How to you prepare for an interview?

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I’ve done the “do tons of research” way, and the “not preparing, hoping for good conversation” way. What do you like to do?

― deadair (deadair), Thursday, 27 January 2005 11:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I like to just have a couple of questions handy, preferably more or less open ended ones that could provoke more questions, and find that the interview tends to lead itself, mostly.

Of course, this is an ideal situation.

― tissp! (the impossible shortest specia), Thursday, 27 January 2005 12:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Drink.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 27 January 2005 12:04 (twenty-one years ago)

i like having a few notes of open ended questions... but i've had a few people that weren't so "talky".

and Phoenix was a bit tough because... i don't speak French.

― deadair (deadair), Thursday, 27 January 2005 13:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I like to have lots of questions handy, but I usually don't end up using most of them. It's a security blanket knowing I have something to ask if the conversation goes nowhere.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 27 January 2005 14:06 (twenty-one years ago)

i used to read...read....read... and read some more about the band. then i would write down all the possible answers. before i would start the interview i would also smoke like mad. not a good thing when you're a non-smoker. there were times i was nearly sick and had to drag myself into the club. no wonder i quit doing interviews.

and Phoenix was a bit tough because... i don't speak French.
dude, that's the best! you can invent their answers!

― stevie nixed (stevie nixed), Thursday, 27 January 2005 14:29 (twenty-one years ago)

i kinda did. well, i had to "help" his english.

― deadair (deadair), Thursday, 27 January 2005 15:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I agonize.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 27 January 2005 15:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I prepare like a demon beforehand - I'm doing a phoner tonight and I've been listening to the guy's entire back catalog and also reading old interviews, and writing down everything I've learned that makes me go, "Huh, why did he do that or say that?"

I make a checklist of what I want to cover, the general gist of what I'm trying to get, and the specific questions I want to hit. I know I blank out a lot, and I know I also like to cover a lot of ground.
I'm also trying to ask (and prepare) more precise questions, that force better answers - I'm learning from watching people like Charlie Rose and even Tim Russert. I like to give the musicians time to wander around a question and see where they go, but I'm also trying to get better at putting them on the spot - like the old tip that they gave to people conducting sex polls, that you don't ask people if they masturbate, you ask them how often they masturbate.

― Chris Dahlen (Chris Dahlen), Thursday, 27 January 2005 17:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Another question is, do you prepare differently before you interview people you really like, and have thought about in depth - as opposed to when you got the assignment yesterday for a band you've never paid attention to?

I interviewed the singer for the Dropkick Murphys last summer, who I'd never listened to, and my questions were remarkably boring. It was just bing-bing-bing "Labor! Southie! Clash!" But it was for a daily paper, so it worked out to be appropriate ...

― Chris Dahlen (Chris Dahlen), Thursday, 27 January 2005 17:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Sacrifice a goat

― KeithW (kmw), Thursday, 27 January 2005 17:07 (twenty-one years ago)

chris, it totally DOES matter if i really like them. i'm actually more comfortable with interviewing artist i actually "like".

but it looks like the interview i THOUGHT i had set up for tonight has fallen through. maybe i'll call up someone else... i'm in the interview "mode" now.

― deadair (deadair), Thursday, 27 January 2005 17:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Nice! "Excuse me, is David Bowie there? Hi, David! You you have a sec?"

― Chris Dahlen (Chris Dahlen), Thursday, 27 January 2005 17:31 (twenty-one years ago)

You should ask them how often they masturbate.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 27 January 2005 17:33 (twenty-one years ago)

who do you have lined up Chris? i was going to talk to the Trail of Dead guys... but they wanted an early/mid-day interview. i'm all, "some of us have REAL jobs."

― deadair (deadair), Thursday, 27 January 2005 17:34 (twenty-one years ago)

I actually prefer interviewing people I don't like or already know a lot about. That way, I actually have some genuine curiosity.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 27 January 2005 17:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Doseone ... I just wrote him and was like, "Hey, I want to interview you. Mind if I call when I get home from work?" I definitely prefer that to the press tour stuff.

― Chris Dahlen (Chris Dahlen), Thursday, 27 January 2005 17:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Score drugs for the interviewee

― King Kobra (King Kobra), Thursday, 27 January 2005 18:25 (twenty-one years ago)

press day shit is the worst.

i have been lucky with most of these junket things that i've set up though... i'm usually the last guy of the day. that way i at least don't have to worry about time.

― deadair (deadair), Thursday, 27 January 2005 19:10 (twenty-one years ago)

It's a crap shoot. I've been overprepared and had it go miserably, and underprepared and had it be fantastic. I think the trick is to be as knowledgeable as possible about your subject without having any kind of rigid "Question 1..2..3.." sort of setup. And also, don't stress too much about asking the obvious questions - with some artists, particularly newer ones, it's almost impossible to avoid. There's 1 interview in particular that I tried to avoid asking the obvious, and when it came time to write the piece I realized I had huge gaps where my "sensitivity for the artist's patience" had been.

― PeopleFunnyBoy (PeopleFunnyBoy), Thursday, 27 January 2005 20:48 (twenty-one years ago)

eight years pass...

How do you prepare for not vomiting on the band? I'm interviewing a group I like and I think I'm going to be sick.

― mox twelve, Wednesday, 27 March 2013 00:56 (thirteen years ago)

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