Decades ago, the music industry was on solid footing with various international labels, emerging independent labels highlighting alternative acts and record stores in major cities and small towns across North America and beyond. Now, the industry has fragmented. With advanced technology any conceivable artist or song from any era is at your fingertips.
But is it for the better? Well, Ottawa indie pop rocker artist Hot Mud (also known as Muddy Matthew Watters) addresses the issue with his latest smart single, the acerbic, pointed, and satirical single “Nobody Listens To The Radio” from the artist’s Pink Cloud Pop album.
“Although the satirical message paints a grim picture for music makers, the song itself proves that the art is still very much alive, and as creative, and exciting as ever,” Hot Mud writes of “Nobody Listens To The Radio.” A music video was also made for the song and released in late August showing Hot Mud performing as images of old, pre-digital radio dials are shown throughout. An old-school twin-cassette boom box is also used by Hot Mud in the video.
Soaked in a highbrow back beat and with just enough electronic atmosphere hovering over the song, “Nobody Listens To The Radio” soars before upping the ante in the beefy, infectious chorus. Hot Mud describes the “verse/chorus/verse” formula in most pop singles while citing algorithms and Artificial Intelligence as the bane of creativity. Think of some blend of Primitive Radio Gods, a tamer but more thoughtful Andrew WK and Elvis Costello’s sneering “Radio, Radio” and the industrious “Nobody Listens To The Radio” shines.
From the stream of consciousness
To the streaming services
To present its worthiness
To the rhythm of the mighty algorithm
Verse chorus verse
Music is a curse
The art has lost its worth
Music lost its worth
“Nobody Listens To The Radio” was written and performed almost entirely by Hot Mud (Watters) with backing vocals provided by Laura Snedden. The song is the followup to “Welcome To Humankind” and includes quotes culled from Hot Mud’s own dealings with fellow musicians from a radio program he currently produces entitled Canada’s Cool Culture hosted on Ottawa radio station CKCU 93.1 FM.
Hot Mud began as the alter ego for Watters but the alter ego began engulfing his life, leading him to battle demons and eventually end up in rehab. After a year of recovery, the artist took a horde of recording equipment, cameras and musical instruments into a small room at a “second-stage sober living” facility. Learning recording techniques by trial and error, Hot Mud eventually recorded songs that formed the debut album Rehab Rock. Following that album release Hot Mud issued an EP entitled Electric Gutter Club in May, 2024.
Now with the shimmering, fun and attention-grabbing “Nobody Listens To The Radio” look for Hot Mud to keep ensuring that rock n’ roll won’t be saying goodbye for the foreseeable future.
