Interview Question Bank

Going Deeper: Follow-Ups, Context and Craft

The starter questions above open the door, but the best interviews happen in the follow-up. When an artist mentions an influence, ask which specific record they first heard and where they were when it clicked. When they describe their songwriting, ask about a song that refused to come together, and what finally unlocked it. Specific prompts produce specific answers, and specific answers are what readers remember.

Questions that reward preparation

• Sound and studio: Was there a particular instrument, plug-in or piece of hardware that shaped this record? What did you deliberately leave out?
• Collaboration: How are decisions made when the band or producer disagrees? Who has the final word on a mix?
• Live versus recorded: Which songs changed most once you started playing them on stage, and why?
• Place: How has the city you live in, or the venues you came up in, affected what you write?
• The industry: How do streaming, short-form video or vinyl reissues change the way you think about releasing music?

Shaping the conversation

Open with something light and concrete, such as a recent gig or a detail from the artwork, before moving to bigger themes. Save challenging questions for the middle, once some trust has formed, and finish with something forward-looking so the exchange ends on an open note. Listen more than you speak; a short pause after an answer often draws out the most candid remark of the session.

Research matters. Listen to the full catalogue, not just the single, and read earlier interviews so you avoid asking what everyone has already asked. If an artist has answered the same question many times, acknowledge it and ask what has changed since. For examples of how conversations translate onto the page, browse our interviews, and look through the archive to see how questions have evolved alongside the music itself.

Finally, record with permission, check names and track titles before publishing, and keep quotes faithful to what was said. Accuracy is the foundation of any interview readers will trust.