Music’s Next Gen Reporters

"I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate short-term weapon." - Tom Stoppard

As you can imagine, journalists are near and dear to all of our hearts at The Nashville Briefing. This group below is keeping our industry informed every single day. Now, just because you're about to learn who they are, does not mean you should start sending them endless press releases! Pick and choose the important ones! 

Alright, let's dive in! - Zak

Ariel King

Publication: Pollstar

Title: Writer/Reporter

Ariel King is a Brooklyn-based music journalist who covers the live music industry for Pollstar Magazine. She oversees the publication’s daily newsletter, The Pollstar Daily Pulse, and covers electronic dance music and the New York City live music market.

Best Interview Hack: Don’t be afraid to talk about yourself a little bit. The more a subject gets to know about you, the more they’ll begin to open up about themselves.

Dream Interview: Dave Grohl

Audrey gibbs

Publication: The Tennessean

Title: Music Reporter

Audrey Gibbs is a music reporter for The Tennessean. She writes about new releases in the Nashville music industry, reviews albums and interviews artists both on and off the red carpet. She writes across most genres, including pop, indie, alternative, R&B, rock and country. Audrey graduated from Sewanee University in 2022 with a degree in English. In May 2023, she graduated from Columbia Journalism School, where she received her Master of Science in journalism. At Columbia, she studied arts criticism, wrote her thesis on women’s health and learned the art of investigative podcasting. You can check out her work on season three of  the “Shoe Leather” podcast or “Pretend.” Audrey has written for The Current GA in Savannah, GA, Ms. Magazine and the Nashville publication American Songwriter Magazine.

Best Interview Hack: Always leave room for silence. It’s amazing what people will say if you take a second to respond. Also—non-verbal affirmations

Dream Interview: Danny DeVito

thania garcia

Publication: Variety

Title: Music Editor

Thania Garcia spent much of her life as a music blogger before becoming a music editor at Variety, based out of Los Angeles. After graduating from the California State University of Northridge in 2021 with a B.S. in Journalism, Thania started her career as a publicity intern at Epic Records (Sony Music) and later as an editorial intern at Billboard. In 2022, she began her stint at Variety where she writes and edits music news and features with a specialization in Latin entertainment. She’s also been key to securing Latin talent for the publication’s marquee events including Miami Entertainment Town and its annual, and coveted, Hitmakers awards. She reports to Jem Aswad, Variety’s executive music editor.

Best Interview Hack: Be mindful of your tone, try your best to get a grasp of what the other person is like in conversation (ahead of time) and have fun!

Dream Interview: Lana Del Rey

ethan millman

Publication: Rolling Stone

Title: Staff Writer

Ethan Millman is a Los Angeles-based music industry reporter with Rolling Stone who covers all facets of the business including the record labels, music publishers and the live sector. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Associated Press among other outlets.

Best Interview Hack: It’s an old cliche, but don’t be afraid to keep quiet after a subject finished answering a question. Even just a second or two of silence often compels interview subjects to say more.

Dream Interview: Jack White

kristin robinson

Publication: Billboard

Title: Senior Writer

Kristin Robinson is a senior writer at Billboard. Her work explores the intersection of music rights and technology, primarily on the publishing side of the business. She was the recent finalist for a 2023 National Arts and Entertainment Journalism award for the longform investigative piece “How Did Two Unknown Latin Music Operators Make $23 Million From YouTube? The IRS Says They Stole It.” Before joining the Billboard staff in July 2021, Robinson worked at 10K Projects, a record label founded by Elliot Grainge, and wrote about music technology and business as a freelance journalist for Variety, Billboard, Consequence of Sound, Water + Music and more. She graduated from University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music in May 2020.

Best Interview Hack: Always ask at the end: “is there anything we didn’t touch on that you’d like me to know?” Sometimes the person says no, but other times the question can open up great points I didn’t even know I should ask about.

Dream Interview: Justin Vernon of Bon Iver

taylor crumpton

Publication: Words in TIME, Bloomberg, Marie Claire, The Guardian, & others

Title: Music Critic & Culture Writer

Taylor Crumpton is a music, pop culture, and politics writer from Dallas. In her work—which can be found in outlets like The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Harper’s Bazaar, The Guardian, NPR, and many other platforms—Crumpton writes about a range of topics from Black Queer advocacy to the underrepresented hip-hop scenes in the southern United States to pop analysis on releases like “WAP” and “Black Is King”.

Best Interview Hack: Each interview is an intimate conversation between two people. Although the journalist is in a position of authority, it is important for the journalist to establish an environment of mutual respect and understanding. The best interviews occur when the subject feels comfortable.

Dream Interview: Megan Thee Stallion

matt craig

Publication: Forbes

Title: Reporter

Matt Craig is a Los Angeles-based reporter covering the business of Hollywood and entertainment for Forbes, where he has profiled billionaires, reported on high profile dealmaking, and edited 30 Under 30 lists. Previously, he was a part of The New York Times’ Covid tracking team, which won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, and his byline has appeared there as well as The Washington Post, Esquire, The Athletic and Business Insider. He also puts out the twice-weekly pop culture newsletter No Content For Old Men.

Best Interview Hack: Short, direct questions. The less you talk, the more your subject will (and visa versa). Oftentimes the best quotes come on the other side of silent pauses, so be patient.

Dream Interview: Bill Hader (a fellow Tulsa, OK native!)

lyndsey havens

Publication: Billboard

Title: Deputy Editor

Lyndsey Havens is a deputy editor at Billboard whose cover stories on global stars have brought her backstage at Coachella to shadow Billie Eilish, to Post Malone’s snowy mountain getaway in Utah and to a remote Alaskan town for an intimate sit-down with Portugal. The Man. In addition to booking and editing the artist-driven section of Billboard magazine, the Sound, she regularly covers vinyl and music management, launching the annual Managers To Watch list in 2022 and hosting its first event this past January.

Best Interview Hack: Don’t let the questions limit the conversation.

Dream Interview: Forever chasing Miley Cyrus and Dave Grohl...