, as well as what it truly takes to succeed in the industry.
LOCAL
605 EDITION
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Table of
Contents
Editor’s Letter
Get to know Author and Designer, Caleb Smith.
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Joshua Thompson Of Experience SF
Get to know pro designer Joshua Thompson, the Creative Marketing Director of Experience Sioux Falls. Learn more about Joshua’s journey in Graphic Design, as well as what it truly takes to succeed within the Professional industry.
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Top Records of 2025
Our pick for the top 6 spins of the year. From Lorde, Bon Iver, Blood Orange, and more!
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Spinning Local at Total Drag
Dan Nissen, owner of Total Drag Records thrives in the local Downtown community.
2 | Discover LOCAL | Table of Contents
From TheEditor
rom a young age, I always knew I was meant to be doing something creative. Throughout my years of education, I’ve always excelled in art classes while deeply struggling to keep up in my math and science courses. I remember taking every possible art and design course that was available to me so that I would have some sort of creative outlet throughout all 8 semesters of high school. I tried to go straight into a four-year University after my senior year because I felt that it was what I was supposed to be doing. I quickly found out it simply wasn’t meant for me. It took a few years of strictly working full-time for me to realize I was extremely unhappy in my job, and what I needed more than anything was the return of a creative outlet.
Attending Southeast Tech has allowed me to branch out and try something completely new. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this was exactly what I was meant to be doing. I’ve begun to understand the fundamentals of design and what it truly takes to create a strong composition. I truly enjoy conveying a message or idea through the use of color, shape, text, and imagery, and I feel creatively fulfilled when working on projects that challenge my perception of visual content.
...I feel creatively fulfilled when working on projects that challenge my perception of visual content.
Through designing and constructing this magazine, I wanted it to feel local, and centered around the city of Sioux Falls. I was born and raised here in town, and it wasn’t until recently that I began to truly appreciate the city. Promoting and supporting local businesses is something that I’ve always felt passionate about, which is why I was thrilled to be able to sit down and interview a local business. I learned what it takes to be a small business owner, as well as some of the many obstacles a business owner must navigate.
WALK OUT ON THIS WORLD
Hunx and His Punx
Indie Punk band Hunx and His Punk returns with their first studio album in 14 years! With the return of their classic sound, the band proves they can still throw out bangers with their catchy melodies and blaring instrumentals.
Lorde is back with her long awaited fourth studio album, Virgin. This collection of 11 tracks explores gender identity, self-image, and embracing full transparency. Virgin is Lorde’s most raw and honest piece of work to date.
EQUUS CABALLUS Men I Trust
Men I Trust is a Canadian based indie band consisting of three members. The band’s second release of 2025, Equus Caballus, explores an 80’s retro production approach, marking a much different sound from previous work.
Some of my most spun records of 2025 as a vinyl record enthusiast.
DEADBEAT
Tame Impala
Australian multi-instrumentalist, Kevin Parker, returns with his fifth studio album. Deadbeat features lead singles including “End of Summer”, “Dracula”, and “Loser” and is Parker’s most experimental piece of work to date.
ESSEX HONEY
Blood Orange
English musician Dev Hynes returns with his first studio album since 2018. Essex Honey explores themes of loss and neglect, while delivering effortlessly flawless vocals, production, and instrumentals.
SABLE, FABLE
Bon Iver
Indie folk singer songwriter, Justin Vernon, show cases his most diverse collection of songs to date. Vernon experiments
Experience
Joshua ThompsonExperience with Sioux Falls
“You have to have drive, and to love what you do. You have to be humble, and want to be in
Q&A
Written by Caleb Smith
Joshua Thompson, the Creative Marketing Manager of Expierence Sioux Falls, specializes in bringing his creativity to life through the use of visual design. Expierence Sioux Falls is a Destination Marketing Organization that showcases everything that the city has to offer, while also acting as a resouce to all out of state visitors. In this article, I join Joshua in conversation to discuss creative fullfilment, challenges and triumphs, artistic inspiration, and what it truly takes to be a graphic designer.
Pro designer Joshua Thompson
gives a glimpse into what it takes to succeed in the industry.
an emphasis in marketing, then I minored in multi-media which is your graphic design, photography, cinema, all that good stuff.”
What are some challenges you have encountered in your field of work?
“For me specifically, I didn’t know what a DMO (Destination Marketing Organization) did. My biggest challenge was figuring out how to be creative for a single company, rather than an agency. Until this point, I had only ever done freelancing design and some agency work.
Right now, I am the brand and I am coming up with all the creative pieces for my one company. My job is to keep moving forward and to evolve this brand as we go. Trying to wrap my head around that I’m a marketing organization but I am a marketing organization to one company. It’s a big brain shift I think.”
My biggest challenge was figuring out how to be creative for a single company, rather than an agency.
Do you have any favorite projects or design pieces to work on?
