Pigeon Spins Featuring an Interview with Hot Mud

Hot Mud - Shiny Songs

‘Shiny Songs’ is Hot Mud in his most sober and creative mind yet, delivering his biggest and brightest album to date. It's the final chapter of Hot Mud's 'Recovery Records Trilogy', a collection of music that has explored Hot Mud's recovery from addiction into a confident creator with warmth, wisdom, and ear-worms to share. Put simply, 'Shiny Songs' is a celebration of music and of life. Hot Mud has seen some serious shit and has miraculously made it out alive. He knows the comfort and healing power of music and offers his own in friendship. He is reaching out his hand from the shiny side, welcoming you into his wonderful musical world of imagination and dreams.

I guess you could say Hot Mud is an alter ego of a man named Muddy Watters. The musician burst into the indie underground rock scene in 2024 with his debut album ‘Rehab Rock’. The record was written during his struggle with addiction and the early stages of his recovery. It was recorded entirely by himself throughout his stay at The Sobriety House Treatment Facility in Ottawa, Canada.

‘Pink Cloud Pop’ is the second full-length album and sequel in the Hot Mud story, picking up right where ‘Rehab Rock’ had ended. His songwriting continued throughout his stay in rehab, gradually evolving into a new positive perspective, mirroring his attitude and behavior. The title and theme refer to the term ‘pink cloud’ known in addiction recovery circles as a temporary phase of euphoria and extreme optimism during the rehabilitation process.

Hot Mud's evolution and growth mean this will be the last journey through the intimate themes of his healing from addiction, which inform the 'Recovery Records Trilogy'. This will also be the last time we'll see his bizarre branding - the recurring simplistic album art and his weird cartoon-like character image. Since the beginning, Hot Mud has been depicted in his promotional images wearing a wig and broken sunglasses, along with his prominent broken tooth, which has evolved into a golden one. It was a physical character he created to hide himself from the extremely personal subject matter that filled his songwriting. Now with more confidence in his artistry and the urge to explore his endless creative possibilities, Hot Mud is ready to shed the disguise.

What does this mean? Will it be the last we see of Hot Mud? … not quite, be prepared for a few more videos from ‘Shiny Songs’. After that… who knows what to expect. But as Hot Mud says in his song ‘Sober’ - “it’s not the ending – it’s the beginning”.

Interview with Hot Mud

(•)> What does “Shiny Songs” represent to you personally and artistically?

Put simply, It’s a celebration of the healing powers of creativity. It’s a friendly musical offering from the shiny side of life.

This collection of tunes began with the ‘Shiny Single Sessions’, a musical mission to release a song every month throughout 2025. That began in February with the release of the single ‘Nowhere Town’. The album wasn’t necessarily conceptualized then; it came together halfway through the ‘Shiny Single Sessions’. The album started taking shape once I had written ‘I’ll Be Right Here Shining’, I knew it would be a good intro and outro for the collection. But it wasn’t until I wrote ‘Sober’ that I realized this was a good way to end the Recovery Records era of Hot Mud.

(•)> How does it feel to close out the Recovery Records Trilogy?

Exciting! Thrilled to have that out of my system.

The whole Hot Mud project started while I was living in rehab and became a type of documentation of my journey in recovery. That subject was the only thing that felt real coming from me at the time. I’m absolutely grateful I had a creative outlet to help me get through my addiction and troubled times. But as time goes on, I feel more interested and confident to start working on different approaches to song writing.

With an official trilogy dedicated to that journey, I can happily move on to some new creative territories.

(•)> When you listen back to “Rehab Rock” and “Pink Cloud Pop,” what changes do you hear in yourself?

In Rehab Rock there is a voice that is lost, tired, and ready to surrender. Pink Cloud Pop has a voice of over-the-top enthusiasm - yelling to the world, “hey I’m annoyingly happy again!”. Shiny Songs has a sense of wisdom and clarity. A voice that has seen some serious shit and has made it out alive. Having awakened to the healing powers of music and creativity, Shiny Songs offers its own music to you in friendship.

(•)> How did your recovery journey shape the creative process for this final chapter?

Looking back, I have changed; I’m a better person now then I was when I started this Hot Mud thing. I’ve learned a little bit about myself and the musical process throughout this project. The songs are coming from a clearer mind in all that I approach.

As far as the recovery journey goes, that will always continue, but in my music, and with ‘Shiny Songs’ in particular - it’s the final act. Although the subject is not as present as it was in the previous records, it shows up here and there in between other ideas. But it keeps creeping back, I figure as long as I write from my perspective, it will always be lurking in the shadows.

It became clear I had to consciously put an end to this era, and I thought why not tie it all together in a trilogy called The Recovery Records.

It’s not just the subject matter; it’s also the aesthetic that will change as well. The whole stage persona image, and art design will be new and different moving forward.

(•)> What makes “Shiny Songs” your biggest and brightest record yet?

Back in the day, you would call this a double album, it’s 21 songs, 1 hour and 15 minutes long. The production and image are more polished and brighter than before. It comes from Hot Mud’s most clear and sober mind since the beginning. Hence biggest and brightest record yet.

(•)> Why did you decide it was time to shed the Hot Mud persona’s mask?

I originally wanted Hot Mud to be an animated character. But I didn’t have the time for that.

I came up with a character in a wig with broken glasses and a broken tooth (which has evolved into a gold tooth).

The disguise was just enough to give me confidence to make videos of me singing such embarrassingly personal lyrics. It’s funny because the music is so painfully honest and real, while the image is so silly and cringey. I guess it balanced it out somewhat.

Once I started, I felt stuck with the look but did my best to see it through, evolving the style with different colors to match the records.

I’m definitely ready to shed the disguise now, it just feels foolish to me at this point. But it served its purpose. It helped me put my music out there and get the ball rolling.

(•)> How has sobriety changed your relationship with songwriting and performance?

If I wasn’t sober, I wouldn’t be talking to you right now. I wouldn’t have recorded anything for Hot Mud at all. I’d probably be mumbling ideas stuck in head while stumbling down the middle of the street. I would not be able to function in the manner to actually produce anything.

(•)> What do you hope listeners take away from the trilogy as a whole?

I hope they can hear the healing powers of music and get inspired by the ideas and the creativity.

I hope they hear the humanity in it as well, I hope they find a friend somewhere in there.

If there is anyone listening who struggles the same way I do, I hope they find something to relate to and confide in.

If you listen to all three records you can tell there’s a man who has come a long way behind all that noise.

(•)> How do you imagine life and music after Hot Mud’s transformation?

I don’t want to spoil too many surprises, but you can expect some musical storytelling. The concept album is making a come back – you just wait and see.

(•)> Is “Shiny Songs” a goodbye or a new beginning?

It’s both. A goodbye to the Hot Mud that began this project as he gazes upon endless creative possibilities ahead.

But ‘Shiny Songs’ will always remain its own entity, exactly what it is, no matter where it is - A friendly floating musical breeze always there when you need a friend.

(•)> That's all, Folks! Check out Hot Mud on the Pigeon Spins Playlist