Emerging Artist Reviews

Exclusive Interview with James Moore of Music With Depth PR and Post Death Soundtrack

by The Metalverse

Updated June 14, 2026

Exclusive Interview with James Moore of Music With Depth PR and Post Death Soundtrack

Stephen James Moore is the owner of the award-winning press agency Music With Depth and a lifelong musician, who is in the band Post Death Soundtrack. Alongside his media and musical contributions, he is also the author of the critically-acclaimed music marketing book 'Your Band Is A Virus'.

The Huffington Post comments:

"The ultimate goal and intention of Moore, is to save independent musicians years of wasted time, through what has worked for him through trial and error. His clients, and there are many, all enjoy the benefit of his knowledge." – The Huffington Post

Stephen James Moore's philosophy, through both his music and press agency, is to "be the change you'd like to see in the world". Music with Depth represents artists across all genres of music and helps them land press features like reviews, interviews, radio play, and playlist placements while using SEO campaigns to increase exposure.

See below our interview with Stephen on his advice for rising artists and some insight into his own music.

You can find more on Music With Depth PR here:

Exclusive Interview

1. As someone who has worked in the music industry for years as both a musician and publicist, what is the biggest piece of advice you would give artists trying to build a sustainable career today?

Take things one step at a time but implement multiple tactics simultaneously. One action at a time helps one not become overwhelmed, and it resets the brain to appreciate each small success as opposed to wanting to jump to the mountain top. I’ve seen many artists who just want a million streams or a Pitchfork feature, and nothing in between. This is toxic and anxiety-inducing. One step at a time means celebrating and patting yourself on the back for sending an email pitch to 50 music podcasts requesting interviews, and landing one. Then, two days later, when you hear back from a music magazine in your niche and they decide to do an album review, that is another step to acknowledge yourself for, and you are now building in a practical way.

Using multiple tactics simultaneously means, for example, to plant the seeds for press, blog, and magazine coverage while also setting up or hiring someone to run Meta ads – two processes happening at once, and more can be stacked on top. If you have 5 or 6 processes underway in a given month, there is a lot of overlap, and all roads lead to buzz.

2. You've worn many hats throughout your career—from musician to author to press agency owner. How has being an artist yourself shaped the way you work with clients at Music With Depth?

I love being able to tell clients and prospective clients that I’ve released 3 double albums in the past year and I’m so serious about my art that I’d die for it. That is unusual in an industry where most PR agency owners tend to be non-creative types, non-musicians, and ironically, they tend to give artists a lot of advice, often bad advice.

My experience as an uncensored artist gives me that passionate perspective to encourage boldness and vision. I don’t tell artists to chop off their song intros in order to please the algorithm. I encourage them to make the song 12 minutes if that is best for the song. I encourage them to release a full album if that is what their vision requires, rather than tell them ‘albums are dead’. I encourage artists to follow their truth and provide something powerful and different.

3. Music With Depth has worked with artists across a wide range of genres. What are some of the most common mistakes you see independent musicians make when trying to promote themselves?

I think many artists are feeling a sense of overwhelm these days, and with overwhelm comes despair, then stasis. So, they might observe, I tried sharing my song on social media, but nobody saw my post, and I do not want to do a TikTok dance or be a clown, so I’m going to sulk and stop trying. This actually happens en masse! I let artists know that they do not need to do anything cheesy to promote themselves and can lead with an art-first approach.

For any given single, for example, they should have 40-50 pieces of content, and all can be art-first. A number of clips of the song with a simple song visualizer based on the cover artwork, which can be done in Canva, Adobe or Capcut, should be published across socials. Some should be advertised via Meta Ads and Google Ads. Behind-the-scenes mixing or ‘in the process’ videos can be posted as well as raw performances or rehearsal footage. Lastly, sharing the meaning behind the lyrics or themes of the songs connects the artist with the listener. If all these elements are combined, and some videos from each category are advertised, there will be progress.

4. The music industry has changed dramatically over the last decade. What marketing strategies are working best for independent artists in 2026, and which ones are becoming less effective?

Many things have shifted, but one core element always stays the same. Artists need to get in front of people, and no matter how much the current industry is criticized, this has always been the case, and it used to be much, much more difficult to do this. Yes, the industry is saturated with artists and now flooded with AI slop confusing the market, but you still do need to push for visibility and invest in this. Visibility does not mean you just distribute your music and publish a social media post, then complain. It means you advertise it so it can be seen. Period. I don’t think there was even a time where you could just make music and the industry came to you–artists just tend to imagine a past that never existed, because what we currently face is a bit dystopian.

5. Your book Your Band Is A Virus has become a respected resource for musicians looking to grow their audience. What inspired you to write it, and what is the most important lesson readers tend to take away from it?

I respond well to what I call negative influencers. So, I started my PR agency after being disappointed by a PR company, then turning around and landing way more press coverage than they did. With my book, I was feeling frustrated by the music marketing books and teachers at the time being too vague and using too many case studies as opposed to practical and actionable advice that could be implemented right away. So, the initial inspiration was to communicate my philosophy and have enough tactics in the book that could be used immediately, making it worthwhile for the artist. The biggest lesson from the book is, even though we are all creatives, understanding that music marketing is practical and step by step, so if we can take that approach it will be fun, enthusiastic and not cripplingly stressful.

6. Many artists struggle to get media coverage. What separates a successful press campaign from one that fails to gain traction?

Being concise and clear with your pitch, as in, stating what you are seeking (reviews, interviews, news posts), then providing the relevant materials (news release, EPK, artist bio, mp3’s, promo photos, cover art, musician/production info, social media links, etc) in a simple, one click format, and lastly, casting a wide net by reaching out to many people. If you only contact 5 of the highest tier publications, you might not hear back from anyone.

7. For bands working with limited budgets, where would you recommend they invest their time and money first when it comes to promotion?

It’s free to send emails or fill in submission forms, and it should be feasible to invest $100 or more on a monthly basis into ads. This is enough to make at least gradual progress. The only thing to avoid is thinking it’s too small so why bother. For artists who do not have a good handle on, say, Meta ads, it’s very much worthwhile to hire an expert, and that might blow your budget for 2-3 months. It is a concrete step forward, however.

8. You've been creating music with Post Death Soundtrack for many years. How has the project evolved since its beginnings, and what continues to inspire you creatively?

I’ve been in several metal, industrial and electronic projects, but Post Death Soundtrack has emerged as my main vehicle of expression, so it’s my baby and is very important to me. I keep finding myself inspired because, as an artist, I’m literally compelled to create, and the gaps in between creating new material seem to get shorter and shorter. We had a rotating cast of musicians for years until I took the project solo, and since doing that there has been much more music released. Each release changes and evolves, but the project has always had industrial and metal at it’s heart. More recently, it’s become more beat-heavy, incorporating a lot of heavy trap, darkwave and post-punk elements. The constant throughout all this is abrasiveness and boldness in the sound.

9. As both a musician and someone who helps other artists gain exposure, has your experience running Music With Depth changed the way you approach releasing and promoting Post Death Soundtrack's music?

I use methods that I’ve tested and that work well for my clients, and I lean into bold, sometimes shocking art because that is what tended to inspire me growing up. Sometimes my clients are a bit surprised at how brazen my art is, and I approach art like that because it’s a safe space to say and do whatever you want. You can’t scream at the coffee shop.

10. What can fans expect next from Post Death Soundtrack, and are there any upcoming releases or projects you're particularly excited about?

I will be heavily promoting the new double album ‘Barren Mother Of All’ for quite some time, and plan to begin writing and recording the next album shortly as well.

Thanks for reading!