“Yes 100%. The 2026 creative direction has been my favorite thing
I’ve worked on to date. I really love the idea of a brand identity, and being able to have a hand in every single piece of that has been really rewarding for me. Sidenote, but there’s a lot of fulfilment in my job because the people around me trust my persepctive, and treat me like the expert that I know I am. I don’t not if I’ve neccesarily felt that in other places that I have worked. I’m treated with respect and I know that my opinion matters. It’s super rewarding.”
What would you say your strengths as a designer are?
Any weaknesses?
Yeah, for sure i think we all do. Strengths: I think my biggest strength is visualiz ing and conceptualiz ing things that don’t exsist. So layout for example, whether thats a two-page spread, or how a billboard is going to look after I make the creative. I’m big on how a design is being used. My banner ad for a website is going to look feel very different than a print ad because they function different, and they’re also targeted at differ ent people. My ability to think big
picture definatly helps with that which is why I love a big brand re-design so much.
Logo for non-profit organiziation, Experience Sioux Falls.
Displaying the logo for Expierence Sioux Falls, These icoic Downtown Sioux Falls flags welcome you right outside of the Sioux Falls Commerce Center.
You never want to assume that you are the best in the room. Everyones eye for design is going to be different...
But often times, it’s hard for me to be so deatail oriented because of how I always am thinking about the big picture. It’s important to surround yourself with opposites in order to bounce ideas off eachother.”
Do you do any work outside of design? For example, web coding
“Not anymore. In my last job, I was just doing freelance work on the side. Maybe a logo here or a small 10 page website. But right now, I don’t really have the time or the desire, because of how much fullfilment I have being the main designer at ESF. A lot of the time, if you’re not really aggresive doing freelance work, its hard to come up with enough clients to make a living off of it. Having the full-time carrer job makes me not seek any other creative outlet, because I already have it. Right now, I’m the happiest I think I’ve ever been.”
How long have you been a designer for?
“I started freelancing in college. My first job was designing a poster for a friend of my parents. So it’s been 10+ years of freelance design expierence. The full time design role has been 3 years now. The longer your in it, the better you will get. You gotta be humble enough to learn from yourself because that’s how we all become better designers.”
Any tips or advice you would give to someone just starting out in the field?
“Honestly, I would say seek out feedback, and never shy away from constructive critism. I think that’s what has helped me the most. I’ve kind of exploded as a designer in the past 2-3 years because I got overmyself, and I was willing to take the punches. My role is to provide what the client wants. You never want to assume that you are the best in the room. Everyones eye for design is going to be different which is why I always suggest collaborating and bouncing ideas off of eachother.”
What projects are you working on now?
“Project 2026. So in 2026, we are hoping to do a complete rebrand for the city of Sioux Falls. That’s everything from font, color choice, and print advertisements. Also working on the Sioux Falls visitor guide, whether it’s working on photography, or the front cover and thinking how it will look on a magazine stand. We print 125,00 copies of those so it’s kind of a big deal. A lot of people will see this guide. Also making sure all our banner ads across our website are current. I’ve been completely wiping content from this Summer as we transition into Fall.”
The Sioux Falls Commerce Center, located on the corner of Phillips Avenue and 8th Street, is home to several local nonprofit organizations, including Experience Sioux Falls, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, the Sioux Falls Sports Authority, and the Sioux Empire Housing Partnership. This historic office building has been part of Downtown Sioux Falls for the past 30 years, and is where Joshua gets to spend his work day.
In your opinion, what are some must have qualities a designer should have?
“Humility for sure. You have to have drive, and to love what you do. You have to be humble, and want to be in it. You can’t half-ass when you’re designing. Long story short, you need to be humble, and you need to be driven.”
You have to have drive, and to love what you do. You have to be humble, and want to be in it.
What is something you wish you would have done differently when first starting in design?
“I wish I would have went after it sooner to be honest. I wish I would’ve had the courage to say you know, this is what I’m meant to be doing.”
About The Author
Caleb Smith, born and raised in Sioux Falls, has an eye for transforming his passion into design. With a background in both drawing and painting, Caleb uses his strengths to develop strong layouts, logos, and advertisements. During his free time, Caleb enjoys listening to and contributing to his music collection, relaxing with his cats, and spending time outdoors.
Experience
2025 OFFICIAL SIOUX FALLS
The 2025 Official Sioux Falls Visitor Guide written, photographed, and designed by staff at Expierece Sioux Falls. This yearly magazine features travel tips and tricks, local reccomendations, and businesses you don’t want to miss!
