INTERVIEW: [Anonymous] *Blog Exclusive*

[ Anonymous – blog exclusive ]

                Sometimes for some reason people don’t like my questions.   And that’s their right as an artist really.   But I like to think that the majority of bands who don’t like my questions end up not responding to them.   It’s really as simple as that.   But then on the other hand, you can just look at all of these people who have been kind enough to respond to my questions with creative answers and make the interview their own.    This is for them.    This is for me.  And this is in a lot of ways the retirement of my same six questions.   Now that I have an archive the masses are onto me.

                Please Note: Names and what not have been omitted for privacy reasons.  And mainly because I don’t want to give this band any press, good or bad.

                Also Note: I am also taking the last email sent and copying and pasting it backwards for your reading convenience. 

My Initial Pitch (Feel free to copy and paste this if you have your own site)

On Mar 6, 2013, at 2:08 PM, Gypsies Raised by wrote:

Greetings.  I write for the website http://www.raisedbygypsies.com/ and was wondering if you'd be interested in participating in an interview for it.

The Band’s Initial Response

From: Band Name <bandname@gmail.com>
To: Gypsies Raised by <raisedbygypsies@yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 6, 2013 1:16 PM
Subject: Re: The End Men Interview Request

Yeah of course! Sounds like fun. 

My Questions in Response to Their Agreement

On Mar 11, 2013, at 12:31 PM, Gypsies Raised by wrote:

Thanks for agreeing.   Here are questions.

1)      What do you want people to hear most when they hear your music?

2)      Having music on Band Camp, along with other such platforms in music right now such as Sound Cloud, Spotify and others, do you feel that music is moving into a virtual age?  Personally, I fully support the idea of downloading songs for free from Band Camp and then if I like them buying them on vinyl.

3)      How important of a factor do you feel that record labels play in music these days when pretty much anyone can put their music on the internet as opposed to having to hand out demo tapes at shows, the distribution record labels can offer, etc.   It just seems like it’s a bit easier these days to succeed as a band- and even build up a strong fan base- before a label possibly comes calling for you.

4)      If you could tour with any single band or musician who would you pick and why?

5)      Who is your favorite New Kid on the Block?

6)      Who would win in a musical fight: Jack Black or Jack White?

The Band’s Response to These Questions That Have Been Answered Too Many Times Before

From: Band Name <bandname@gmail.com>
To: Gypsies Raised by <raisedbygypsies@yahoo.com>
Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 11:37 AM
Subject: Re: The End Men Interview Request

I have actually looked at your site, and we are choosing not to participate in this. 

This is not an interview, it is a questionnaire. What benefit does your site get or do we get out of filling out just a block form of questions. This at best is market research that you are conducting on bands. I'm sorry, but feel free to contact us when you are prepared to do some work and research on your topics and not just mass publish.

Thanks, but no thanks. 

Looks Like They Are Taking Part in It.  Here is My Response Again.

On Mar 11, 2013, at 12:47 PM, Gypsies Raised by wrote:

In all fairness, some bands do get their own unique questions.   If you read the questions for CHICKENANDROFLS, for example, you'll see they cater specifically to him.  A lot of other bands are having interviews published with questions just for them.   But a lot of bands have also answered these questions without complaint.   Yes, some do complain and that's fine (In fact The Widest Smiling Faces only answered the questions he wanted to, which basically killed my cut and paste question format because then others realized they could do that too or just not answer any), but yes, I want you to know we do ask special questions for special bands.

At This Point I No Longer Care So The Band Goes On the Defensive

Re: Band Name Interview Request

Show Details

From

·         Band Name  

To

·         Gypsies Raised by

So, your comment in "fairness" is that we do not merit any attention from you anyway. Ok. Then why did you even ask us in the first place? 

I thank you in advance for not wasting any more of our time. 

Final Thoughts from a Gypsy

                You know, I really don’t have any sort of method to my madness.   If I happen to type up six questions specifically for you or if I cut and paste the same six questions to you, it has no real actual meaning in terms of my asking you as a band to participate in an interview.   In most recent questions, in fact, I gave the standard six questions to Presents for Sally but that doesn’t mean I like them or think you should listen to their band any less than I do someone who has specific questions to answer. 

                What matters to me at the end of the day and should matter to the bands as well is that I simply ask you to do the interview in the first place.    I listen to so much music on even just a daily basis that the number of bands I hear is just too extraordinary for me to invite them all to do interviews even if I liked them all.   This band should have just been happy that I asked them and since they weren’t I’m giving them the publicity and recognition I originally had intended only now they shall be unknown.  

                Oh, and on a side note: If you’re familiar with my site and the questions I ask in interviews and don’t like them, then why’d you agree in the first place?   Unanswered emails never bother me.   You putting my reputation on the line whilst insulting the bands that I love and have done interviews with bothers me a great deal.