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Features

Have Questions For Robin Thicke?

(courtesy: robinthicke.com)
(courtesy: robinthicke.com)

I’m interviewing the very sexy and talented Robin Thicke tomorrow and I cannot get his latest single “Blurred Lines” out of my head! (Listen below).

At CBS, I’ve been working on a video package where I ask musicians all of our burning relationship questions. So, what better artist to ask than Robin Thicke?

If you have anything you’ve been dying to get a male’s perspective on, send ’em on over or Tweet them to Radio.com. In the meantime, enjoy his new video with Pharrell and T.I. below.

 

 

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Song of the Week

Song of the Week: “Whatever She’s Got”

DavidNail-03-big

David Nail will always hold a special place in my career. In 2009, I flew to Nashville to cover CMA Fest for the first time. I instantly fell in love with the city, the music, and every artist I met. I was very much a country newbie and a bit intimidated but everyone I met was so incredibly friendly my nerves quickly disappeared.

I headed over to a stage right off the main strip of downtown Nashville to see Nail perform right before I interviewed him. I figured it’d make good research and it did. At this point, he was about to release his debut album and was pitched to me as being one of country music’s latest heartthrobs. He was.

 

 

It’s been fun to watch his success over the years and his singles climb to the top of the country charts. He has such a distinct emotive quality in his voice. Whether he’s singing of heartbreak on his first single “Red Light” or cheating on “Let It Rain” you can’t help but feel for him and take his side in every song.

 

 

His latest single, “Whatever She’s Got” shows a different side of him, though. More upbeat, he said it’s the first track of his that he’s ever seen his wife dance along to. That has to tell you something. Listen below and stay tuned for new music from him later this summer.

 

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Features

You Sing I Write May Recap

Vicci-Martinez-Come-Along-400x400

May was one of those months that reaffirmed my decision to pursue music journalism. Not many know this, but back in high school I thought my future profession would be psychology. I just loved the idea of helping solve other people’s problems. After a while, though I realized I wouldn’t be able to make it as a psychologist because I take everyone else’s issues to heart and would never be able to shut that off.

While I’ve never second guessed being a music journalist, last month made me realize maybe there is a little therapy in the art of an interview. I remember my high school journalism teacher explaining the importance of silence during an interview and to allow the interviewee time to say what she needs to say. It’s uncomfortable keeping that long pause between answers but sometimes they’ll say something they’ve never told anyone else or lead your conversation into a different direction. Sometimes it will even allow room for tears. And this isn’t always a bad thing, as awkward as it may sound.

Last month, I interviewed Vicci Martinez. A former contestant on The Voice, she placed third in 2011. Instead of talk about that experience, I wanted to dive into her music, most of which she writes herself. My goal in every interview is to ask the artist a question they’ve never been asked before. My go to question for this is usually: Is there a song that means more to you now than when you first wrote it? When I asked her this, it took her a few seconds but then she remembered a song she wrote a few years ago from her album I Love You in the Morning. The instrumental track was written about her parents’ relationship and she said it’s her favorite song she has ever written.

“It’s this conversation between the two of them where my Mom feels like she can never be with anyone else and my Dad is gone,” she explained to me about her father’s death. “I feel like my Dad, because he loves her so much, [for him] the most important thing is for her to be happy and I think he’d give her that blessing. The whole song is that conversation.”

Vicci’s dad passed away and she wrote the song for her mom. When I asked her if her mom knew the story she told me she never told her. After the interview I learned that she was fighting back tears when she was telling me the story behind that song.

“That was like a therapy session. You should get a promotion,” she told me afterwards.

As my co-worker came into the room Vicci told her the same thing and my colleague joked, “It wouldn’t be the first time. Annie makes a lot of people cry.” (It happened last year with Tristan Prettyman.)

It’s not that I want to ever make anyone cry, but the fact that I allow them to get comfortable enough to open up that much is something I never take lightly. It almost makes me wonder if I can get a job as a music therapist. Go on the road with bands and provide counseling, or just lend an ear. Hmmm…maybe I should do some research.

