Earlier this month, I had the chance to interview the popular Australian presenter and music journalist, Andrew Günsberg.
You may remember Andrew from his days at B105, Channel V and Australian Idol, but most recently he has been spending his time travelling between Sydney and Los Angeles to record his live celebrity radio show ‘Hot Hits from LA’. He’s also supporting an initiative for young regional Australians wanting to pursue a dream career in music journalism, Optus Sound Scribe.
Andrew, along with some of Australia’s leading industry personalities in music and entertainment, has been mentoring budding music enthusiasts for the last three months as they compete for the ultimate prize to become a music reporter.
Andrew, welcome to Yahoo!7. Could you tell me a bit about yourself?
My name’s Andrew Günsberg. I worked on Australian Idol for many years. I worked on Channel V before that and now I’m really excited to be a part of the Optus Sound Scribe initiative. It’s really exciting!
What is the best piece of advice you had in getting started in the Music Industry?
No one really gave me the advice, but I just figured out that you had to work really hard to get anywhere. There’s a squillion other people who want your job and they’ll do it for less money, so you’ve got to work really hard to stay on top of it at all times.
You can never really rest on past successes, because you’re only really as good as the last time you were on air or the last thing you wrote. That’s a really important thing to remember. People say it a lot, it’s a known phrase ‘you’re only as good as the last gig’, but it’s true. You really have to be on point, every time.
How did you get your break in the music industry?
I worked as a roadie for a few years, lugging lighting rigs up and down the East Coast, making sure that covers bands had snazzy lighting shows. After this I was in a band myself, but also was unemployed. So I sent letters to every radio station in Brisbane, hoping that someone would give me a job!
One of the managers from a club I used to work at back when I was a lighting guy now worked as a promotions manager at B105FM in Brisbane. He got me in for an interview and a few weeks later, I was driving the station truck around giving away soft drinks on the streets of Brisbane. It all went from there!
What is the one thing you do to prepare for interviews when you’re about to meet big talent?
The one thing I do when I’m preparing to meet big talent is that I always make sure that I’m quite prepared as far as their prior career. To try and do as much research as I can into things they’ve already done, yet remain inquisitive about the project we’re there to talk about. So I’m coming from a really honest place whilst asking my questions. It’s really important to know whom you’re talking with and what they’ve done and the road they’ve walked on to get to sitting in front of you, because that brings a lot of respect to the questions you’re asking as well. You may never ask a question about it, they may never want to talk about their earlier career but it puts you in a good place to ask a question.
How do you get over the nerves and the cold calls of going for your dream job?
I didn’t make any cold calls when I went for my dream job, I just sent letters out. I sent really convincing letters; clearly, the guy at B105 eventually gave me the job. You really have got to back yourself, really be aware of what you’re calling for. You’re not going to get invited into the radio station or the newspaper and be given the feature the month you walk in the door. Just be aware you are going to have to really work your way towards the most exposed jobs in those areas, whether it be radio, television or print. And there’s that there for a reason, as you need time to get up to speed.
Take that time and enjoy that time and enjoy the benefit you’ve got of working with great people who know more than you; and learn as much as you can every day. You’re in a job where you’re learning every day, you’re a lucky person.
What do you know now that you wish you knew before you started working in the music and entertainment industry?
Not to take things so seriously. I do take things very seriously but sometimes I used to get a little too serious and I didn’t take time to look around and really have fun and enjoy where I was. Which has changed in the last few years; but certainly the first 10 or so years I was in the industry I might not taken the time to pause and look around and enjoy the fruits of what I was doing too much. I was always very busy and always working very hard at what the next thing was. It is important to enjoy the journey. That sounds like a weird, old-man thing to say but it’s true.
What advice do you have for the aspiring Sound Scribes?
Write from your heart and from your passion. Be consistent. Establish a style and taste so that people will grow to trust your opinion. Never forget that the industry you work in is fun!
You recently moved to LA. How does life over there compare to life in Australia?
Australia is clean, fresh, smells good and is full of wonderful people.
Australia is the greatest country on Earth. Nothing compares to Australia. However, the show I work on is all about LA and the Entertainment industry there with Music and Films, so being based there has massive advantages. Plus I get to live with my wife, which is awesome. She loves Australia too, so we get back there when we can.
Andrew also had a message for his Flickr fans:
Hi everybody who’s on Flickr. Thanks for your support, you’re awesome!
Andrew is also asking the following question on Yahoo!7 Answers:
Thank you to Andrew for taking the time to speak with me and pass on so much amazing knowledge, we appreciate it!
To find out more about Andrew and tips on how to pursue a career in music journalism, go to www.optussoundscribe.com.
You can visit Andrew Günsberg on Flickr, here.
Kate
Community Manager
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