Australian Guitar recently published its 139^th issue. Given that many Australian media outlets are now exclusively online only, why has print has remained successful for Australian Guitar?
I think it is a combination of the niche audience that a printed magazine caters to, the attitudes within the broader guitar-playing community, and the specific content we deliver. While we strive to appeal to guitarists (and music lovers in general) of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels, many of our biggest readers tend to fall into two distinct categories. They are either young, looking to build their skills as players and learn as much about the guitar as they can, or they are older, more seasoned guitar veterans, who want to celebrate its history and future and maybe sharpen up their skillset.

Each issue of Australian Guitar is a miniature compendium of our love of the guitar. We provide a series of technique and lesson columns, tablature for songs we think beginners and experienced players will enjoy, and a DIY guide for those at-home luthiers among us. These are things that simply look and feel better on paper as opposed a screen. You don't need to take your hands off the fretboard to scroll down to the next diagram, you can pick up an issue and put it down whenever you want, and in the case of the DIY guide, you don’t have to worry about accidentally soldering a hole in your laptop screen while you're fixing your guitar.

Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected Australian Guitar’s content?
It has in a lot of small ways. Before the pandemic hit, we were covering a lot of live music online and bigger shows and festivals in the magazine through a column called "Axes In Action". We have had to put all of that on ice until things smooth out and it becomes safer for us to get out there and amongst it all.

It was especially tricky around March and April when COVID-19 started to heavily impact the music industry. Labels were realising they had to postpone (and in some cases cancel) release plans, advertising campaigns, and so on. A lot of the content we had lined up for our mid-year issue was no longer relevant. Because of the financial slump a lot of companies experienced during this period, we were unable to fill our regular advertising quota. This meant we took a pretty major hit to the pocket, but it also gave us an opportunity to beef that issue up with some additional editorial.

As far as that editorial itself went, the pandemic became a talking point in a lot of the interviews we were doing. But I think we have been able to take a positive spin on it. A lot of artists are pushing the narrative that while it definitely sucks to not be on tour and plus their releases face-to-face with fans, it also means they're spending more time at home being creative, exploring non-musical hobbies, and spending time with family. Little things like that force you to look on the bright side of life, no matter how dark it may seem at times. I like to hope readers can adapt that optimistic outlook for themselves.

Have you noticed an increase in people showing an interest in music, or learning new instruments, during this time?
Oh, absolutely. Now is such a perfect time to explore the world of musical instruments, and we are seeing a lot of that with increased site traffic from beginners looking to take up guitar.

It makes total sense, right? People are bored as hell being stuck at home and having to limit their social interactions, so learning an instrument, especially the guitar, is a very mentally stimulating exercise. I like to think this is where Australian Guitar has the ability to really shine, too. You can look at our editorial as entertainment and a chance to find your new favourite artist or read a new story about an artist you already love. You can also come to us for lessons and a chance to pick up a new skill or explore a new technique with the guitar. We also provide gear reviews that are becoming increasingly popular as well.

What has been your most memorable story / interview you have published in the magazine since you became Editor?
Last year I had the opportunity to organise a cover photoshoot with Murray Cook - the former Red Wiggle - for issue #133. Murray invited our photographer Pat O’Hara (who, fun fact, cameoed in an old Wiggles VHS as a lil’ tike) and I into his home, where he allowed us to get hands-on with some of his favourite guitars. We spent about an hour chatting and taking photos, and it was honestly one of the most surreal experiences I have ever had - it is not every day you get to hang out with a goddamn Wiggle, after all. But he was super down-to-Earth!

My favourite interview would have to be the Slipknot cover feature I did for issue #134. The interview itself was pretty stock-standard - it was over the phone with Jim Root and Mick Thomson, who were backstage at a festival at the time. But what made it memorable was how it all went down. We worked super hard and fought tooth and nail to make it work (big shoutout to Emilie at Warner for her incredible hustle there), and once we had finally locked it in, we ended up converting the dates and times wrong.

I got the call for the interview at 4.30am on a Sunday morning, over a day ahead of when we had expected it to be scheduled. I had just gone to bed, following a hectic night that involved driving from Sydney to Canberra, dancing through a sold-out Alex Lahey show, and enjoying some delicious local beers. I had not prepped any questions, I was still pretty buzzed from the night out, and the only thing I had to record the interview with was my partner’s dodgy old phone. But somehow, against all the odds, we pulled it off. Every question I randomly threw at the wall seemed to stick. Mick and Jim gave me some fantastic quotes to work with, and I think I did a pretty solid job of pretending I had my sh*t together.

Earlier this year, Future acquired Australian Guitar from nextmedia. Have there been any key changes in content direction for the title as a result of this change?
Our transition from nextmedia to Future came with a bit of a shake-up in personnel, so we lost a lot of our in-house Columnists and Contributors, and our longstanding Art Director. But we have gained far more than we ever could have lost - our new Art Director, Kristian, is constantly blowing my mind with the work he does on the magazine. We have also been given access to an absolute goldmine of editorial content from across the dozens of titles Future produces internationally, like Guitarist, Total Guitar, Guitar World and so many more. These are titles that do not have an established presence locally, so Australian Guitar serves as a medium to let that content really shine and strike a chord with a new audience.

With such an enormous team of writers and creatives around the world, Future is constantly pumping out editorial gold. Australian Guitar prints five 100-page issues each year, and we literally cannot keep up with how much great stuff is landing on our desks every day. So I feel absolutely confident in saying that under Future’s wing, Australian Guitar is the best it has ever been. Hell, I often find myself having to cut some of the best stories I have ever read because even better ones keep coming in. It is insane!