 

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Features

Darius Rucker Digs His Boots Deeper Into Country

Me and Darius Rucker

While I’ve been saving my country posts for my relatively new Tumblr blog, I thought it was fitting to come back to You Sing I Write for this post. In fact, if it wasn’t for me starting this blog in the first place I would have never discovered my love for country music. Back in 2009, I visited Nashville for the first time and that experience became one of my top 5 moments of the year. This is what I wrote:

“The community between artist and fan is phenomenal and even the press are extremely welcoming. I remember my first night in the CMA press conference and being extremely nervous because the biggest country stars would be there for interviews. Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley! A Jersey girl covering the Nashville music scene, I was definitely a country newbie. I kept raising my hand throughout the night in hopes to squeeze a question in and quickly learned you have to be aggressive and shout out your questions to the artists. Lucky for me, Darius Rucker noticed my continuous unsuccessful attempts and while the PR person was ushering him off the stage he pointed to me and said, “You’ve been so patient this whole time. What’s your question?” I was shocked and humbled.”

That experience forever changed my preconceptions of country music and I fell head over heels for the genre.

Fast forward to 2012. One of the first interviews I conducted for CBS was Darius Rucker. He was opening later that night for Lady Antebellum and came into our studio to chat about his new single at the time “True Believers,” and what we could expect from his forthcoming album of the same name. I was finally able to tell him the story of that night in the press conference and thank him for making me a country fan and he was so appreciative.

Today, he released his third country album and having interviewed him three times over the past year we decided to make a video package from the content he provided in support of his new album. You can watch the complete video below. To learn more about his album and the story behind many of the tracks on True Believers, visit Radio.com.

 

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Song of the Week

Song of the Week: “As Long As You Love Me”

(courtesy: BackstreetBoys.com)
(courtesy: BackstreetBoys.com)

Sometimes you just have to go back to where it all started. For me, it was the Backstreet Boys. I was obsessed with them as a kid. And by obsessed, I mean I was convinced I was going to marry a Backstreet Boy (Brian Littrell if you must know). As ridiculous as that sounds, I know my love for their music was one of the reasons I became a music journalist.

Growing up, I always wondered who their songs were about, if they actually wrote them, what really went on backstage and what they really were like as people. These burning questions haven’t changed much over the years and this curiously is what sparked my passion for journalism in the first place.

This week, BSB announced that they’ll be hitting the road in celebration of their 20th anniversary as a band. Additionally, new music is on the way and the guys have written most of the tracks for their upcoming July 30th release In A World Like This.

Confession: I spent an entire day this week revisiting all their old hits and am amazed that I still know all the words to many of their songs. Like this one especially, “As Long As You Love Me.” Say what you will about the Backstreet Boys, but you can’t deny that their songs are incredibly catchy.

 

 

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Features Q&A

Artist to Watch: Ben Howard

(Courtesy of Universal Music)
(Courtesy of Universal Music)

Before I started working at CBS I had done two video interviews — Keith Urban and Josh Kelley. While it’s fun to see how your interview came to life after the fact, it’s also very nerve-racking during the process because you can’t mask anything that happens. With that said, actually editing down a 40-minute interview into a four-minute segment isn’t the easiest thing to do, but I’m slowly getting the hang of it.

Last month, I interviewed British singer-songwriter Ben Howard. I fell in love with his music the more I listened to him and his back story is even more intriguing. He actually went to school for journalism but then ditched it to pursue a career in music. While some compare his music to surf rockers like Jack Johnson, I think his music is much deeper.

In February, he won two BRIT Awards, England’s equivalent to the GRAMMYs, for Best Male Solo and British Breakthrough Act and just last month he performed at Coachella and was touring with Mumford & Sons. Learn more on the singer below in the video I produced for Radio.com. I’d love to know your thoughts on him!

