Less than six months after bursting into the indie pop/rock scene, Hot Mud is ready to share his newfound zest for life with his sophomore album Pink Cloud Pop, set to release on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. The lead single, ‘Welcome to Humankind’, is out now, and asks “How often do you wonder what this life is all about?”
The catchy, upbeat song serves as a quirky anecdote that applies to everyone, regardless of where they are in their life’s journey. The poignant lyrics evoke the questioning and questing that Hot Mud has endured in his life so far, while also reminding the listener to “Fill your days with laughter/Cuz nothing really matters/And live happily ever after” because “Surprise/No one gets out alive.”
While his debut, Rehab Rock, was a raw, down and dirty, honest introspective album, hearkening to his early days of addiction and recovery, Pink Cloud Pop brings a new positive perspective and a more cheerful sound. Hot Mud said that the new album saw him embracing his oddities in anthems for outcasts, while expanding on his journey as an artist and recovering addict.
Hot Mud is a self-described alter ego, rocker, and weirdo. The man behind the nickname is Ottawa musician Muddy Watters, who was named after the famous blues musician. He styled himself Hot Mud after being told he becomes a completely different person while inebriated.
Thankfully, his journey led him to rehab, and he spent over a year in treatment facilities, where he became sober and healthy. Rehab Rock was recorded in its entirety during his stays, while Pink Cloud Pop looks ahead, and shares a somewhat happier outlook.
From the perspective of Hot Mud, the song, and the album, are a new beginning. Coming after his focus single from Rehab Rock, “Where the Bad Kids Go” — a song that embraces the dirty glamour and mystery of living in the dark, dangerous world of drugs and inebriation — Pink Cloud Pop feels like a happy rebirth.
Now sober and focused, Hot Mud said he has evolved a new positive perspective, mirroring his attitude and behavior. The title and theme of his new album refer to the term ‘pink cloud’, known in addiction recovery circles as a temporary phase of euphoria and extreme optimism during the rehabilitation process.
According to the artist, he has spent what “seemed a lifetime” struggling with addiction, only recently emerging from the dark and seedy underbelly of that life.
That’s why Hot Mud has made ‘Pink Cloud Pop’. He says it’s a miracle that he is still alive — he sees it as a rebirth and a ‘Welcome to Humankind.’
