errol anderson
Every week we ask reporters and editors about their work, their career and what it takes to be a journalist in the 21st century.

Our guest this week is Errol Anderson. He
 is the deputy editor of Boiler Room, a platform which describes itself as 'the home of underground music'. As well as hosting live music sessions and streaming performances on its website to 1.5 million members, Boiler Room also provides a variety of written features and articles on the underground music scene. 

Errol tells us how he discovers new material to write about, and why having a creative imagination is important when writing about music.


1. What is your job title and what does that mean?

My role as deputy editor, programmer and host means that I get involved in both sides of Boiler Room's overall coverage. As deputy editor, I'm responsible for ensuring editorial content reaches our audience through longform features, panel discussions, sourcing writers and the like.

As a programmer and host, I organise Boiler Room sessions from start to finish; putting together the line ups, curating the overall aesthetic and acting as an anchor between artists' sets.

2. How did you get started in journalism?

I started a music blog called Decibel Soup during college, which I then continued and developed with some friends during university. Early on in my first year at uni I also started cold calling magazines for internships. CLASH magazine gave me an opportunity to work with them and things blossomed from there.

3. What do you most look forward to at the start of your day?

Someone in the office will always have something new to play on the speakers, and it's usually something unreleased or amazingly obscure. Without fail. A music fiend's dream.

4. What does a normal day look like for you? In emoji.

errol emoji

5. What three tools or apps do you use the most for work?

For music discovery I hopscotch between Soundcloud, Bandcamp and Mixcloud. Then there's Twitter (or Tweetdeck) and increasingly, Schedugram – a lifesaver for scheduling Instagram posts. 

6. What would you focus on if you were training as a journalist now?

My confidence. Whether it's approaching musicians, PRs or musical figures, the clichéd statement "if you don't ask, you don't get" will always ring true. Don't be afraid to drop someone an email, message or tweet – a yes may be around the corner.

7. What skills do you think are important to your role?

Sounds obvious, but an addiction to music. If the passion for your chosen field is what drives you, a lot of the other elements will follow.

8. What has your current job taught you about the industry?

There really is no singular route into journalism. One night I was in the Boiler Room crowd, soon after I received a call about a job.

9. What would you say to someone applying to work at your organisation?

I'd say that even though knowledge is obviously a key point, the ability to have open ears and an imagination for describing sound is just as important too.

10. What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

Journalism is about sharing a message. I'm still guilty of doing it myself at times, but dropping in flashy phrases and word choices mean nothing if readers can't understand what you're trying to say.

Check back next week for a new look into the media industry – in the meantime, have a look at our other weekly interviews with digital media experts.

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