Pictured is the exterior of the Sioux Falls Commerence Center, home to Experience Sioux Falls. Experts such as Joshua Thompson, work hard to ensure that every visitor has the best trip possible. Their mission is to “market Sioux Falls as a one-of-a-kind destination and provide an energized visitor expierence to enhance economic impact.”
with Dan Nissen Owner of Total Drag Records Spinning Local
Dan Nissen, owner of Total Drag Records, and I gather together on a chilly October morning. With an hour until the store opens, I walk in on Dan hustling to gather this week’s supply of releases ready to be shelfed for display. A mix of new and used vinyl stacked high and ready for purchase. I watch as a wave of Downtown traffic and commuters pass by the shop, going about their day. Total Drag Records is situated on the corner of 2nd Avenue and 12th Street, drawing in downtown visitors of all ages. Dan owns and operates the shop with his wife, Liz, who together have created a staple in the Downtown Sioux Falls community for over 10 years. Serving more than just a record store, this “hole in the wall” record store is rooted in community. The shop functions as the primary concert venue for small and independent artists, allowing people of all ages to attend shows. Dan’s love and appreciation for music started early, as he was taught piano by his mother. “I feel like growing up in the music scene, playing music myself, and just being around it, most of my life was extremely necessary for what I’m
Both Dan and Liz grew up going to local shows in the area and felt ingrained within the music community. Opening up their own community for music felt like the right step to take. “Opening something that we thought we needed was really, really great”, states Nissan. Nissan’s primary focus when opening his shop back in 2014 was to supply live music to the public, with no age limit. “I feel that at that time, the city of Sioux Falls really needed an all-ages music venue” Nissan expresses. “There are just so many bands on all levels of indie
I feel that at that time, the city of Sioux Falls really needed an all-age music venue.
and independent that we were able to get through here, but it was mainly the all-ages thing. So many kids who definitely weren’t 21 yet started bands, and they really revitalized the music scene. Giving them a place to play and saying, hey, you can do this was definitely an important part.” Surprisingly, the selling of vinyl records came second. “Initially, the record shop side of it was just to pay any bills because we never make money off any of the shows. All the door money goes straight to the band. So, at the beginning, that was purely just a way to pay rent.” Dan states that community involvement was far more important to him than profit. Dan and Liz never could have imagined
Business owner Dan Nissen standing infront of his shop, Total Drag Records, located on 12th street in Downtown Sioux Falls.
the success their little shop would bring them. In fact, Dan had only ever planned for the record store to be a part-time gig, alongside his second job. But as time progressed, it became too much to try and balance running a business and having a second job. Dan was able to focus his complete attention on the shop due to the record store’s influx of traffic throughout the Sioux Falls community.
The Challenge of Owning Local
It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Dan and Liz. Opening a small business has an array of obstacles you must learn to overcome. Dan states that the first few years of owning Total Drag presented the most challenges. “You know, we didn’t have much money to start to begin with. And then it was just kind of a very delicate process of ordering things and making sure they sold. But I mean, there are all sorts of little challenges and bigger challenges along the way. But they’re all solvable,” states Nissan. “When we opened the shop, we had so little money that we kind of raided our own collection and parted with some things that we’d had for a long time. So, we used some of our personal collection to start the shop. Most of those, the ones that I really miss, I’ve replaced. Or maybe we had an original copy that could go real far and pay the rent that month, and it’s
stickler about that. If it sounds good, I just don’t really care too much.”
The Evolution of Vinyl Culture
Over time, Dan and Liz discovered that the demand for vinyl records was in creasing, and people continued to show up. I asked Dan how the culture around vinyl has changed over the years due to a recent spike in interest in physical media, and if it has affected the age demographic of those who come into the shop. “We opened in 2014, and on day one, there were a lot of kids who came through, and a lot of those kids were the same kids who started their own bands. So, they were already very musically inclined and digging into the lesser-known stuff, which is what we focused on carrying. The whole time we’ve been here, the past 11 years, it’s just expanded into more of the mainstream. Especially through the 90s and the early 2000s, independent music and of propped up the vinyl scene and kept at least a handful of the pressing plants. open and working. But now, I mean, we’re seeing tons more pressing plants open.” One of the most significant challenges that small business owners faced was the COVID 19 pandemic of 2020. I ask Dan how this affected his business. “Well,
It’s a very loving community. A lot of love, support, and Inclusion.
it shut down shows, of course. For about a year or so. I just had to pivot a little bit and sell records kind of one by one through Instagram and Facebook mainly.” I ask if he ever did curbside pickup, as many other businesses were doing. “Oh yeah. And I delivered myself! If they were local, we would just coordinate that pickup because I was still here a lot, keeping up with my business on social media.” This goes to show the passion and dedication that Dan has for his shop. I ask what it means to be a part of the Downtown Sioux Falls community. “It’s a very loving community. A lot of love, support, and Inclusion.” Exclaims Nissen. “I mean, the further that we get away from downtown, the less at home I feel. So many rad human beings opened up their own rad little spots just like we have. It’s so fulfilling.” I go on to ask him what else is fulfilling as a business owner. “Just being able to share music with a lot of people. In a live sense, with bands coming through here or just on vinyl, because I just think it’s so important. That’s really the biggest thing.”
A fresh stack of records at Total Drag, updated every Friday to include new releases, re-issues, as well as some of Dan’s picks of the week.
The Perfect Pair
