Interview with singer leaves this reporter disappointed, wondering

They had me at hello. Thirteen minutes later, it was goodbye.

My interview with Forrest Kline of Hellogoodbye wasn’t my first time talking to someone with a semi-high status level – but I’ll admit I was a little star-struck when I found out I was going to interview the band.

Then the interview – or as I like to call it: The day Hellogoodbye broke my heart – started.

For those who have seen the band live, you know the guys put on an energetic show and keep the audience entertained. I expected my interview to go somewhat like one of their shows – full of wit and corny jokes. I was wrong.

The interview started off badly. I could tell as soon as I said hello that Kline didn’t want to be talking to a college journalist. I tried to get him to discuss the band’s current tour, but I was met with, “Umm yeah, the tour is fun,” and a lot more along those lines.

When I asked if there are any cities he’s interested in playing, he said, “I haven’t heard of a lot of these cities before.” I guess places like Orlando, Houston and Atlanta are foreign to Kline.

I tried to delve deeper into Kline and find out what makes him so nerdy and loveable. I got nowhere. I kept hoping he would pull through and come up with some great anecdote that would make a wonderful lede for my story. No such thing. After a mere 13 minutes I said goodbye to Kline, and he left me wondering: How can someone so charismatic on stage be so dull in an interview?

As a journalist, I shouldn’t take a bad interview personally. I have a thick skin, but I’m not going to lie – I was disappointed. I wasn’t upset that I couldn’t get a story out of it. I was upset that one of my favorite bands didn’t seem to care.

Maybe I’m being dramatic. It could have been a bad day for Kline. But now, whenever I hear “Here In Your Arms,” it’s just not the same.

Brittany Moseley is a freshman magazine journalism major and an ALL reporter for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected].