The modern music industry can often feel like a labyrinth of digital noise, automated playlists, and generic marketing strategies. Amidst this sea of algorithm-driven chaos stands Music With Depth PR, one of the world's most respected music PR companies. Established in 2011 (formerly known as Independent Music Promotions), this unique agency has consistently rejected the trend of automated shortcuts, opting instead for an art-first, human-run approach.
Founded by lifelong musician and author of the bestselling music marketing book ‘Your Band Is A Virus’, Stephen James Moore, the company has built a towering reputation for championing real storytelling over artificial hype.
We sat down with Stephen to discuss the philosophy behind his agency, the dangers of modern promotional pitfalls, and how personal trauma fuelled one of the most intense creative outputs in recent rock history.
A Huge Thank You for Joining Us Today, Stephen! To kick things off, let's focus on Music With Depth PR. Through it, you’ve built a massive reputation since 2011 on an "art and story-first" approach.
In an era where the industry is increasingly saturated and AI is on the rise; how do you look to craft a truly compelling human story for the artists you choose to work with?
“Well, AI is helpful in certain areas of technology, science, organisation and task management, but completely misses the point and lacks the essential human element when it comes to creative endeavours. This will not change, so the over-hype is much ado. People crave connection and they have a need to tell stories, just as humans have done since we arrived on this planet."
"Original, passionate writing is required to tell the artist’s story, as well as practical marketing and SEO-friendly approaches are necessary to progress, and that is what we do.”
You have a very strict stance against using "AI slop" or shortcuts in your PR work. Why is maintaining a purely human-run, authentic approach so vital to the longevity of an indie artist's career today?
“Nowadays, artists are literally inundated with PR agencies and playlist pitching companies who not only phone everything into AI. They brag about it and use fear-mongering tactics to promote their products or services. We’ve all heard the trope that we’ll get ‘left behind’ if we don’t succumb to our robot overlords. This just is not true. There still is a place for human-made music and actually writing real promotional content.”
Your agency is famous for being the original and only "guaranteed" Music PR business, securing heavy coverage, reviews, and playlisting for selective clients. How are you able to confidently offer these guarantees for the lucky few you work with?
“I took on this ethos after getting ripped off by a PR company when working with them for one of my own albums back in 2010. They landed maybe three features. I turned around and landed over 50. This inspired me to offer my services to artists across the globe. I found early on that press coverage was one of the hardest things for artists, likely because it takes the most effort. So, I heavily prioritised this and feverishly built relationships with writers, journalists and editors over the years. Press coverage is guaranteed.”
In your book, ‘Your Band Is A Virus’, and throughout your career, your ultimate goal has been described as saving independent musicians from years of wasted time. What are some of the biggest, most common pitfalls you see indie artists fall into when they try to navigate promotion on their own?
“Rumination and negativity keep artists stuck, when they should be moving through the tall grass, taking practical actions and immediately moving on to the next task. Also, entitlement and mountain thinking such as wanting to go from the garage to Pitchfork or a Grammy, ignoring all the micro-steps in between, is a problem.”
Music With Depth PR was recently ranked as the #1 Music Marketing company by Voxfeed, alongside a string of other major industry accolades. How do you balance staying ahead of the curve as an influential thought leader while keeping your artist-first ethos intact?
“People respond to us because we cast a wide net and promote in a very down-to-Earth way. I take effort to ensure everyone I work with receives valuable coverage, and often go overtime to make this happen. As long as you take care of everyone, word gets around. I keep learning because music is my obsession, so I’m always reading and listening to new ideas.”
Your agency’s philosophy is to "be the change you’d like to see in the world," specifically advocating for multi-genre, experimental, and bold new music. How does this philosophical approach shape the way you select the clients you represent?
“It can be any subgenre under the Sun, but it just has to be good and I have to resonate in some way with the artist’s expression. It can be raw, challenging, noisy, controversial…all the better. Also, a main consideration is ‘can I be helpful?’”
Shifting the spotlight over to your own music, Post Death Soundtrack has been an evolving journey since 2006, transitioning into your solo industrial rock project in 2023. How did taking full solo control of the project alter or liberate your creative process for the recent trilogy of three double albums?
“Prior to taking the project solo, albums were taking quite a long time to reach the finish line because I worked with people who bit off more than they could chew in their lives; too many jobs, other bands, etc. It used to take three years to complete an album. Now, I just finished 95 songs in a single year.”
Releasing three double albums within a single year is a massive creative feat. What was the underlying concept or emotional drive that fuelled such an intense burst of output, and how does your deep knowledge of the music business influence how you release your own art?
“My cat died under very frustrating circumstances and I faced other personal, health and family traumas at the time I started this endeavour which were of great magnitude. I would stay up for days and relentlessly create, and I ended up with an album that mushroomed into 30 songs. When approaching the second release five or so months later, I intended for it to be a punchy 10 or 12 songs. It, too, mushroomed into 30 – I don’t know if this was the subconscious pushing me, but being a Lord of the Rings fan, I knew then this had to be a trilogy of double albums. This is exactly what I mean when I say artists have to be bold.”
“Some people say release 3-minute songs because people have a low attention span. I say, nobody is doing this right now, so I want to do it. It makes my project very different and not part of the herd.”
With accolades ranging from being named the #1 Music Marketing company by Voxfeed to features in Prowly, Sound Campaign, and PRNEWS.IO, Music With Depth PR proves that authenticity is still a powerful currency. But Moore isn't just a commentator on the industry; he is actively shaped by it.
As the creative force behind the industrial rock project Post Death Soundtrack, he recently achieved the staggering feat of releasing a trilogy of three double albums in a single year. From his strict stance against "AI slop" to his practical, SEO-focused campaigns that guarantee real coverage for selective artists, Moore continues to be a vital thought leader dedicated to saving indie musicians from wasted time.
To discover more about their art-first promotional campaigns or to submit your music, head over to the main website at Music With Depth PR. You can also follow the agency's latest updates on Instagram and Facebook.
To dive into Stephen’s personal musical journey, make sure you check out Post Death Soundtrack on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Instagram.
