Anoop will be stopping by Anoopcast (virtually over the internet and phone lines) Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 8:00 PM EST to chat with the Anoopcast hosts and answer fan questions. Go to the Anoopcast website (click HERE) for more details. Be sure to follow @Anoopcast on Twitter.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Interviewing indie music artists
I’m writing this to help me remember, but also as a guide for you to get some ideas on interviewing musicians.
1) Most indie musicians love writers b/c. it gives them more exposure, attention, contacts, etc. Knowing this will give you some confidence, be patient, positive, brief (don’t waste their time) – meaning, be direct and clear when you ask them for an interview.
2) You’re already at the show, you see the singer. Be proactive! You have to create your own breaks, stories…so go find them. Don’t waste a chance if your gut says go talk to THAT band.
3) At a show, you can approach in many ways, but always be respectful & handing over a nice looking business card, always looks good. State that you are writer, right off the bat, so they’ll probably get that you are there wanting to interview or get a quote for an article.
4) Nowadays, contacting a band through a website is actually a decent way to go. I have scored most of my interviews writing a direct e-mail to their official website, Myspace, Twitter, even Facebook. Social media does work for writers to connect with the artist….really!!
At first I would write comments & stuff on their site, and then the artists sometimes would comment back..huh? So, the more it happened, I thought, why not? E-mail directly and see if they want to talk, the worst they can do is say no or ignore your message. For example, if I get a response, I usually either try to meet when they next come to town, or I try to do a phone interview & set it up.
*The hardest thing about doing an interview is setting a suitable day & time. It can be frustrating if they have to re-schedule, etc., however, this comes back to the patience thing. If you want to interview an artist, it’s still awesome to have to interview, even if you have to wait a long time. But be persistent and patient. Remind yourself that musicians are busy, practicing, recording new stuff, so be prepared for example, if they say come to show I’ll talk with you after the show, and the show ends at 2am…you stay till 2am happily & do that interview to your best.
Now, I’m saying here that you shouldn’t go through their indie record label, that’s fine, you will probably have to go that route if they’re a big “indie artist”.
O.K. this blog is getting horrendously long, I could tell you a lot more things, so I might in a continuation blog.
~Jason
Why it's important to send a thank you letter after the interview
Landing a job, while managing to differentiate yourself from fellow candidates, is not an easy task. The marketplace arena is becoming increasingly competitive and to stand out as a future asset for any company requires taking the extra step that can really make a good impression.
Actually, there are three important steps in the job application process, namely your resume, the interview and the thank you letter after the interview. Each of these steps requires careful consideration. Even though most job seekers realize the importance of having a nicely structured resume and performing well during the interview, they underestimate the importance of sending a follow-up thank you letter to thank their interviewer. Yet, this is very vital for their potential hiring to the job.
There are numerous reasons why a thank you letter after the interview is important. First of all, it is an effective way to thank your interviewer for the time spent on the meeting and discuss potential employment. Besides, it is proper business etiquette and you can use it to make a good impression and present yourself as a courteous candidate that can soon turn into a viable asset for the company.
However, apart from leaving a good impression to the interviewer and possibly increasing your chances to get the job, the thank you letter post-interview is vital because it sums up the reasons why your skills can bring value to the company. By writing a thank you letter, in effect, you remind to your potential employer the benefits derived by hiring you. However, to achieve that, you need to write a well-structured thank you letter in order to include all the necessary points that can really make you the ideal candidate for the job.
In particular:
- Always thank your interviewer for their time
- Briefly explain why you think you’d be an asset to the company
- Recap on your skills which you believe match to their organizational needs
- Explain why you have chosen their organization
- Mention matters that you didn’t have the chance to do during the meeting, such as working overtime or taking over extra responsibilities
- Let them know you look forward to hearing from them
- Be at their disposal for any further information they may request
- Keep it short and simple
Always remember that getting a job is stressful and sending an interview thank you letter can be your key to success. For instance, if you have similar skills and expertise with other candidates, a thank you letter will probably make your application more interesting and may just be the one thing to give you a competitive edge when the time for the final decision comes.