 

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Features First Person

You Sing I Write April Recap

(credit: Wendy Hu)
(credit: Wendy Hu)

Over the past few months I’ve forgotten how important it is to have your own writing outlet. Not a site that people tell you who or what to write about, but something that’s entirely your own. Work has been so crazy that I haven’t had a second to sit down and blog about the music I truly care about. Sure, I get to interview some of my favorite acts but I miss highlighting the lesser known bands on You Sing I Write — bands  who need and appreciate the attention.

While interviewing Hanson is one highlight of last month, I was also able to sit down with Tim and Tom of the Plain White T’s (“Hey There Delilah,” remember them?) and it brought me back to college. The first song I ever learned on guitar, I remember sitting in my room with the song on repeat trying to perfect the notes. Back to a time when I’d kill to be writing about music on a daily basis. As I told the guys this, I had one of those “remember this” moments where I couldn’t believe I was chatting with a band I had seen live back in college. I actually own their first CD and would you have told me in college when I volunteered as the concert crew just to have a ticket to their sold-out show that a decade later I’d be interviewing them in New York and talking about that infamous GRAMMY-nominated song and dating I never would have believed it.

 

 

I’ve finally gotten used to interviewing bands on camera and just last month I chatted with one band that I think you should keep on your radar, Drop City Yacht Club. Their new single “Crickets” I’m convinced will be the song of the summer. It’s one of those ear worms that I’ve been singing for days now and they were by far the funniest band I’ve interviewed.

 

 

Another band I’m amazed by is Vintage Trouble. I would have never discovered them if it weren’t for my co-worker who suggested we cover them as New Music to Know and I can’t get enough of them. They’re a retro 60s act that’s part Elvis Presley (gyrating hips and all) part Buddy Holly and James Brown all rolled into one.

 

 

One of my personal favorites, who I just interviewed yesterday, is Andrew Ripp. I caught his set when he was on tour with Andy Grammer and Parachute and instantly fell in love with his voice (and the fact that he’s from Nashville.) His new single is so fun and upbeat I had it on repeat all day yesterday.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSlUtv-ZulY

 

I’m really hoping to get back into the schedule of blogging more frequently especially if it’s a quick post about a video I’m digging or a song I can’t stop playing. Last month I realized that websites aren’t around forever and my blog really is the only database I can trust will forever keep all my writing. I was incredibly sad when I heard AOL Music would shut down as it was the first place that paid me to write about music. AOL’s The Boot was by far my favorite outlet to write for as it allowed me to spend the day with Keith Urban (!!!) and interview some of my favorite country artists like Lady Antebellum and Eric Church as well as attend some phenomenal concerts. It made me realize my passion for country music and for that I will be eternally grateful.

That’s all for last month. As always, reach out if there’s a band you suggest I check out. Thanks for reading!

 

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Features

Welcome Back to You Sing I Write!

Hanson

It’s been over three months since my Website crashed and this has been the longest I’ve gone without updating since it launched in 2007. While I’ve definitely been keeping busy, I miss having You Sing I Write as a constant outlet to write about whatever band I want to, no matter how big or small.

I’ll try to fill you in on everything that’s been going on in my world as much as I can. I’m still at CBS full-time where I cover Top 40 (most recently interviewed Hanson — see photo above!) but I’ve also been branching out and doing on-camera reporting. While being on-camera sounds glamorous to some it is not at all that way for me. Never the outspoken one, you can definitely say I have a bit of stage fright.

Luckily, my co-workers are extremely supportive and have been helping me get over that fear. My debut as a host of Radio.com’s Country Rewind launched a few months ago and while every morning I have to go on camera I wake up with a huge knot in my stomach, things are slowly becoming more comfortable. Here’s my first episode in which I chatted with Ashley Monroe and Randy Houser.

It’s no secret Taylor Swift is one of my favorite artists out there. Last month when I headed to her RED Tour at Newark’s Prudential Center I was happy just to be there. So, imagine my shock and excitement to learn that I wasn’t just sitting anywhere at the arena–I was in the front row! As a kid, it was always my dream to be front row at a concert and I never really thought it would be a possibility. If you haven’t seen Taylor live, I highly recommend it. She puts on a phenomenal show, unlike any concert I’ve seen.

