Article 1,000 – The Celebration Interview
On June 1st, 2020, after several years of writing for other media platforms I launched my own website with musicandtournews.com launching with an exclusive interview with country-pop singer/songwriter Twinnie, which was followed by a week full of exclusive interviews with some of country music’s biggest stars.
Today, (Saturday, April 24th) just over 10 months after the site’s launch date, I have reached 1,000 articles and to celebrate the milestone I wanted to do something a little different and give you a little insight into my journalism journey so below you will find several questions that have been sent in so that you can get a better feel for what the inspiration was for this website and more.
What was the driving force behind breaking out to create your own website?
Honestly, after five years of writing for other publications (which I’m extremely grateful for), it just felt like the right time to break out on my own and test myself with a platform that features just my own articles. The lockdown also pushed me to take the leap as we were all stuck at home and it felt like I needed something to focus on. I began putting plans in place for the website in April so it was truly a quarantine project and I’m so grateful to all the artists who have supported the website so far.
Did you do any formal training, ie a journalism degree or did you just go “I think I can do this, let’s give it a try”?
Up until I was 21, I actually had no clue as to what career path I wanted to take but knew music was always passion so began looking for work in that field and after searching multiple roles I discovered music journalism and fell in love with the idea of being able to support rising, and established talent achieve their dreams. It was actually an Alan Watts speech that made me take the jump and focus on a career in journalism and I did an online course in 2015 which led me to get a Merit grade in my Music Journalism degree. The course definitely helped me hone my skills and give me the belief that this was actually something I could do.
What made you choose music journalism and why country music journalism?
Ever since I was a young kid I’ve had a huge passion for music and all my earliest memories are of music so it always seemed natural that I’d end up working in the industry and music journalism was what fuelled a fire especially as I was fed up of seeing negative press articles around singers concentrating on their personal lives – I knew I wanted to write purely about the music they were creating. It wasn’t until 2019 that I switched to country music journalism – I had been writing about multiple genres until that point. The driving force was when I was a finalist in a BBC journalist program and they told me not to be so single-minded and to be broader with my writing styles. That flipped the switch for me to actually made me realise that my biggest passion is for country music so I decided to focus my journalism entirely on that style and it’s been such a dream. Country music truly feels like a family.
What has kept you motivated through such a difficult time. Have you got any tips that could help anyone struggling with writer’s block?
This past year has been the toughest yet also the most amazing – being furloughed from my day job meant I was able to entirely focus on my writing and that was something I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do had we not been in quarantine. There have been difficult days but for me, it’s in those dark times that sitting down to write has helped lift me out of any tough spots. I think it’s also helped because I know that being a music journalist, and working within the industry across social media, etc is something I want full-time. Writer’s block can be difficult but I’ve always found it’s a good idea to write something about an artist you’re truly a fan of to get the juices flowing once again – even if it’s just a long Instagram caption. It can kick-start the flow once again. I’m thankful that I also have a support network around me who are fully supportive of my goals and dreams of working full-time in the music industry.
What’s been your biggest “wow” moment with musicandtournews.com so far?
I’m so grateful that there have been so many “wow” moments so far – in such a short space of time since launching the website. I’ve been so lucky to have interviewed so many of my favorite artists such as Twinnie, Ward Thomas, Jack and Tim, Carly Pearce, Danielle Bradbery, Sarah Darling, The Shires, and so many more. It’s seriously been a dream. I am so thankful to all of the artists who have supported this journey so far and I’m always conscious of the time they take out to send over their press releases, set up interviews, and so much more. It’s an honour to support all of the country acts on the scene at the moment and I’m so excited to discover more favorites this year and beyond.
What’s been your favourite article published on the website so far? Let me know across social media and in the comments below!
Post a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
