On Craft…
I really like warmth in art. I like when I can feel the artist has brought together everything that matters to them into one piece. As I’ve already explained, all influences are valid, and the more of yourself you bring into a work—within reason and with purpose—the warmer your work will be. The goal should always be to connect all the disparate parts of yourself, your subject, and your craft into one really exciting thing.
So… Interviewing is weird. You have to build a rapport with someone very quickly, and there’s a high chance they do not want to be talking to you. Or they’re unsure if they’re even safe opening up to you. At once, you’re appraising your subject and getting a read on how to speak with them, and they’re getting a read on what to reveal to you. It’s a dance before the dance of the interview. Even so, I urge you not to write your interviews from a place of separation. I urge you to relate to your subject whenever possible, and leverage that common ground to get the best answers possible.
A month ago, I spoke with indie pop artist Healy. We talked about his new record and perfectionism, and we talked about Alan Watts. I knew, going into the interview, Healy was a big Watts guy. When he brought up Watts, I took the opportunity to share a personal anecdote with him about laying in a hotel room listening to a Watts lecture with Japanese lo-fi music underpinning the whole event. He thought that was the coolest thing. He started telling me all sorts of goodies that did make it into the interview.
I’m not saying tell your subject your life story, but I am saying, don’t be cold. We are animals who value finding our people. If only for 30 minutes you can make your subject feel like they’ve found someone likeminded—if that’s what the interview calls for, of course—you’re going to get great results. The next step is to write from a place of connection, too. Imbue your piece with details that give it body and make your phoner feel a little less strange. Bring out the humanity of the situation. That’s how you access warmth in writing.
When not writing an interview, bring in all your creative obsessions in micro-doses and watch as your piece comes alive. You want your reader to feel like a person wrote the thing they’re reading, not a content machine. If you’re remarking on a record, don’t simply describe the sounds’ successes and errors and be done with it. Add some color. Make it make sense on a human level. If it’s a review, drop in a pop culture allusion where applicable. If it’s a personal essay, don’t be scared to reveal too much. We can always mature the writing in post.
Focus on connecting in all ways when writing. Connect your thoughts, connect with your subject, connect your passions with the assignment whenever possible. There’s no reason to keep away these intriguing parts of yourself in the name of “objectivity” or some weird tone you think is the writerly tone you’re after. Just write and pack in the excitement you had when you were first starting out. Keep that flame alive when you enter each new piece, and you’ll be golden.