BEHIND THE BLOG: A conversation with Kayleigh Hinsley, author of In Good Taste: Rock & Roll Journal
Each week, join Campus Society as we dig deeper and speak with one of our growing community of bloggers.
Let's start off with an easy one and go back to the beginning. When did you start your blog and how nervous were you when you posted for the first time?
I’ve not been blogging for long, about a year or two, and I wasn't really nervous at all. I think there's a certain comfort in the beginning in knowing that nobody is reading what you write.
Many people have a number of reasons for wanting to blog. What’s yours?
My main reason for blogging is to share the music I love with others and hopefully inspire them. I think that's important particularly for young people - to hear about older music or obscure music that they perhaps wouldn't otherwise hear about.
Who would you say your blog would appeal to the most?
My blog is designed to appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds, but I suppose it's aimed at an audience who have an interest in learning about new sorts of music.
Now, there are loads of music blogs out there. How do you manage to set yours apart from someone else’s?
I try to keep my writing style very conversational. Most music blogs will write very technically about the songs or albums they review. I don't do that because I find that it's hard to understand if you don't know anything technical about music. The whole point of my blog is to make certain types of music more accessible and easier to understand for ordinary people.
If you didn’t write about rock & roll what would you write about, if at all?
Possibly art. If there is anything I want to write about outside of music, I will. I haven't set any limitations for myself on what I can write about on my own blog. Really it's just about telling people about whatever I've enjoyed, whether it's music related or otherwise, so the only thing I won't do is write about things I dislike as I don't think there's any point in spreading hatred. If you can't think of anything nice to say, say nothing!
Have you always been interested in music or is this something you’ve been influenced by in recent years?
More recently, I suppose. I was never interested in being spoon-fed chart music, so I didn't really listen to anything until I found something I liked.
Aside from rock & roll, what are your other passions in life?
I also enjoy art, record collecting and playing guitar. I used to read a lot too, which is something I want to start doing more of again.
Some of the musicians you blog about have obviously achieved one of their goals in life. If we asked you to write about your greatest achievement, what would it be?
I'm not sure that I've achieved very much yet, other than academically. I guess I would write about overcoming barriers and discrimination to become the person you want to be; doing your own thing and not caring about what anyone else thinks.
On the subject of overcoming barriers in life, have you found blogging to have benefited you in your life in any way?
I think the main benefit of blogging has been the people I've 'met' because of it. It's always fun to chat with people who read my blog and hear their views.
Let’s talk about the flip side of the coin now and the haters! How would you manage criticism or how have you managed any criticism - if any - in the past?
I haven't experienced any criticism yet in terms of blogging, but everyone is entitled to their opinion so I don't think I'd mind. To be honest, I really don't care what anyone thinks of me as a person so 'haters' wouldn't bother me, but I'd be interested to hear negative views about my writing or what I've, written about as that can be constructive. I'd also be relatively pleased that somebody took the time to read and think about what I'd written in order to criticize it!
Good answer! How does it make you feel every time you post a blog knowing so many people are reading what you have to say?
I don't tend to pay attention to whether anyone actually reads my posts, so I don't really think about it. I guess it's nice to know that someone might read it and actually check out what I'm writing about. It means I can bring attention to things that people wouldn't normally come across in everyday life or the media today, as I often write about older or more obscure music.
Are there any parts of blogging that you don’t like?
Finding the time to complete long posts can sometimes be difficult, but other than that I really enjoy it!
Finally, what’s your best piece of advice for blogger newbies?
My advice would be to just write however and whatever comes naturally to you - don't try to imitate anyone else's style, just find something that works for you. A conversational tone can be really great and make your blog accessible and inviting. Most people are not technically minded when it comes to things like music or whatever your subject matter is, so jargon never helps if you want to appeal to a wide audience. Linking your blog to instagram and being active on instagram can also be really useful as it opens up a whole new sphere of contacts and people who might be interested in what you're writing.
To check out more from @Kayleigh Hinsley, head on over to her blog channel here.
Thanks for reading! If you're a student and you're on Campus Society, you can join my blog's channel here. I'll post a few previews there of posts I'm working on before they're finished! Look out for my upcoming post featuring an interview with NY band The American, where I'll also review their new album, Manifest Destiny. Other things to look forward to include something about women in music, and my Best Of 2016 list!
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