How to Interview Musicians

A Journalist’s Guide

The author of three books of interviews and 150+ cover stories for nationally and internationally published music magazines, Jas Obrecht has interviewed a who’s-who of rock, blues, and pop. The audio for dozens of these conversations is available here on Substack and on the Talking Guitar YouTube channel.

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The best description I’ve heard of what it takes to be an excellent interviewer of musicians came from Ry Cooder. We’d been talking about his performing with celebrated players from around the world. “What’s the attitude you approach them with?” I asked.

“Like you go to a master when you want to learn or be in their presence,” Cooder responded. “The thing is to empty yourself. If you’re truly committed in a real way, you come across as a receptacle of some kind, a vessel to be filled up. You’re not saying, ‘Look at what I got. Let’s see what you got’ – God forbid! You come and just say, ‘Imprint me with something.’ And if you love the thing, are with and for your practice and your ears are open, then the person knows that immediately, because musicians like that have seen everything and they know who’s what. There’s no faking at that level. You can always tell in a microsecond who’s got the vibe and who doesn’t. I always have found that people are quite happy to meet you in that spirit. And it’s a great process that goes on.”

In my experience, this same quality holds true for interviewing performers. If you’re genuinely interested in learning and you come across as selfless, most people open their hearts to you.

The way I began developing this skill no longer exists – hitchhiking. Back in the 1960s, the fifteen-mile, three-bus commute from my home to my Jesuit high school took an hour and a half each way, most of it spent crawling along Detroit’s West Side on the Wyoming Through bus. So I ignored my parents’ dire warnings, stuck out my thumb on the side of Seven Mile Road, and hitched rides home. Besides meeting people I’d never otherwise encounter, I discovered another bonus: By the end of the week, the bus fare I’d saved was enough to buy a new record album.

There was, however, an implicit danger in getting into a stranger’s car. I quickly learned that projecting a guileless attitude and initiating conversation created a calming effect. This even worked with the teenage toughs who tailgated at 75 mph on the Southfield Freeway. Once they got into speaking about themselves, many drivers would go out of their way to bring me closer to home.

I hitchhiked all through college. My longest journey, in the summer of 1974, took me from Detroit to Yellowstone, south to Las Vegas and Mexico, and back through Albuquerque and St. Louis. By then I had selfless conversation almost down to an art. I learned of hearts broken, crimes committed, dreams lost and found. On some lonely stretches I became something of a father confessor. Every day, without fail, people offered me meals, a Coors, a toke or two. I very seldom was asked anything about myself other than where I was heading. Most people, even after hours of intimate conversation, never asked my name. I didn’t know it at the time, but this was perfect preparation for interviewing musicians. I still instinctively slip into the attentive passenger mode around cabbies and shuttle drivers.

If you want to specialize in interviewing musicians, learn to play an instrument. Jam with others, maybe even join a band. Most performers would rather talk about their art than their personal lives, and if you play an instrument, you can relate on more levels. I could not have scored my first major interview, with Eddie Van Halen, if I didn’t already play guitar. You don’t have to be great, you don’t have to know how to read music. But if you can speak with first-hand knowledge about instruments, gear, techniques, and song construction, you’ll have added depth and insight.

A cardinal rule: When you do an interview, you’re not there to become pals. Never waste a second trying to impress someone who’s heard it all before. And if you delve into nervous flattery, especially upon first meeting a performer, you risk creating distance between the two of you. Instead, think of yourself as a midwife between the artists and their fans. Make it your mission to come away with info that informs, even thrills, diehard fans.

Getting Ready

Before the event, prepare, prepare, prepare. Listening to all of a musician’s recordings in chronological order can be informative. Read as many articles – especially interviews – as you can find. Discover the artist’s passions. Creative people do not like to endlessly repeat themselves, so avoid the pat questions they’ve been asked before. As you think of areas to cover, write them down. Then edit long questions, or even lines of questioning, to just a few keywords.