What was it that attracted you to working in radio?
Honestly, it was the idea of getting free gig tickets. When I was a student in radio I thought it was exciting and cool to get free stuff, see bands, then get to interview them.
When did things start to take off for you?
It’s been such a slow build. People think you suddenly get a job, but you spend years and years doing work experience and bits and pieces that build up to it. If someone says you’ve got a radio show, you think “finally”. Other people might think “Oh wow!” but you’re thinking, “No, I’ve been working on for this for years.”
What was it like covering the summer music festivals for BBC Three?
It’s been great fun to do the festivals with Greg James, though it’s just another part of the job. I love doing that as much as much as I love seeing a new band on the BBC Introducing stage. It’s all the same thing - all about loving bands.
Was there anything that you wanted to do, that you’ve since achieved?
A national radio show; nailed it.
The radio show you co-host with Ally McCrae, BBC Introducing, has recently come to an end. How have you approached that change?
There’s nothing you can do about it, so you’ve just got to carry on. BBC Introducing is a small part of everything else that I do; it all fits in together. I’ll keep supporting new musicians through things like Kissability [Jen’s record label]. And I’ve recently started working for a new app called Dice that recommends London gigs without booking fees, which is exciting.
In the freelance world, where jobs are short term, how do you make sure you don’t come unstuck?
It’s never good to have all your eggs in one basket. Anything can end at any time, anything can change; so long as you’re flexible, and ready to adapt, you’ll be okay. You can never rest everything on the one job, because there isn’t a contract. Even if you do have a contract, you could be made redundant at any moment. So it’s good to have a few different things on the go, it keeps things interesting that way.
Are there any organisations that have been helpful to you?
The Student Radio Association was pretty good to me when I was starting out. They were supportive and have links to wider industry. Music-wise a lot of it is about going out, talking to people, making friends, going to gigs and supporting bands. Once you get to know people, once you’re in, once you show you’re a good person, hardworking, once you’ve proven yourself a little bit, people are a lot more open to help you out. People aren’t just going to help you out willy nilly, because people are so busy.
What advice has seen you through?
Don’t be a dick, I suppose. The people you meet on the way up are the people you meet on the way down.
What would your top survival skill in the creative industries be?
Sticking to your guns. I wouldn’t do a show about cars or cosmetics, as I have no interest in either whatsoever. I do TV stuff because it covers music festivals. For me it’s always about music.
That way you have something that lasts over a long period of time, rather than something that’s maybe a flash in the pan. You’ve got to have morals.
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Photo by Sebastien Dehesdin.
