If you listen to 104 the X, you've probably heard us interview many of the artists we play. It's a cool experience to be able to talk to some of the people behind the music we play here, but sometimes it can be a slightly stressful experience.
When the bands are in town, a lot of times they'll stop by the 104 the X studio. As I chronicled in my blog about the Sick Puppies visit a few months back, our studio isn't the biggest or most luxurious in the world. The listener can't see what's going on in our studio, so the most important thing is what goes out over the airwaves. Sometimes the artist will forget that, though. I will say that is very rare. Most bands are usually pretty cool and grateful to be on the air.
Sometimes we interview bands over the phone. This is usually the case when a band has a new album out, or when they have a show coming up and want to get the advance word out. Phone interviews are cool, but they can also present a few problems. First, the time zone differences can create confusion over what time they are supposed to call. This problem is compounded by the fact that bands don't usually have a normal schedule, so a lot of times they can forget to call at the right time. But that sucks for me because I'm planted in the 104 the X studio and I want to make sure I catch their phone call. It's hard to take calls from listeners or get started on any other projects while waiting for Joe Rock Star to call. I'm scared to even go to the bathroom because what if I'm in the middle of doing my thang and Shaun from Seether decides now is the time to call?
Another problem with the phone call is when it finally comes, sometimes it can have some ratty reception. I did an interview with Davey Havok of AFI earlier this year while he was on the tour bus on the way to New Orleans and the reception sounded like I was talking to a guy in a tunnel. Not much you can do about that, though. Roll with the punches.
Another thing is that it's sometimes hard to establish a rapport with someone you've never met on the phone. I feel the best interviews are those which sound like everyday conversations between two people. When you can't see the other person, it can be hard to get that "connection." It's not impossible, though. Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach was real good about just chillin on the phone. Lacey from Flyleaf has also been good in that regard.
I type all this as I wait for another artist to call in. As of this typing, they are about 25 minutes late. Maybe this person is thinking Eastern Standard Time. Maybe he's in the middle of soundcheck. Maybe he's sleeping on the bus. Maybe he's hungover. Maybe he just forgot. Whatever the case, I'm sure the interview will happen.
I hope soon, because I have to go to the bathroom.
