Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to CJ Hoty. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi CJ, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Currently my band, Murder The Mood, has been working on it’s 3rd album (as of yet without a title). We are always honing our sound it seems (the band having been a thing for 9 years now) but recently we have really found a groove. We have one track in particular that we are leaning into with precise detail though for this album. The message is especially meaningful as it’s pretty much a coda on one particular area of my life. The song’s lyrics have really encompassed this for me and the music underneath is some of the best we have done together I think.

CJ, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am the frontman/guitarist for a small rock band, Murder The Mood, in Athens, GA. As I said, the band has been around for 9 years now and most of our passion is poured into playing live between Athens and Atlanta ( about an hour away) and recording in our home studio. We have released our music on all major streaming platforms and there are quite a few good live videos of us on YouTube, courtesy of Athens GA Live Music.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think for me it’s having that outlet to be creative and well, “good” at something when other areas lof my life are not going well. For instance when work isn’t going right or smooth, or family relationships are a mess, music (writing/playing live) makes me feel like the other stuff doesn’t truly matter. It’s a seesaw effect- if work/family/relationships are succeeding then that means music will probably be at a creative standstill for the moment. And vice versa.

How did you build your audience on social media?

We actually have struggled, and still do I think, with a strong social media audience. I think people want to find a way to connect with you. So going out and meeting people, getting to know them, building that connection then drawing them into your social media next has worked best for us. But outside of that being consistent and creative in what you are posting and talking about. And God knows tagging really works to find new fans with similar interests!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Instagram.com/murderthemood
• Facebook: Facebook.com/followmtm