Why I Stopped Interviewing Local Artists

My goal with Bridge The Gap was always to flush out my rolodex.

When I started the show my network was much smaller. No one thought of me for any opportunities and the interview show was a Hail Mary move to pop out of my rut. I achieved that goal, or at least created new momentum. 

I didn’t expect it to get as much attention as it did so quickly and I really believed the show could grow into something sustainable.

It did not.

I tried really hard. It went over 150 episodes. The thing is nobody watches any of those episodes.

Maybe the entire Bridge the Gap thing was the definition of something nobody asked for.

This article isn’t a complaint, it’s meant to be an answer to a question people actually ask me, it came up today in a radio interview. 

People definitely have asked for an English Montreal Hip Hop podcast

Recently I saw someone post that they would make the first English Montreal Hip Hop podcast and I chortled.

I’m not here to say my interview show was an English Montreal Hip Hop podcast, but it was pretty darned close.

You could argue my show wasn’t exclusively Montreal and here and there I dabbled outside of Hip Hop. But to act like it wasn’t a Montreal Hip Hop podcast makes me sad. 

Not a single person commented to correct homie and state Bridge the Gap was a thing. 

514 Online Mix also had an English Hip Hop podcast going on for a while.

No one said their name either. The Hu$tle Podcast is out there, but arguably they did go more generalized. There have been several shows like Bashment Booth’s basement podcast where artists get interviewed and then rap. 

The reason we all jumped into that arena is because people were asking for it. 

But, since no one seems to know about all that, do people really want it?

Turns out interview guests are really important for episode performance

“Holden, I love what you are trying to do, but you need to get better guests” - multiple people who trash talked my guest list. 

There were definitely a few people that made me question if I needed to vet people a little harder. That being said, one of my best interviews for entertainment value came from an Ontario kid in the middle of nowhere with 2 songs out at the time. 

When I think back on the “people” asking for English interview shows for rappers, it’s just rappers asking. 

When I think about who came to watch each episode, it was just the peers and family of the guest. 

The same rappers that asked for the platform couldn’t be bothered to help build it up. I would release the episode, most episodes sat there with 0 comments on them, not even from the guest.

I get that most people in our city aren’t the biggest artists but some of these “no names” are really interesting/accomplished. I became so discouraged by everyone’s lack of interest in everyone else. It’s not so easy to get bigger guests when the interview VOD gets 37 views and no comments. 

One time while whining, Dhawn Linen made it clear that I need to care more.

It’s hard to care about things that may be a bad idea

This interview thing was great during COVID. 

We were in a literal lockdown and couldn’t go outside past 8 PM. This led to an unsustainable interest in what I was doing. Like many, once the world opened up again I wanted to be out there. 

I’m not sure what it was exactly but after the initial excitement of my show, people just stopped caring. They got caught up in their worlds and most couldn’t be bothered to watch anymore.

I saw the live numbers dip. I saw people talking about it less. Even in person people didn’t really bring it up now that shows were back.

The one thing I never struggled to find is guests.

Your show can have 17 views and you will find 100 people willing to be interviewed. 

Even if no one’s ever going to watch it. 

After a while it felt like I was giving a lot of time that could be used for things I wanted to do more. 

I had already achieved my mission, people know who I am now. 

The future of Bridge the Gap is ticketed events at venues

There is not a universe where I can make an artist more interesting than they are willing to make themselves.

I can interview you and hype up your interview, but that is a weekly, or monthly flash in the pan moment for me. The entire hype is built on your ability to be interesting meeting  my efforts to boost you up.

No matter what I say or do, but if no one’s heard of you on my side, and there’s nothing flashy or interesting, there’s very little I can do to sell the interview to people on my own.

At this phase my guests would need to know the audience is coming from them. 

I’m not that popular. Montreal artists don’t care about other Montreal artists. They will find literally anything to do other than pull up and watch a peer get interviewed (unless they believe their name will get mentioned, then they are there 100%). 

Now that means I need to incentivize my guests to hustle their brand.

If there’s a ticket price at the door, well, we can split that bag. Now I’m getting paid to do this, and you, the guests, are also getting paid to do this.

Until that is in place, I don’t think I’m going to focus on Montreal artists, everywhere else is more interesting to me for interviews.

There needs to be a team and structure or I’ll just burnout and stop caring

Now that I know where the show is going, I need the team to help me make it possible.

Every podcast I listen to has producers and behind the scenes people. I’m just no longer in a place in my life where I can do it all. It’s more efficient for me to keep everything on hold for a couple of years, save up big money, and just pay for what I need. 

#nokidslife

While I’m willing to wiggle around with marketing and stuff, Bridge the Gap is an experience. I see how it can be improved in a live setting and believe that with the right people behind me this could be a profitable endeavour. We’d need to get funded as a culture source solving language issues or something.

We’d need that funding because we’ll never get the kind of organic viewership that will pop by focusing on local Montreal English Hip Hop. 

I know the show can be better produced visually and have a crispier sound. Those things can’t come without people being there to help. As time went on, the people that could help, like Bonnie, got their own projects in place, and are limited in their commitments now.

From a resources point of view, I’m riding more solo now than I’ve been in years (for Behind That Suit related projects), 

When the right people appear to back the show, and we find the right venue, the show will come back.

Or, y’all can go spike my numbers on past episodes and show me the Zoom format is good for you.

Until then…

Live Long and Prosper Everyone