A Chat with Hot Mud (08.09.24)
Embracing his oddities, finding solace in his weirdness, and expressing his journey through magically mad music, Hot Mud is life splashed into a shimmering puddle of kaleidoscopic goo – the good kind of goo. Following his critically acclaimed album Rehab Rock, we speak with Hot Mud about the new Pink Cloud Pop, what music means to him and much more.
OSR: Rather cliché question but what drew you to music? How did Hot Mud come about?
Hot Mud: I learned how to play blues with my dad, he showed me blues and classic rock records. My brother, Danny Watters, and I made music of all styles growing up, listening and experimenting with hip hop, punk, heavy metal and rock n roll. Somewhere along the way I lost the groove and couldn’t make music as I struggled with addiction for many years.
Hot Mud was me finding my way back to music by writing what I was going through. I wrote and recorded an album about addiction and recovery while I was living in rehab called Rehab Rock. Six months after that was released, I’m back with a sequel called Pink Cloud Pop.
OSR: Your new album Pink Cloud Pop is your sophomore album and a continuation of the personal narrative or life journey captured in Rehab Rock. How does Pink Cloud Pop differ from Rehab Rock in style, theme and production? Did you face any stumbling blocks and how did you overcome them?
Hot Mud: Pink Cloud Pop starts right after Rehab Rock, it continues the journey of recovery through Hot Mud’s perceptive. Pink Cloud Pop refers to the term ‘pink cloud’ when used in recovery circles. It is described as a phase of extreme euphoria combined with a newfound zest for life during the stages of early rehabilitation. I thought that was a perfect title for the record, it mirrored my journey in recovery and in my music. The album is more polished and produced as well. I was studying and working in radio broadcasting while recording the album and I wanted to incorporate elements of that.
There were no real stumbling blocks in making the record, once I had found the time to do it. I had to stop conducting interviews with musicians for my radio program so that I could work on my own music, in addition to my full-time day job. Once I was able to concentrate on the record it was just plugging away and seeing what worked. There was a lot of me figuring out things as I went, especially when it came to producing and mixing the whole album.
OSR: What was the most exciting and least exciting thing about creating Pink Cloud Pop?
Hot Mud: It’s always exciting to get the ideas out of your head and hear them as a finished recording. So, ya, the most exciting thing is creating the music. The least exciting thing is trying to promote the music. It takes time getting it out there to the right crowd that will connect with it, especially when you are just getting the project started.
OSR: What made you decide to continue the journey, so to say, with the new album? In other words, why did you make the album and what does it mean to you?
Hot Mud: I wanted to have a happy ending to Rehab Rock and I feel with Pink Cloud Pop there’s good closure to the subject of addiction and recovery. The 2 records are an introduction into the world of Hot Mud: an origin story so to speak. There is a solid foundation of music there now to see where I’m coming from, you get to know the character and style through these albums. I feel I can start to move away from those themes a bit now and just have fun experimenting with all types of subjects and styles of recordings moving forward.
OSR: What do you hope people take from Pink Cloud Pop and your music in general?
Hot Mud: I hope people can hear the love for music in these songs. I hope they get an understanding of the healing powers that creativity possesses. I hope they can hear the creativity in the music. I hope it inspires people to be creative too.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Hot Mud: Music is a way for me to stay focused, it gives me a purpose, something to do. It keeps me busy and out of trouble, it makes me happy.
OSR: What advice do you have for upcoming musicians?
Hot Mud: Write your own songs. Don’t be too hard on yourself, remember to have fun, and don’t get too attached to the work. Act, just do it, keep on creating, and move on to the next one and the next one.
OSR: If you had to recommend a new listener to your music, which song from your discography would you choose and why?
Hot Mud: I’d say find the album Pink Cloud Pop on your favourite streaming service and press play. Start with the first track ‘Welcome To Humankind’ and see if you are interested in listening further. Put on some headphones while you are walking or on the subway. Crank it in your car on a road trip. Listen to it while you are cooking or cleaning at home or put it on at a house party. You can listen to it anywhere really. It’s a fun upbeat record so you want to be in the mood for something like that or it might not hit. And if you like it, go to hotmudmusic.com and buy the album!
Repeat the process with the other album and EP.
OSR: What can we expect from Hot Mud in the future?
Hot Mud: A handful of my no-budget music videos will be released from the Pink Cloud Pop collection throughout the autumn season. After that, I will start releasing more music in 2025.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Hot Mud: Thanks for reading this, and thanks for checking out my music and creations. Keep cool, keep on creating, and long live the weird!
Many thanks to Hot Mud for speaking with us. Find out more about Hot Mud on his official website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
