Nine artist interviews in two days. The questions did the work.

Touring artists answer the same six questions in every city. How does it feel to be here. What can fans expect tonight. Who are your influences. By the third week of a tour they could do the interview asleep, and some of them do.

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In December 2023, Maho Rasop Festival asked us to interview the artists coming in to perform. Maho Rasop is Bangkok's international independent music festival, and that year's line-up included IDLES, Atarashii Gakko! and Interpol. The interviews were for the fans.

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We had two days, a spot backstage, and whatever time each artist could give us. I ran nine interviews across the weekend.

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The real work happened before the gates opened. We wrote a question script for every act. The brief we set ourselves was simple: ask how they think, and leave the promotion to their publicist.

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That takes research. You read the old interviews so you know which questions they have answered four hundred times. Then you write the ones they haven't. An artist can tell within one question whether the person across from them did the reading. If you did, they lean in. If you didn't, you get the tour answers.

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All nine interviews went out on social for the festival's fans. The Interpol interview was released on YouTube.

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I have interviewed founders and CEOs since then, and the rule holds for all of them. People who get interviewed a lot are bored of their own answers. A good question is a small gift. They usually pay you back with something true.