Besides, regardless if you feel that your interview was successful or a miserable failure, it is vital to remember that the interview thank you letter in effect completes your interview. So, don’t be one of those job seekers who disregard the necessity of sending out this vital piece of correspondence. Be the exceptional candidate who carries a strong resume, knows how to present own skills and competencies during the interview, but most importantly recognizes the value of a follow-up thank you letter after the interview to reiterate on the skills that can make you a real asset for the organization.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Three Taps Takes Me Home
more about “seljf“, posted with vodpod
Selena Gomez was on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon tonight, February 12. She talks about her music career, being super busy, her Seventeen prom cover, and more. Jimmy said when she comes back next he wants to throw her a prom since she hasn’t been to one. That’s so cute, I’d def like to see video of that prom.
Her helium voice is so cute! Such a cute interview. We’ll add vid of her performance when we find it.
Right Beside You Is Where I Belong
This may just be the cutest thing ever! Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movie series, told MTV all about his love for his girlfriend, Jade Olivia, and his plans for Valentine’s Day.
Tom and Jade just celebrated their two year anniversary on Wednesday (February 10) but they may not be able to spend the romantic holiday tgoether. Tom said “I’m keeping my fingers crossed that there may be a chance that Jade might be able to come out for the weekend so we can spend Valentine’s Day together and try to make the most of our two year anniversary.”
Tom also dished on his romantic tendencies, “I’d love to say I play it cool, but I am a young Casanova, my friend. I can’t help myself! What can you say? When you’re young and in love, what else can you do.”
Oh my gosh, that is so cute! He also talked about his go to present for the Love holiday: “I’m a big fan of the two dozen roses and the kind of cheesy card to go with it. I can’t help myself.”
So swoonworthy! You can tell he really loves Jade.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Peanut Butter Wolf Interview Special
Last month I had an opportunity to interview DJ, producer, and Stones Throw Records label founder Peanut Butter Wolf in Brooklyn. For a person who is a friend a collaborator with the likes of Madlib, MF Doom, and the late J Dilla he betrays none of the affectations of fame. To start he switches off his Blackberry (yup, not the other one) during the interview. His consideration extends to the frankness with which he answers my questions many of which concern the music industry. He was also generous with his time in both granting the interview and time afterward to shoot still photographs. This same thoughtfulness in approach to an interview is most obviously present in the music label that he operates and the records it releases.
A week after I conducted this interview El-P announced the indefinite hiatus of Definitive Jux. This announcement alone puts paid to the notion that it’s only the major record labels who are wobbling. Few people buy music and many freeload it. This behavior has completely wiped out the financial model of major and indy labels alike. Stones Throw isn’t immune to the market either. Peanut Butter Wolf admits 2009 was a financially difficult year despite somehow managing to keep all ten of the label’s employees on staff. Difficult though it may have been they still managed twelve releases in 2009 including Mayer Hawthorne’s A Strange Arrangement, James Pants’s Seven Seals, and Madlib’s Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6: A Tribute to Dil Cosby & Dil Withers Suite to name just three. Twelve records in one year is alone impressive, but to put out strong records by a diverse roster of talented artists is one reason I believe the future looks bright for Stones Throw in an otherwise miserable market.
Below is the video interview that I conducted with Peanut Butter Wolf for Ford Models TV.
Peanut Butter Wolf, Brooklyn, 26 Jan. 2010 (Photography: Damien Neva)
Peanut Butter Wolf, Brooklyn, 26 Jan. 2010 (Photography: Damien Neva)
Peanut Butter Wolf, Brooklyn, 26 Jan. 2010 (Photography: Damien Neva)
Peanut Butter Wolf, Brooklyn, 26 Jan. 2010 (Photography: Damien Neva)
An Interview with Tim King
Who am I? I’m a nobody, that’s who! I’m just one of the legions of fans of music, worshiping at the altar of Rock. Occasionally, I take it upon myself to write some fan mail, to remind those Idols of Rock that they are truly awesome (like they need reminding, right?). The best of them write back, and that makes me happy. Very happy. Happy like this happy face: ^_^
That’s the face I made when I saw this.
So, imagine, if you will, how happy it made me to find that Tim King had replied to a Fan Mail I had written him. Then, imagine, if you can, just how much happier I was when he invited me to do an interview with him!
Tim was an absolute delight to talk to, and I hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did.
* * * * *
Angell: Let’s start with some vital statistics: your birthday, height, any piercings, tattoos, birthmarks, interesting moles? Go on, don’t be shy.
TIM: B’day is Nov 23, height is 6′3″, nose and nipple piercings, nothing else too interesting…
Angell: Do you own any pets?
TIM: I have a cat and some salt water fish tanks.