Photo credit: Ash Newell
Photo credit: Ash Newell

Every now and then I get the pleasure of interviewing artists more than once. When I learned Parachute (formerly Sparky’s Flaw) would be coming to work to chat I couldn’t help but remember the first time I talked with frontman Will Anderson. He was still in college on his way to class and the band would tour on the weekends. They went on to have hit radio singles, go on some major tours and write with Lady Antebellum. One of the first bands I interviewed for this blog, it was nice to have familiar faces in the studio who felt like old friends.

That really is my ultimate goal as an interviewer: hope our conversation is comfortable enough that they’ll want to come back next time they’re in town. I have a slew of interviews lined up in the coming weeks and some impressive new artists I’m excited to introduce you to. Stay tuned!

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Artist of the Week Band of the Week

Band of the Week: Whale Belly

I Was Once A Bird COVER 10042012

 

Nearly three years ago my roommate introduced me to Brooklyn-based band Whale Belly. At the time I was planning a concert and she suggested they’d make an excellent addition to my lineup and she was right. I hosted a show at the now extinct Brooklyn venue Southpaw and the band won over the crowd and booking agents.

Last year I interviewed Whale Belly for CBS New York as they were promoting their debut album …the Smile at the End of the Slope. A year later, the band are back with their sophomore follow-up I Was Once A Bird which embodies 10 excellent tracks fueled with emotions we can all relate to: heartbreak, anxiety and the uncertainty life often brings.

Frontman Todd Bogin’s vocals exude a distinct urgency throughout I Was Once A Bird while spot-on string accompaniment, quirky guitar riffs and ear-grabbing percussion captivate.

I Was Once A Bird begins with memorable guitar and intriguing violin parts on “Bubbles In My Blood.” By the track’s end, foot-stomping rhythms, soaring music and Bogin’s catchy vocals beg all to keep listening. “Bubbles In My Blood” segues seamlessly into “Mette By the Canal” with soaring violin and delicately strummed acoustic guitar.

While the music accompaniment impresses on the LP, it’s the emotion-fueled tracks that show Whale Belly’s power. For example, the standout “Nervous Breakdown” was inspired by actual events Bogin faced while shopping at IKEA.

“I’m a very anxious person and I do really bad in crowded public spaces,” he explained. “I had a freak-out in IKEA because I went there on a Saturday before Christmas and it was so insane. I got lost, I couldn’t find who I was with, I couldn’t find the exit and I literally ran home. It’s a lighthearted song but if you listen to the lyrics and the music, it’s a very stressful song. It’s hard to listen to for me because it’s so intense.”

The listener can feel the angst with aggressive violin and guitar parts throughout the song.

Meanwhile, Bogin lays it all out on the line on heart-wrenching album closer “Long Drawn.”

“I’m getting used to being the lonely guy/Now that I don’t have you by my side/Enjoy my company and my own thoughts…You didn’t love me like I loved you,” Bogin sings.

“The next album will have the aesthetic of Whale Belly itself but make a point of transitions in life and change,” Bogin told me last year.

He wasn’t lying.

Download I Was Once A Bird here and be sure to catch Whale Belly live in New York tonight at Mercury Lounge.

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Features

You Sing I Write’s 12 Most Memorable Interviews of 2012

Josh Turner

2012 was quite the year. In February, I started a new job at CBS full-time where I interview bands, cover concerts and write music news stories every day. Pretty much my dream job that I was starting to doubt existed. In addition to many memorable interviews I finally met John Mayer (!!!), attended my very first music video shoot (Gaslight Anthem!), album listening party (Justin Bieber) and album release/film screening (Rascal Flatts).

Throughout the year I’ve interviewed so many artists and while it was hard to narrow down my favorite interview I’ve compiled a list of my 12 most memorable interviews from 2012. While some allowed me to bring my mom along (Josh Turner), others were over the phone (Gaslight Anthem) but none were any short of interesting. I’m sure 2013 will bring even more excitement. Happy New Year!

