Meeting the Press

furthermore, think about what kinds of questions you dont want to be asked. in the case of plain parade, we hate the whole "how does being female influence your work?" angle. ugh. baaarf.

I have often got the whole "female" angle thing, and it got to the point where it pissed me off so much that instead of answering, I'd just start ranting. Which doesn't make you come off well at all. What should you do? Ignore the question? Go off on another tangent? Change the subject?

for face to face or 'live' interviews, if you don't want to answer something just say so straight out. don't be afraid to challenge or put the interviewer on the back foot ie. that's a strange question. why are you asking me that?

don't get drawn into lyric dissection or anything about your personal life. have a laugh and DON'T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY! (note to self).

Ah nothing, I just drank too much coffee and talked my usual random punster shit. That, coupled with the journo's lack of real skill with language plus the fact he made some of it up (the tape must've run out) made me look, well... INSANE

Here's some genuinely helpful advice which I myself received once (from a very experienced author, who was in a position to know). Don't drink coffee before or during the interview. Use 'I' as little as possible. Tell interesting and amusing stories.

Some smaller mags will allow you to virtually write your own interview. You can offer up something to a journalist along these lines - 'here's some more info about us'. They'll usually work that into the final story, so it will be improved - especially if they've been asking generic boring questions like 'how would you describe your music' and 'any plans for more releases' etc. Plus they won't misspell names and so on. One of the best pieces of press we got was a long article and interview we concocted ourselves, with a fictitious journalist! We just sent it to the magazine and they printed it. Everyone was happy.

-- maria tessa sciarrino (keepitonth...), January 5th, 2006.

But you're such nurturing and giving bookers!

As a working journalist: Jeezus.

A fairly good-sized daily with a not-embarassing arts section in our area wants to do a feature on us. Our experience doing interviews is limited

Look up what the assigned reporter has written. You'll get an idea on whether the person is an annoying and stupid nob who just phones in crap or someone who cares. You'll discern something of their tastes.
And it will give you some idea on whether you could wind up hosed or not, at which point you can decide if you wish to cooperate or not.

There are all kinds of newspaper reporters. Some who take the time. Some who don't and are insincere.

At the daily I worked for the features section was always assigning coverage to bands sort of nobody had heard of who were simply wretched. It had been a tradition to up the locals mercilessly because it was assumed that if they were written about, at least they, their parents and some of their friends would read part of the section.

http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=PULSE&template=cover

ROFL at bad graphics.

from a press dude:

"so, you recorded the album without ever playing a live show?"

well yeah i mean it's 2010