Local Artist Spotlight Interview Tips

Start the interview by explaining the format if they’re not already familiar with the spotlights (play one?). Remind/mention to them:

• That their responses will get condensed into 10-20 second sound-bites, so they need to be try to be concise, and speak in complete sentences.
• To speak one at a time.
• When there’s more than one, ask them to each speak their name, in order to recognize who said what, and pronounce their names correctly.
• Make sure you have listened to their music and done some research before they get to the studio.
• Begin by thanking them and toss out a compliment.

Here are some example questions. Don't ask yes or no questions.

• How did the group get started? (This usually leads to a long answer that I rarely use, but every once in a while there’s a good bit that comes out of it)
• Where did the name of the group come from? (again – rarely anything useful)
• If someone hasn’t heard your music, how do you tell them what to expect? Or would you rather not?
• (If its primarily original tunes) Is there a primary songwriter in the group? Does everyone contribute to that process? If its a solo songwriter I ask what kind of things inspire them, what kind of process they typically go through when writing etc.
• If its a studio recording, how do they think it compares to or differs from their live sound?
• Describe your musical journey up to this point and where you're headed.
• What do you think makes you unique among groups that play similar music?
• What do you think people enjoy most about your music?
• What are you most proud of? (This is a nice way to end on a positive note, and its usually an unexpected question that they have to think about)

You can deviate from these questions, but make sure that the quotes you're getting are usable. Above all listen to what they are saying. If they go down an interesting path, go down it with them. If they're struggling to answer something, ask a different question.