12. Rascal Flatts

Rascal Flatts have been making music together for over a decade. With eight albums under their belts, it’s nearly inconceivable that the popular country trio almost called it quits. But they did and I learned this all at a red carpet film premiere in New York where I chatted with the band.

“We’ve been more excited about this one then we’ve been in a long time,” Jay DeMarcus told me of their new album Changed. “We feel like we’ve got renewed energy and a resurgence of the spirit of what Rascal Flatts was about to begin with.”

11. Jerrod Niemann

I know I’m not supposed to be friends with rock stars (at least according to Almost Famous) but country artists make this so difficult! The moment I met Jerrod Niemann I knew it would be a great interview. I started off gushing about my love for Nashville and by the end of the interview we were discussing cowboy boots (he had on a pair of alligator skin boots!). A bit self-conscious about wearing mine in NYC, and finding it a cliche to wear them while interviewing a country artist at that, Jerrod put me at ease. “Hey, everybody thinks I’m crazy most of the time,” he told me. The next week I wore my pair of boots to work twice.

10 and 9. Benny Horowitz and Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem

If you’ve been reading this blog over the years then you know of my obsession with Jersey band The Gaslight Anthem. This interview was also a long time coming. I used to work with drummer Benny Horowitz in college. While attending Rutgers University I was Features Editor for the college paper, The Daily Targum. As editor, one night a week I had to proofread the whole paper before it was sent to the printer. Benny was the Night Pro editor and always talked about the bands he was in. Little did I know a few years later he’d be sharing the stage with Bruce Springsteen and touring the world.

In 2008 during my internship at Rolling Stone I was flipping through the magazine and was in shock when I saw Benny’s band featured as a Breaking Artist. At first I didn’t think it was him, but sure enough once I read the photo caption and contacted all my former co-workers I realized it 100% was him. For four years I tried interviewing the band for various publications but for some reason it just never worked out. My friends would always joke with me that I could interview Taylor Swift and Pat Benatar but not Benny, who I actually knew.

Well, 2012 was finally the year. I interviewed Benny and frontman Brian Fallon after their music video shoot and found out some facts no magazine feature could ever reveal. Truthfully, personally knowing someone who followed his dreams even in the midst of countless obstacles and witnessed success is one of the reasons that has kept me perusing my own passion. When you actually know someone who has succeeded in the industry, you can’t help but think, “I can do that too.” And that’s exactly what Benny has done for me. Knowing that his band could make it into the pages of Rolling Stone made me realize that I too, could make it writing for Rolling Stone. Why not? The sky’s the limit.

The day after I was on the set with the guys for their music video shoot I spoke with Benny on the phone and he informed me that Gaslight’s debut album Sink or Swim was full of desperation because in his mind that was his last shot at music. He had been in bands since he was a kid and in his head if Gaslight didn’t work out he was going to give it all up and get a boring 9 to 5 job. Luckily for him (and the rest of us) that never happened.

8. Gari Lamar Askew II aka John Mayer’s photographer

John Mayer has been an infatuation of mine for quite some time. My former co-workers at WebMD and colleagues at JANE Magazine, heck all my friends, family and acquaintances know of my love for John Mayer. He’s one of those artists who has been such a major part of my life that the idea of meeting and interviewing him was so full of anticipation and high expectations. My dream interview, I’ve been trying for years to get a shot at interviewing him. I even got the okay from RollingStone.com but unfortunately he hasn’t been doing many interviews as of late.

So, when I got the email that he’d be signing autographs for fans in New York at a pop-up store I just knew I had to cover it. When I got to the pop-up store location and realized I wasn’t on the press list I instantly felt defeated because with nearly 3,000 fans lined up to meet Mayer too, there was little chance I’d get inside. Luckily, some co-workers started talking to one of the men by the door and it turned out he was John Mayer’s photographer (Gari) who had traveled with him and had photos on display at the exhibit. This guy not only traveled with John, but considers him a friend and only had the nicest things to say about him. After I interviewed him about his experience working with Mayer he was able to get us inside. Gari asked if I was going to talk to John and I suddenly became so shy. This singer who I’ve grown up listening to was standing 10 feet in front of me!

