How I (almost) completely ruined an interview with Treasure Fingers.
I write this in hopes that anyone who dreams of interviewing an artist they highly regard may avoid making the same moronic mistake that I did. After a year of writing for EDM World Magazine, most artists I attempted to interview either led me on, ignored me, or skipped out on our skype interview last second. Though mildly discouraged, I continued to request interviews with artists I revered, rather than who was “in” at that moment.
A recent issue of EDM World was in need of an artist for the cover. I proposed a feature on Ashley Jones, otherwise known as Treasure Fingers. To my surprise, I received word that Ashley would be happy to do the interview over Skype. I was overjoyed at the opportunity.
When the time came for me to interview him, I was struck with a wave of panic and anxiety. Rather than make a proper effort to calm the mental chaos, I festered in it. This enabled me to blow off my plans to set up a secondary recording device in case my program were to fail.
The interview went swimmingly. Ashley’s responses were so fantastic and full of personality. I ended the call and opened the window to stop my recorder. It was already stopped. “NOOOO!” I screamed. Not even one question was recorded.
I barely slept that night. Treasure Fingers was so nice about it and promised to send answers via email. Though I’ll admit I felt pretty sick over it until they finally showed up in my inbox a couple weeks later.
The point I’d like for you to take home is to follow through with your prior, proper planning. Take deep breaths when you start getting stressed and remember that we are all human, no one is perfect. Whether its interviewing one of your favorite DJs; packing for a festival trip; approaching a renowned artist; or getting through festival security: the most important thing is to have a plan of action, stick to it, and tell your fears to piss off. Don’t leave your fate to chance, ensure greatness for yourself by keeping a level head.
