So you’ve been lucky enough to score yourself an interview! Whether you’re a veteran or a first-timer this can be a nerve-wracking experience, but it also could be THE interview that changes the course of your musical career forever! Inspired by a book on Rolling Stone Interviews on my reading list right now I began thinking, what makes a good interview? In part it is the interviewer and the questions they ask, but that’s only half of the equation. The rest lies solely on you, the interviewee. As someone who has conducted hundreds of interviews and read, watched, and listened to thousands more, I’ve come up with some advice on how to make sure your interview comes out in the best possible way with these helpful tips on how to approach an interview – just for musicians.
Interviews can take several forms, depending on the type of media outlet, such as a video interview, an email interview, a phone interview (aka a “phoner”) or in-person audio interview. It is helpful if you know what type of interview you’re getting yourself in for ahead of time, so that you can be looking sexy if you are to be filmed, or have your phone handy and are in a quiet zone when they call you if it’s a phoner. However sometimes you will have no idea so don’t be afraid to ask the journalist to tell you as much about the publication as possible when it comes time for the interview so you can have a better idea of what you’re doing.
Choose a spokesperson or persons as first choice/s to speak for the band in an interview but make sure everyone in the band is at least somewhat prepared for an interview just in case they get put on the spot. Usually an interview situation works best with just one or two of the members of the band, too many people involved can make the thing confusing and if it is a press junket situation you may have other members of the band doing interviews at the same time simultaneously with other journalists!
Your interview may simply be casual conversation or it may be a full on Q & A session. Try to give more than just yes or no answers – expand as often as possible, yet try not to babble. It’s a fine line, but you’ll get it down. Don’t be like Sigur Ros, who allegedly gave “possibly the worst interview in the history of electronic media” by giving their interviewer nothing but yes or no answers “I don’t knows” and a few words in between. (check it out)
On the same token, be eloquent. Try to answer things intelligently.
Be interested – interested people are interesting! See above Sigur Ros interview for an idea of what a bored, disinterested interviewee looks like – something that is NOT going to hold your audience’s attention or get them interested in your music, which is the ultimate goal here! A little energy helps (Sorry Sigur Ros!).
On the same note, give the interviewer a little something. Try to make each interview just a little bit different, a little bit special. Sure you make get asked the same ten questions over and over again (what are you doing at the moment, tell me about the new album, how was the show tonight, how did you guys get together, who are your influences yadda yadda yadda) but surely you can think of a few different ways to answer the same questions, you’re musicians right? Creative types, so let that creativity translate into your interviews. It makes you that much more memorable for fans and potential fans. Relax and have fun
Remember if it’s a telephone/audio interview (the “phoner”) the reader/listener can’t actually see you, so if you’re nodding or shaking your head in answer to a question or gesturing/ illustrating something with a facial expression/hands etc that is going to be lost on the reader/listener completely. And with on-camera interviews for TV/internet, remember that it is exactly the opposite! The viewer CAN see you so make sure you look good, your clothes/hair etc aren’t a complete mess (unless that’s the look you’re going for!), there’s nothing in your teeth, and you at least look like you are present in the situation.
Act up for the camera a bit, but don’t be a complete weirdo – feel free to move around a little, gesture at the camera/ interviewer etc, act out parts of your story, whatever, just remember to be conscious of yourself and don’t fidget too much – or you WILL be caught on camera doing something embarrassing/ creepy, and your fans WILL notice it. I swear that’s what hundreds of thousands of people are employed to do each day – go online and point these things out on YouTube, MySpace etc. So be aware!!!
Do you have an ‘image’? Are you a scary death metal band, that sound brutal as fuck? Maybe you want to play on that image in your interviews? Either by appearing brutal as fuck, or potentially the opposite? I mean don’t be a complete fake, but there’s no need to be boring either.
Or are you a sweet and sensitive singer/songwriter type with deep and meaningful , metaphor-laced lyrics? If so then maybe you want to remember this when answering questions, if you appear to come across as somewhat deep and intelligent in your music, but you come across as someone who can’t even string a coherent sentence together…well, let’s just say your fans may stop believing in you. Media is a great way to help cultivate your image, in a positive way, if the way you answer questions and approach the interview is consistent with who you are and what you’re trying to project, just be sure you have some idea of what that actually is beforehand!
Try to enunciate if it’s an audio interview you know the journalist has to type up later, you don’t want to be misquoted! And if it’s an email interview – remember the journalist may just copy and paste your answers into his or her article without changing a thing – so spellcheck and go over your grammar, because if you spell your own band name incorrectly, well…
If there is anything the band is not supposed to make public (such as the name of their new album before it is officially announced etc) make sure that everyone is clear on this! It sounds obvious but really if you don’t tell somebody if they fuck up it’s your problem too. Sometimes it’s also good to keep a little mystery about your band, to keep people guessing, but don’t go overboard and tell them absolutely nothing.
Try to keep your appointment – be it phone or live or whatever. We know you’re a rockstar but unless you’re in Led Zeppelin, a journalist is probably only give you one or two chances before they decide to move on to the next, on time unknowns who get the magazine cover because you didn’t make it on time.
I’m not saying some of the best interviews don’t come from musicians who are drunk off their faces, but just be aware that if you are wasted and doing an interview there’s at least a 50/50 chance that this is NOT a good idea…and a 50/50 chance that it’s a FANTASTIC idea..I’m just saying…
I’ve met some very strange people who’ve called themselves “journalists” in my time, sometimes they’re journalists, sometimes they’re just strange people. Look at Hunter S Thompson. It takes all types! Try to be courteous with the journalist, but if you feel like they’re being a bit of a jerk or asking questions you feel uncomfortable with, such as extremely personal questions, try to be diplomatic about it, but firmly steer the conversation back to your music or another topic you wish to talk about – “I’m sorry I thought we were talking about my new album “ – usually a journalist will take your cue, if they do not, you can skip questions or say no comment etc or end the interview if it is really necessary. This is pretty rare though, most journalists want a good interview as opposed to a shady interview.
Take a lesson from this great quote from Jim Morrison in response to a Rolling Stone Magazine journalist’s question in 1969 , “You’ve twice said that you think you successfully manipulated the press. How much of this interview was manipulated?” – to which he answers: “You can’t ever get around the fact that what you say could possibly turn up in print sometime, so you have that in the back of your mind. I’ve tried to forget it.”
Or take your cue from Andrew W K and flip the script completely like he does in this recent interview I conducted with him at Warped Tour San Diego 2010:
During an interview – “you’re performing I’m even performing, as much as we’re just having a conversation.” – Andrew W K as told to a Fox 23 news anchor