Of course I had to at least say hi, right? After purchasing an album for him to sign for a friend along with something for myself my friend Wendy and I approached the table where he was signing. “Hi, I’m Annie” I said reaching out my hand for him to shake. He looked at me inquisitively and I couldn’t help but wonder if no other fans in line shook his hand. After much coaxing from Wendy for John to take a photo with me he apologized that he wasn’t able to take photos with fans since the line was so long. As the manager clearly wouldn’t let a photo opp happen I assured Mayer that I understood and it was no big deal (although of course I wanted a photo!) As we were ushered to the door he turned to me and said, “Thank you for being so understanding, Annie.”

That was it. I didn’t ask him any burning questions about his music I’ve wondered for years or say anything witty. I simply introduced myself and got something autographed and was ushered out of the store like every other fan in line. No fireworks, nothing remarkable to report. I walked out of the store indifferent and realized — here’s the shocker — John Mayer is just a person like the rest of us. He’s not some musician who should be worshiped or idolized. He’s just another human being working at making a living doing what he loves.

7. One Direction

Having grown up a boy band fan, I can recognize when the next big sensation is coming. Early in the year I received a press release on One Direction, revealing that their first U.S. fan signing brought over 5,000 fans to a local mall in Boston. I mentioned it to my boss and we learned the guys would be in town in a few weeks so we set up an interview.

I had a flashback to the 90s when Backstreet Boys, N’ Sync and 98 Degrees ruled the charts when I saw girls line up hours before their concert at Radio City Music Hall (and heard their screams from the 44th floor of my building!). When I interviewed the boys of One Direction I got a behind-the-scenes look at what life is like for the current music sensation and it wasn’t pretty. With back-to-back interviews lined up on their day off with little but a second break in between, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guys. A few of them kept remarking how they just wanted to go home while the publicist assured them they just had one more interview (which they didn’t). Just a glimpse into their daily life made me thankful I never became a rock star.

6. Little Big Town

There is no concert I look forward to more than the CMA Songwriters Series held at Joe’s Pub. It’s here that the songwriters and singers from Nashville come and share the story behind their songs and perform in a round. I attended the show Little Big Town were performing at and afterwards interviewed the band for Billboard. The day I sat down with them their ever popular single “Pontoon” just hit No. 1 on the country chart. It became the group’s very first No. 1 hit. Incredibly down to earth, I confessed to the band that I never knew what a pontoon was before their song.

They shared with me the story behind the song and how it was important to showcase their live sound on the new album. In order to channel their live performance, the band came into the studio at 6 p.m. to record as if they were rehearsing for a performance later that night.

“We just wanted to do something different. That was our producer’s idea, Jay Joyce,” Kimberly Schlapman said. “He wanted us to come in like we were playing a show and to have the energy and a little bit pressure like it is to put on a show. He wanted us to sing it live and put us on the spot a little bit. That was his idea and it worked like a charm.”

“I think it’s just a bolder, bigger, more confident sound from us,” Phillip Sweet said. “It’s unapologetic and just honest.”

One Republic

5. OneRepublic

To be honest, I was very fearful this might be my worst interview ever. The guys of OneRepublic were coming to CBS at 8 a.m. for an interview. I only had 15 minutes with them so I know I had to make it quick. From the moment they sat down though I thought it was a bust. When I asked my first question I was greeted by silence.

“You know that part in the car where I said, ‘Can you guys answer some questions today?’ Cue,” frontman Ryan Tedder said to the band.

Man, could I feel my nerves heat up, but he quickly apologized and the interview went on without a hitch.

“Can you ask the question again? I’m going on four hours of sleep here.”

4. Darius Rucker

Back in May I got word that I’d be interviewing Darius Rucker for CBS. In order to understand my complete excitement I have to take you way back to the summer of 2009 when my love for country music began. My best friends Wendy and Deana had been talking about visiting Nashville for quite some time. It just so happened that every June the city of Nashville is transformed into country music heaven as thousands of fans and artists descend on the city for the CMA Music Fest, what used to be known as Fan Fair.

