We were lucky to catch up with Demi Marshall recently and have shared our conversation below.

Demi, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I first learned to write music/concert reviews and interview artists by reading articles from magazines like Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. The first music reviews I wrote were for my college newspaper. When I wasn’t sure how to approach the writing process, I looked to those publications for general ideas. After a few months of working for the newspaper, I started InAlternative. I spent about a year writing on my own and learning about music journalism. From there, I also began writing for other pop culture publications (Unclear Magazine, Strife Magazine). By getting assignments from those editors, I learned a lot about the process of working with artists and forming my own writing style.

I could have sped up the learning process by reaching out to other music journalists and asking questions. I wasn’t sure where to start or if reaching out for advice would be weird. Knowing what I know now, there’s no shame in being a beginner. Generally, other journalists are approachable and open to answering questions. One of the best ways to learn is just throwing yourself in- Write a review, ask a local artist for an interview, reach out to publications and see if they need writers. Getting involved in your local music scene is a great place to start.

I’d say essential skills for music journalism include: General writing skills, social media/marketing experience, and interpersonal skills (written/verbal communication, interviewing, sociable, etc.) There is a certain amount of creative writing involved with reviewing music. This can look like creating unique and interesting descriptions of sound or writing memorable taglines that artists can use for PR. Adding an element of creativity to your writing really makes it stand out. You may picture music reviewers as just sitting at a computer, but it’s a very social field. Sometimes interviews are in person, or you may get media passes to review a concert. You want to feel comfortable talking to bands, their fans, or other journalists at these events. In the current age of music journalism, social media is one of the main ways to market your publication and network with artists. Definitely create social media accounts and come up with a plan on how to use them.

The main obstacle that stood in my way of learning more was fear. Fear that I’d write a bad article, ask the wrong questions, come across as a newbie, etc. Once I let go of that nervousness and just put myself out there, my writing style and network grew exponentially. Spend less time worrying and more time making your publication the best it can be.

Demi, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Demi Marshall, founder and editor of InAlternative, a music blog featuring the latest alternative/indie artists. We’re technically based in Northwest Indiana but work closely with the Chicago music scene. I created InAlternative in 2017 as a personal blog to review my favorite albums and the many, many concerts I went to. I was a college student at the time, and attended about one concert per month. I loved the atmosphere and community that I found in the Chicago music scene, and wanted a way to document those experiences.

After a year of writing on my own just for fun, I wanted InAlternative to be something bigger. I wanted to get involved in the music scene and actually work with artists. My favorite concerts were things like house shows, local gigs, and Chicago venues like Beat Kitchen, Subterranean, and Bottom Lounge. I knew I wanted to highlight up-and-coming bands, and they were usually found at those shows. I decided to expand InAlternative from being individually ran and asked my childhood best friend Cheyenne Davey to be an editor and writer. She loves music and concerts as much as I do, and agreed to be my co-editor. The two of us have been running InAlternative together ever since.

From 2018 to the beginning of 2020, InAlternative grew from a personal blog to an established online publication. For a brief time, Cheyenne and I managed a team of writers/photographers who helped us write and create content We attended shows in Chicago for interviews/concert reviews, making friends with a ton of artists along the way. We got in touch with PR companies who put us on their email list, and started adding those artists to our schedule as well. Right when we started designing a new logo and revamping our site, COVID-19 caused the music scene to fall silent. With no shows and very few music releases, InAlternative went on hiatus from March 2020 to January 2023.

Currently, InAlternative is open for music submissions. The genres we cover include variations of alternative, indie, rock, pop punk, metal, etc. We have a few options for coverage: Music reviews, interviews, and song of the week/artist of the week (a feature on our social media). All coverage offered by InAlternative is 100% free- No submission fees, no article fees. While we work with artists from all over the world, we prioritize those from our local music scene (Indiana/Illinois). We know how expensive pursuing music can be, and love featuring up-and-coming artists free of charge. Music submissions must be made via email ([email protected]), and include links to released music, band photos, and a brief bio.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of running InAlternative is working with local artists. I’ve written articles about big artists for other publications, and while that’s a great experience, I’ll always prefer writing for my local music scene. The small, intimate shows and close bond formed with musicians from the area is what InAlternative is all about. Having the opportunity to write what may be a band’s first ever music review brings a lot of honor and fulfillment. I have so much respect for what each local artist produces and the energy they bring to live shows. It’s a community unlike any other.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media is an essential tool in music journalism. Building my audience on social media began with the name “InAlternative.” I wanted something short and catchy that could fit on a logo, but also described what we cover (indie/alternative music). I actually used a title generator to come up with the name. Once I had that, I created a style guide for the site and social media (Which colors/fonts I was going to use) to keep everything visually consistent. Actually building a following on social media is different on each platform. On Facebook I invited all my friends to like the page, on Instagram and Twitter I did mass follows of friends, bands, other publications, etc. The main thing I did across all platforms was post consistently to make sure followers saw my account on their feed. I’m always building my social media audience, so something I do even now is once a band or publication follows me, I go to the list of people they follow. Any account that looks relevant to what we do, I follow them, and the cycle continues. Social media isn’t something you can let fall to the wayside, especially with online publications since that’s where followers access your content.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://inalternative.wixsite.com/website
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inalternative/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InAlternative/
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/inalternative_
• Other: Email: [email protected] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inalternative Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/gmaajbftho4ud6z58g2ciwuzq