The Art Of The Artist Interview

So, what makes a good interview? Here are my four recommendations: 

1. Do Your Research!

   - Don’t just rely on the record label’s talking points. Look at the artist’s socials, web site, etc., and you’re bound to find something interesting to highlight.

   - Know what interests the artist outside of their music. The music, of course, is important, but find other areas of engagement. Jimmie Allen is a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan, for example. (And, of course, this Philly native would never forget that!)

   - Know what’s off limits and RESPECT that! More than likely, you’ll be in contact with the artist again sometime and, believe me, they do not forget a bad experience (as much as they remember a real good one, by the way)!

   - If you can, spend some pre-interview time with them to create a feeling of ease and comfort with some general “get-to-know-you” conversation. You may find a gem in there to pursue during the actual interview.[Text Wrapping Break]

2. LISTEN!

   - Follow up the artist’s answer to a question, as much as possible, with a related comment or question. Avoid going down a list. Really attentive listening may take you deeper into something that will really intrigue you and your audience. Forget being on the air or on mic. You are just two human beings talking to each other. In an interview earlier this year, we found out that Chris Janson has a metal detector he uses to search for rare coins. Got some great content from him on what he collected. 

3. Let The Artist Talk

   - Listeners hear the personalities every day. This is a special treat for them, so make sure the artist does most of the talking. Keep your questions and comments to the point. Nothing sounds more annoying than personalities joking and laughing for five minutes before actually getting to a question. Ask the question, and then give the artist some time to answer. The more they think about it, the better the answer. Trust me on that!

4. Some Basics

   - Make it a point to let the listeners know who the artist is at the beginning and end of the interview. You’d be surprised at how many interviews I have heard where that doesn’t happen. 

   - As an addendum to that, RESET your interview every few comments. It’s very disconcerting to hear an interview, recognize the voice of the artist, but not know who it is, and the personality never tells you. Resetting takes care of this. There are several subtle ways of doing it without repeating yourself. Note: It doesn’t matter how popular the artist is, ALWAYS reset. Don’t assume the listener knows Garth Brooks when he/she hears him. This also helps the possible tune-in during mid-interview.  

   - Make sure your interview line is as clean as possible. Have your label rep confirm that the artist is in a good cell service area. Another annoying interview mistake is forcing the listeners to decipher a bad cell phone call with the artist. Connecting from a studio is ideal, but that might not always happen, so make sure the technical quality is up to snuff. 

   - Considering the popularity of the artist and the length of the interview and, if you’re recording, it’s best to break it up into short segments that can carry over through an hour. Give the audience the sense that the artist is there for an entire hour.  

Once again, it’s all about prep! Good luck!

“Taking Your Radio Presence To The Next Level. Be it an artist, radio programmer or on-air talent. Coaching and mentoring down to your foundational level”

Contact me:
John Shomby
Owner/CEO Country’s Radio Coach
jshomby@countrysradiocoach.com
757-323-1460
https://countrysradiocoach.com