In a world where everyone and their mother has a podcast, it’s imperative to stand out.
Fueled by a love of music and a disillusion for conventional question-asking, Ryan Buynak decided to start his own podcast, Bothering the Band.
In Bothering the Band, Buynak does away with standard questions, instead asking weird, off the cuff, and simultaneously mundane everyday questions that intrigue both the subject and the listener. He gets inside the mind of artists on a more human level by asking questions about their favorite breakfast foods, favorite movies, partying, peeing in the shower, and so on.
By asking these questions, Buynak manages to humanize the artists he interviews, or “bothers,” and ultimately gives them a space to let their guard down and just be themselves. While BTB doesn’t necessarily re-invent the wheel, they manage to keep things interesting for the everyday listener.
It features an eclectic mix of artists from a wide range of genres. The list includes William Ryan Key (Yellowcard), the rapper Abstract, Tommy Prine (John Prine’s son), G. Love, Giant Drag, Fences, Slow Down Molasses, and others.
Bothering the Band isn’t your run-of-the-mill podcast, and music fans and junkies alike can surely appreciate Buynak’s devotion to asking entertaining questions.
In an attempt to learn more, we asked Buynak some questions of our own.
So where is Bothering The Band based out of and what inspired you to start it?
I am based out of Florida, by way of New York City, and my producer is based out of Wyoming. We must also give credit to our graphic designer, Enid, who is also in South Florida.
It started with a love of music, of course. I was writing an article called Bothering the Band for an outlet called Fusion Press. While folks suggested turning it into a podcast, it was Abby the producer who stepped up to the plate and really made it happen. She hammered in the nails, as it were, and Enid came through with the graphics, albeit after we did some shitty promotion. The stars aligned and Bothering the Band came to be.
Do you have a background in radio or music or anything in that realm?
I am a writer by trade, but have always had an intense love affair with music. I am lucky to have a producer who is smarter than me and learned the intricacies of podcasting.
Bothering the Band interviews a variety of bands. How do you decide which artists you’re going to interview (or bother)? Cast a wide net and see who’s into it?
We started this thing by bothering the bands and musicians we love; it was a very selfish endeavor. But the goal is to create relationships with musicians and labels, the managers and PR people who represent musicians. Now they are coming to us when, say, a musician’s new album comes out. Our net is very wide, indeed, because we love all different types of music, and a lot of people you recognize are talented musicians, surprisingly, like Tom Arnold. Yes, that Tom Arnold.
Do you find that asking random off-the-cuff questions allows the artists to open up more?
It definitely allows the artist to open up, because of the unique angle of the interview. How many times have you heard your favorite artist answer questions about where they are from or their inspiration? By asking these random, weird, wild questions it allows for fans/listeners to really get to know these artists as people, to get a sense of what really makes them tick.
What are some of your favorite interview moments from the show?
Hearing Tom Arnold dote on his children in an upcoming episode. Talking Dollar Store bandanas with Lyrics Born. Repping Orlando, Florida with Felicity. G. Love giving us a tour of his farm backyard. There are so many amazing moments, and we are just getting started.
In your interview with the band Slow Down Molasses, you mentioned you got to party with Andrew W.K. Care to tell us that story in a nutshell?
I can’t say much, but he is friends with my friend who is also a well-known comedian, and one night we had a wild time that I won’t go into, but we watched the sun come up and shed some blood.
Would you rather be Marilyn Manson’s lawyer or Fred Durst’s producer?
Look at you with the wacky Bothering the Band type questions! Gotta go with Fred Durst’s producer for the obvious reasons of not defending an alleged sexual predator. Plus, despite the knock on Fred Durst – who we would gladly have on the show – it would probably be pretty fun to produce easy listening rap-rock records.
Would you rather fight Mike Tyson twice a year or only be able to listen to Imagine Dragons for the rest of your life?
Bring it on, Mike!
What three artists are on your bucket list to bother, and what would be one question you’d have for each of them?
Pearl Jam, Devendra Banhart, Adam Duritz, Shaq, Taylor Swift…that’s five, but we could go on and on…and we would ask all of them if they knew who Bridget Fonda is, what their last text message says, and whether they put their shoes on sock-sock-shoe-shoe or sock-shoe-sock-shoe like a weirdo!
