How to Get Access to Interview a Band

Band interviews can take place in person at a venue or during a sound check, via the telephone or even through email. The type of access a journalist gets for interviews depends on the location of the band and interviewer, as well as the band’s availability and how much time a publicist can grant a writer. But first you need to get access to the band via a publicist; here's how.

Instructions

1. Find the publicity contact for the band you are trying to interview. Check the band’s MySpace profile, website and label website for an email address. If it isn’t listed one of these places, try contacting the label directly or use the connections you have to find it.

2. Contact the publicist. Most can be reached by email, but if there is no response within a few days, send a new email or pick up the phone.

3. Give as much information as you can about your publication. If it’s a magazine or website that the publicist likely hasn’t heard much of, try to provide her with as much information about it as you can. They are more likely to grant access for an interview if you have a large circulation or high number of unique site visitors per day.

4. Tell them how big the story is. Is the interview for a cover story or half-page spotlight? Is it for the front or the back of the book? Will it be featured front and center on the website? Let the publicists know how big the story will be—and how much exposure the artist will likely get—and they will be more likely to grant access.

5. Give them your deadline. Let the publicist know the time frame you are working in. Knowing that you have an eminent deadline can get the ball rolling faster than if you let them assume the interview isn’t high priority. Also, if the publicist can’t work in the time frame you have, always ask your editor if you can extend the deadline. Showing publicists the interview is important enough to extend a deadline can oftentimes get an interview set in stone.

6. Be as flexible as you can for scheduling. Publicists might be able to pin down the band for the exact time you want, but not always. Especially for in-person interviews, the band may only have a small window to work with. The more flexible you are willing to be--even doing interviews on short notice--the more likely you'll be able to get access.

7. Be persistent. If the publicist doesn’t return your email or phone call within a few days, try again. Show that you care and you are more likely to get an interview scheduled.

8. Be honest. Lying to publicists can assure that you never get access to their artists again. Using a different publication's name to get access can not just hurt your relationship with the publicist, but also with the editors of that publication. Never compromise a publication’s integrity.

Tips & Warnings

• Don’t get mad if things don’t work out. Sometimes bands aren’t doing interviews at a given time or are just too busy, and publicists have to prioritize (or are just shut down by the band’s management). Still, be polite and don’t burn bridges. You may need to come back to the same publicist for the next interview, and nobody wants to work with a sore loser.