How to effectively navigate interviews as an artist
As an artist, interviews will form a major aspect of your career. Although well-established artists may make the process look easy, many fresh faces struggle to perform well in interviews early on in their careers. Doing well in interviews is vital, as the portion of your audience that has not met you in person will look at interviews as an insight into who you are as a person. Interviews provide an ideal PR opportunity, providing valuable advertising on news platforms and potentially attracting an abundance of new fans. The benefits that come with interviews depend on your ability to showcase your personality in the best possible light and give fans an insight into who you are.
Being interviewed is an exciting prospect for any artist, as it provides you with the opportunity to show your true colours to the world and connect with your audience on a new level. It also gives you the opportunity to answer questions around your career and dispel any speculation around particular subjects. It also provides a great opportunity to share your passion for the industry and talk about your upcoming projects, giving focus to any campaigns you are currently running. This is ideal for your marketing campaigns as it spreads your message even further, generating more publicity. While addressing your own following on social media is beneficial, the benefits are far greater when tapping into a publication’s audience, a large portion of which may have never heard of you before and may become eager to learn more about you.
When being interviewed, it is important to strike a balance between being yourself, but holding back enough information so that you don’t damage your persona. One of the major aspects of a great interview is openness, when an artist is willingly open about their life and really allows the audience in, this creates a great opportunity for viewers to really connect with the artist on a more personal level. Finding a balance is difficult, as it is never beneficial to give absolutely everything away. Every artist has some aspects of their personality and private life that shouldn’t be in the public domain, but it is always important to strive to let your audience in as much as possible, within reason.
In order for the interview to be as enjoyable as possible for viewers, it is helpful to try and build a strong connection with the interviewer. Being open and relaxed is a great way to allow the interview to flow smoothly, as being tense always creates an awkwardness that translates on camera. If both parties are relaxed and enjoy the conversation it makes for much better footage, generating more views and in turn, more exposure for your brand. If you are relaxed and enjoying the interview, this will make for a much higher quality interview.
Preparation is key, as an artist you will likely be prepared for most of the questions that an interviewer may ask. The interviewer is likely to ask about your most recent track or any current campaigns you are running, they may also ask about upcoming releases in the pipeline. Preparing for these questions is simpler, as you will likely be asked about these subjects much more often. On the other hand, the interviewer may also throw a wild card your way. There may be a question that you don’t feel is appropriate, or that you are forbidden from answering. For this reason it is imperative to be aware of what you can and cannot talk about. If you are unsure, your manager should always be present during your interviews and you may want to stop and ask for their input. It is vital not to damage your own campaigns by giving out information that should not yet be in the public domain.
While being interviewed, it is also important to be careful about offending your audience. Be mindful of the fact that although the conversation may feel private, it most certainly isn’t, a huge volume of people will hear what you say. Never make any jokes or comments that could offend a proportion of your viewers, if you’re unsure, it’s best to steer clear of offensive subjects entirely. It only takes one comment to derail a career, in the past artists have offended audiences and struggled to come back from it.
Although this may appear to be a no-brainer, it is also important to respect your interviewer. It is imperative to always build bridges with those in the industry and provide a positive experience. With the music industry so closely connected, it only takes one rude comment to one journalist before you are known in the industry as an artist to avoid working with. In turn, you don’t know when you may need a favour from somebody in the future, so it is important to keep all of your options open and make as many positive connections as possible with those around you.
Being interviewed is a daunting prospect for a vast number of artists, particularly those who may never have been interviewed before. As with most activities, it becomes easier the more experience you gather, nobody is an expert during their first attempt. Make sure to be as open and relaxed as possible while withholding any information that should be withheld. By opening up to your interviewer, you will find that the whole process is a lot easier, and the interview will translate much more positively onto film.