For four days country music fans are treated to live performances and exclusive meet-and-greets with their favorite country artists. The three of us booked our flight and festival package and I wound up covering the nightly press conference and days events for Marie Claire. An outsider to country music, it was also my first time attending a press conference. While I knew the major artists like Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts and Reba, each night I was introduced to new acts. My first night in the press conference was intimidating to say the least. Not an exceptionally outgoing person, I soon learned that in order to get your question in you usually had to yell out to the artist onstage. The first artist in the room was Darius Rucker. The Hootie & the Blowfish frontman recently released his debut country album and would be performing on the main concert stage later that night.

Being my first time in the press room I kept raising my hand in hopes to get my question answered. When the last question was asked and the publicist started to usher him off the stage he pointed in my direction. “You’ve been so patient this whole time,” he said. “What’s your question?” After looking around and realizing he was talking to me I was shocked and thankful to be given a second of his time. So, I asked him how his Hootie fans have reacted to his leap into country music and he told me they’ve embraced and supported his career in country music. Still stunned he pointed me out in the crowd I instantly knew country would become my new favorite genre.

So, early this yeah I finally interviewed Darius one-on-one about his career, writing process, transition into country music and what it’s like working with Lionel Richie. I also filled him in on the fact that he’s pretty much the reason I decided to start covering country music and he actually remembered that time in the press room nearly three years ago!

3. Tristan Prettyman

In June, I chatted with singer-songwriter Tristan Prettyman whose new album Cedar and Gold dropped in September. Formerly engaged to fellow singer Jason Mraz, the album was deemed a breakup album. Reading over all the press material, I wasn’t sure exactly how I’d bring up the elephant in the room, but everything was stated pretty clearly in the press release so I wouldn’t be a good journalist if I didn’t.

The more we talked about the album and her relationship, the closer I came to having to bring up his name. So, I asked if she was nervous to have Jason listen to the album and she revealed that she sent him a few tracks and he responded, remarking at the fact that she didn’t hold anything back.

As Tristan continued to talk about the songs and her relationship she started to tear up and while I wasn’t quite sure whether to keep asking questions, I figured if she felt that uncomfortable she’d let me know. We continued the interview and I was so grateful for her honesty. Writing songs is often like writing in one’s diary and she shared so much of her process and the stories behind her songs with me. After our interview, I have no doubt her release will help a lot of people deal with their own heartbreaks. And that in itself is often the goal for a songwriter.

As far as my future interview goals, while I definitely don’t strive to make anyone cry from the questions I ask them, I hope I do allow them to feel comfortable enough to let their guard down for a moment. I know it’s not always the best idea to be friends with rock stars, but building a 30 minute friendship during our interview can’t hurt, can it?

2. James Valentine

When I found out that I’d be interviewing Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine I joked with my co-workers about the last time we used a payphone. After listening to their hit single “Payphone” on repeat I knew I had to ask him the same question.

Still trying to implement the idea of making my interviews more like a conversation with a friend, I was a bit nervous but determined to make it work. Having seen Maroon 5 perform the night before I at least had a few good conversation starters. As the interview went on I found my questions fitting seamlessly into the interview with no internal dialogue of “what am I going to ask next?”

By far my favorite interview to date, James Valentine took me behind-the-scenes of his writing process with Adam Levine, how he came to join the band, and of course the last time he used a payphone. This was the first interview I’ve had in a long time that really felt like a conversation with distinct connection.

1. Josh Turner

In September I learned that Josh Turner would be coming in for an interview. My mom’s a huge fan so I HAD to bring her along. I’ve never seen my mom speechless or star struck before so it was a treat to have her sit in on my interview and even ask Josh a few questions of her own. It was during this interview that my mom finally realized what all my hard work, unpaid internships and years of freelance work amounted to and I could tell she was proud. It hasn’t been the easiest journey convincing my family that I would make a career out of music journalism but in 2012 I finally proved it was possible. I have no doubts that 2013 will bring even more fun and a lot more stories to add to that future music memoir! Thanks for joining me for the ride.