Next week, the Chronicle will begin releasing a series of video shorts in which I blindside musicians with elaborate hypothetical questions. The clips run in the format of a group questionnaire, with five artists pondering topics including aliens, the afterlife, and strange social initiations. It’s called the Q&A Hole.
The working title for the series was 4am Conversations. That’s because it’s based around the preposterous and the profound topics of discussion I have with friends in the ultra late night hours, when your inhibitions have gone to bed and your creativity soars. Ultimately, we decided to use a better title, initially utilized by Chronicle scribe Wayne Alan Brenner in this reoccurring question-and-answer series.
Brave participants in the first three episodes include Jackie Venson, Zeale and Phranchyze of Blackillac, Sailor Poon frontwoman Billie Buck, the Teeta, Nolan Potter, Kalu James, Mike Wiebe from Riverboat Gamblers and Drakulas, Walker Lukens, Topaz McGarrigle from Golden Dawn Arkestra, Duel singer/guitarist Tom Frank, Gina Chavez, Acey Monaro from Go Fever, Roky Moon of American Sharks, Think No Think’s John Dowey, and Juli Keller and Cody Dosier — aka Being Dead.
The series arrives as a collective effort from Chronicle staffers. John Anderson shoots and edits Q&A Hole, Tamar Price serves as producer, and Jana Birchum handles the audio. Me, I just think up the questions, write them on cardboard, and invite my friends to come in and answer them.
Here’s the trailer:
This article appears in July 26 • 2019.