Many music aficionados in the area are familiar with local musical artist Mike Hosty. I recently discovered another Hosty who’s making his name on the local scene and beyond. Liam Hosty, 18, is the son of Mike and Kellie DeHaven Hosty. A 2022 Norman North graduate who plans to attend the University of Oklahoma this fall, Liam is lead singer and guitarist of the local band Wet Muscles.
When did you first start performing?
I started performing in 2021 officially with my own music. Because of the pandemic I wasn’t able to play live and had to wait until everything calmed down. I released my first album, The Days Are Just Packed, in peak pandemic, so playing those songs live wasn’t an option. I had done more informal performance type stuff in school or playing with my dad, but this was the start on my own. Wet Muscles played our first show in April of 2021.
Honestly, what really got me going was writing songs I had confidence in. A lot of people have the ability, but if you’re not confident, it just won’t translate. A lot of my early songs are bad, but it took that to get where I am.
Tell me about your band.
I play guitar and sing in Wet Muscles, but can also play piano/keyboards, bass and drums. Drums was the first instrument I learned how to play. The drum set my dad got me from Norman Music when I was like 4 o 5 is the same one we record on today.
The name, Wet Muscles, came from a joke we had about what a terrible band name would be, and it just kind of stuck. There are four of us in the band. I play guitar and sing lead. Aiden “Amsco” Wilson, 18, plays bass. We call him The Machine. Janice Koo, 18, plays keys, sings lead, plays synthesizer and various other electronic noises, and Ryan Hesselroth, 17, plays drums and sometimes triangle. All of them play their instruments differently than I would, so it’s super fun having that interplay between us. We’ve been playing together as a four piece for a little over a year now and we’ve really clicked with each other. I’ve known all of them forever, too. Our live shows now are pretty much down to a science.
My girlfriend, Kennedy, is basically the “fifth muscle.” She helps with literally everything we do—I love her.
What topics do you like to explore in your music?
We play originals written solely by me, the band and I, or just another band member. In my songwriting I usually sing about the stuff that’s happening to me or around me.
My first two albums are basically a recount of things happening while writing. They explore situations and people from my sophomore and junior years of high school, but with a subtlety that makes the song appealing to others. I love songs that are very event- or situation-driven and are just a bunch of details about one time or place. My bandmates and I are close so often that what I might be writing about is also something someone else might want to write about—just because we experienced it together. It’s a key part of the band.
What serves as inspiration for you?
A lot comes from what is happening to me. Even if it’s something small, I can usually dig around and find a song in it. I love to tie seemingly random topics to something that is going on in my life. You’ll see this a lot on the upcoming album, and it’s a pretty big characteristic of our songwriting style beyond my solo music.
Where do you perform?
We love to play Norman Music Fest. We’ve played twice, once in 2021 at the Soundchecks Series they did because of NMF 2021 being canceled, and recently at the 2022 Music Fest in April. It’s always great playing for people along with bands we love.
Where can people buy your music and/or learn more about you and the band?
My music is on all streaming platforms (Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, etc.) but can be purchased directly on Bandcamp! The upcoming Wet Muscles album will also be available on streaming. My Instagram is @liamhosty99 and for Wet Muscles updates, follow @wet.muscles on Instagram!
How do you describe your music?
We play a mix of Indie Pop and Psychedelic Pop. Some of it’s catchy and “dancey” but it also can get really weird, with vocoders, noise solos and groan back scratchers. However, when we make and write a song, it’s always grounded in something we find catchy.
What are you working on now? Long-term goals?
Right now, I’m working on finishing the Wet Muscles debut album. It’s been a long time coming and we’ve been working on it for over a year now. We’ve just been playing together for so long that it definitely sounds like us. After that comes out, we’ll really get started on shows again. Long-term, I’m just hoping to get to a place where I’m able to have music play a big role in my life while also having stability.