Angell: What is your favourite book? Movie? Song that you (co)wrote?
TIM: Book – The Dirt, Movie – The Warriors, Co-written song – Prolly our SOiL song “The One”.
Angell: Any resolutions for the New Year?
TIM: Not to take things so seriously.
Angell: What do you like to do when you have a spare hour or two to yourself?
TIM: I like to write music, but if that isn’t flowing, then I relax and watch TV or play on the stupid internet.
Angell: Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
TIM: Don’t think you’re gonna be rich and famous… without hard work and luck.
***
Angell: Do you play any other instruments? What were the defining factors in choosing the bass?
TIM: I can play some guitar and piano… can sing a little… I just loved the low end of the bass, it’s such a sexy instrument. That, and it’s so underrated, I always favour the underdog.
Angell: People talk all the time about the bands and songs that influence you as an artist. What, or who, are your greatest non-musical influences and inspirations?
TIM: I would have to say my Dad is a huge inspiration to me. I also admire artists quite a bit. It’s crazy how they can create things you can see and touch, rather than what I do is to be listened to.
Angell: It has been about ten years since you came together to focus primarily on SOiL. How much has changed in that time? Does it feel different? Do you feel different?
TIM: So much has changed. We were kids when we formed. Now we are all grown up (a little… lol). But you just realize that you have more priorities and responsibilities. Music is always the heart and soul of what we do career-wise, but we have always had to re-evaluate what we do along the way to the current state of the business and just life in general.
Angell: In a 2002 interview, you talked about getting bored when you’re not on tour, and suggested that you might feel differently once you’ve been doing this a while. Do you still love life on the road?
TIM: The road is a love/hate situation. When you are there, it’s like “I need a break and want to get home”. When you are home you get that itch to go out and play live. Music is a passion and a fire from inside. It can’t just be turned off.
Angell: What are some of the biggest names you’ve toured with?
TIM: So many… Ozzy, Rob Zombie, Motörhead, Staind, Godsmack, Shinedown, 10 Years, Sevendust… They were all super cool. You really realize why they are as big as they are. They are all down to earth and hard working great musicians.
Angell: Tell me about standing in for Dope’s bassist on your Australian visit. What was the experience like?
TIM: It was awesome. I haven’t really played in another band since we formed SOiL in 1997. It was great to play with a different band and different musicians. I had a blast. It was a great time. I think I pulled it off, for having a week to learn all the songs!
Angell: How did it come about that they asked you to stand in?
TIM: I don’t know the whole story behind it. Edsel and I are friends and he called me up one day while we were in Europe and asked me if I’d play bass for Dope for some USA gigs and the Australian tour. So I spent my free time in Europe listening to and learning the songs and then had a couple days at home to practice. We had two rehearsals as Dope and that was it. I tried to do the best I could in the little time I had. It was fun to play with those guys, I’ve always liked their music and stage performance. It was a lot of fun.
Angell: What did you think of the land Down Under? Did you get a chance to see any of the sights?
TIM: I was disappointed to not see the Great Barrier Reef, being such an ocean nut, but Australia was awesome. I loved the places we visited, and the people were super-cool.
Angell: Does SOiL have any plans to return to Australia, perhaps headline their own tour?
TIM: We would love to come back!! If not on this album, then the next one for sure. It would be great to play the festivals next time. One of my goals as a kid was to visit Australia, it was an amazing time.
Angell: What do you have to say to people who post comments like “Picture Perfect is atrocious, musically, lyrically and the cover is even worse.”?
TIM: I say: “well at least you listened to some of it and looked at the cover”; and also, “if you can do any better then do it”.
***
Angell: What question do you get truly fed up with answering all the time?
TIM: How did the band form?
Angell: Conversely, what question do you wish interviewers would ask you, but they never do?
TIM: “What do you think bands could do better?”.
Angell: What do you think bands could do better?
TIM: Practice more, and write better songs. I think young bands get too wrapped up in the thought of the “rock and roll lifestyle”, and don’t concentrate on the real reason we all should be doing this: the music. I can’t tell you how many long hours and countless nights we spent in the rehearsal room or recording studio to get things right. And jackass with a mic or a guitar can get on a stage and act cool, but it takes a lot of hard work and practice to really rise above the rest.
* * * * *
I want to extend my sincerest and deepest thanks to Tim King for participating in this interview. Thank you so much for the time you put into answering my questions, I am eternally grateful.
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