Poppy Reid is the Managing Editor of Australia’s fastest-growing music media company, Seventh Street Media, which includes Tone Deaf, The Brag, The Industry Observer and other publications under its umbrella. She is a former editor at The Music Network and a journalist who has been published in various publications including Rolling Stone, The Edge and Red Bull Music. She is one of the international speakers at this year’s Going Global Music Summit in Auckland and Anzel Singh got to quiz her for NZM.

What makes an artist interesting enough for you to want to write a piece on them?

They have to tick a few boxes for us:

• It sounds like a cop-out but it’s #1 for us; they have to make great music. Even if it’s the oddest, most niche Ectofolk music ever made, it should be great.
• They need to make the kind of music that will resonate with our audience. Luckily we have six different sites and a very genre agnostic audience.
• They have to know exactly who they are and prove that with how they engage with their fans and present their music/content.
• Ideally, they should have something to stand. Hatebreed once said it best: “If you don’t live for something, You’ll die for nothing.”

What is a mistake artists/bands might make when cold-emailing a media outlet that would make you ignore it instantly?

Getting my name or the name of the publication wrong. Proof read your emails thrice!

What’s the best way for an artist to approach a music media publisher if they want to be featured, get interviewed or get their album reviewed for something like Don’t Bore Us?

Get yourself a publicist. Their relationships with media and knowledge about which publication best suits your music is worth their weight in gold.

What advice would you give to a musician who has never had their music promoted on a music blog and doesn’t know where to start?

Build a strong community around you and the media will come. Even if you have 10 followers, make sure they all feel heard and engaged with. If you can build a groundswell on your own, even simply via social media, then when you do get to a point when it’s time to approach blogs you’ll already have a fanbase that publication can tap into by covering your music.

What makes an interview with a musician memorable and easy to write about?

Honesty. When an artist lets their guard down and lets the journalist tell their story, fans latch on so much harder.